Buy Indie Wednesday: Zip It Good

Cut Out and Collect puts some bags on sale after big sell

By LYNDSAY KNECHT MILNE

Updated 8:43 AM CST, Wed, May 20, 2009

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Cut Out and Collect

Note: As we explore the blossoming handmade scene in Dallas, we look forward to sharing with you our favorite products by local designers who make beautiful things meant for everyday use.

Cheyne Little of Cut Out and Collect, a line of bags, wallets and zipper pouches that introduce youthful prints to grown-up function, is knocking some prices down on her goods thanks to an overwhelming turnout Saturday at that Etsy Dallas Spring Bash we told you about.

Our picks from Cut's Etsy shop:

The deal: Wood Grain zipper pouch, $8. The green-tinted print on this pouch can be a surrealist play on texture or a gentle nudge away from zebra for an animal-print crazy friend.

The splurge: Fawn All Over You Bag, $33. At $9 off, this bag is still a bit pricey for it's size. But ... tiny deer. Everywhere. On Japanese canvas. And with a tomboy red backdrop.

P.S.: Find Cut Out and Collect at House of Dang! and The Coffee Haus Downtown in Arlington, where Little manages the mini-boutique.

A few words with designer Cheyne Little:

AT: Describe the Cut Out and Collect customer.
CL: While I try to vary my designs for a variety of customers, some bags obviously call for a bold sense of humor. I try to keep my items affordable for the young folks (Peter Bjorn & John shout-out) on a budget. So hip, smart, witty... wait, I'm describing Tina Fey. [Who is not so much on a budget.]

AT: Of the animals featured on your products (octopus, deer, panda), which would be your spirit animal?

CL: Elephants, hands down. They're magical -- big, powerful, intelligent, and somehow still so cute. My fascination with them began while living in Thailand, where I began designing full time.

AT: Did you take home anything from another seller at the Spring Bash?
CL: I don't think I have enough time to tell what I bought and what I wish I'd bought! I love my top from Harrilu and look forward to getting my custom wooden pendant (featuring scissors, big surprise) from Pamela Michelle.

AT: What fabric print are you constantly on the lookout for but can't find?
CL: Gnomes! My favorite gnome fabric is out of print.