“Bag lady you gone hurt your back, dragging all them bags like that. I guess nobody ever told you, all you must hold onto, is you, is you, is https://www.kabbalah-arizal.nl you.” Erykah Badu

Danette Eden is indeed a solitary bag lady, but in a most creative and entrepreneurial way.

Eden is sole owner, designer, seamstress and marketer at Sea Dog Bags, purveyor of durable carry bags made largely from surplus sails, some of which once propelled famous sea going vessels.

Originally from Wolfville, Eden has called canada goose uk outlet Lunenburg home for the past 15 years.

A dozen years ago Eden drove to a Halifax upholstery shop that was getting buy canada goose jacket cheap rid of surplus and scrap vinyl. This type of vinyl is used for upholstering furniture and making awnings for storefronts.

“The owner let me open his garage door and take as much vinyl from his indoor dumpster as I could in five minutes,” said Eden. “I hurriedly tossed the material onto a snowbank, then loaded it into the trunk of my car. I took it home and started making bags. Business quickly took off from there.”

The Sea Dog Bags label was established at the conclusion of a girls’ night at Eden’s home.

“Some of my girlfriends came over for dinner and wine. They were asked to think of a name for my company, Canada Goose Parka then they wrote down their choices and placed them in a jar. canada goose outlet store uk At the end of the evening we sat around and discussed the proposed names. Sea Dog Bags emerged the winner,” said Eden.

Sail canada goose store lofts around the province had surplus sails deemed to be in good condition, said Eden, so she acquired a few. Many sails were in near new condition, ideal for re purposing the material into bags.

Eden switched from vinyl to sail fabric, and her product line grew to include market bags, bucket bags, messenger bags, eyeglass cases, beach bags, change purses, wallets, even EpiPen holsters.

Other bags are fashioned from wide conveyor belts once used in the province’s pulp and paper mills.

The handles and straps stitched onto the bags are actually lengths of seat belts goose outlet canada salvaged from beyond repair demolition derby cars piled up in an Annapolis Valley junkyard.

“My cousin reminded me that some of those vehicles were used by our canada goose jacket outlet family members for cruising around town on a Friday night when we were young,” said Eden, who learned how to sew at a young age by watching her mother make clothes using a foot operated sewing machine.

“It’s come full circle because my mom now helps me cut everything I make,” said Eden.

Each durable bag comes with a tag canada goose factory outlet outlining the history of the boat the sail came from, while the rest of the bag’s story is told personally by Eden when the bag is sold.

Many of the stories canada goose outlet nyc are quite interesting and unique, canada goose outlet black friday and some have a personal connection to Eden.

“I accepted an invitation to sail on official canada goose outlet the Maggie B, a beautiful 62 ft. fusion schooner built at the Covey Island Boatworks in 2006. The owner was Frank Blair, a Chicago venture capitalist and experienced sailor. I had hosted the crew at my house earlier, so they wanted to return the favour,” said Eden.

“I joined the crew in canada goose outlet Antigua, where the Maggie B was the feature boat at the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta. I was aboard for a few of the races. Afterwards we sailed to Bermuda then back to Nova Scotia on the boat’s final leg of her 38,400 mile circumnavigation of the globe,” she canada goose outlet parka said.

Maggie B cheap canada goose was safely back at Covey Island for a cosmetic refit when, in 2008, a fire razed the boathouse and consumed the Maggie B. The sails, however, were canada goose factory sale stored at another location.

“I obtained those sails and made special bags for Mr. Blair and various crew members. And many of my customers purchased bags made from canada goose clearance those sails canada goose outlet reviews as well,” said Eden.

“On another occasion, world class sailor Derek Hatfield gave me two canadian goose jacket sails from his Volvo 60 Spirit of Adventure. It was an honour to receive them from such an accomplished sailor,” canada goose outlet store she said.

Hatfield, who famously completed two solo voyages around the world, died unexpectedly in 2016.

“I see people at the markets still carrying the bags they bought from me many years ago,” said Eden.

In addition to her colourful hand crafted bags, Eden offers industrial seamstress services, including custom boat cushions, heavy zippers and clothing. Learn more about canada goose outlet Sea Dog Bags on Facebook.

Peter Simpson is a veteran journalist and former CEO who now lives in Nova Scotia. His latest column, Here’s What I’m Thinking, which chronicles provocative random thoughts uk canada goose outlet on a broad spectrum of topics, appears monthly.