Little A x Sweet Keeps Collector's Bag

My girl is always collecting things wherever she goes: shells, rocks, berries, leaves, and acorns. I find them in pockets, hidden in cupboards, and displayed on her bookshelves. So the idea of a little collector's bag was born. Rather than teaching myself how to make a bag from scratch, I knew exactly who to ask. I reached out to Katie from Sweet Keeps.

We exchanged many messages and photos, and made a first test sample while my girl took it everywhere: to the beach, the museum, birthday parties, and a road trip.

I created quilted patchwork panels with appliqué details in Wellington, then sent them to Katie in Hawke's Bay, where she constructed them into bags, adding the straps, lining, and handles. It truly was a collaboration between two creatives in two different cities, connected through social media, admiring each other's craftsmanship and creativity, and inspired by the exchange.

Each bag, named Acorns and Clovers, is one-of-one. Inspired by collecting acorns and clovers with my daughter, the design is rooted in daily life, an expression of childhood itself. It comes with a detachable bag charm, “wander deep”, an excerpt from a bespoke poem written for this August 2026 collection by Tony Luckett.

Details

• 100% cotton outer, filling, and lining
• Hand-appliquéd details
• Detachable bag charm with poem excerpt
• Shoulder strap and handles
• Drawstring closure
• Size: height 22 cm; base 18 cm × 10.5 cm; strap 66 cm

Sweet Keeps

Sweet Keeps is all made by myself, Katie, in Te Matau ā Māui, Hawke's Bay, Aotearoa. I use post-consumer textiles and manufacturing by-products. In other words, op-shop finds and kind people gift or sell their scraps to me.

I cherish these materials and choose to give them a second life, keeping them from a long, sad end of life in landfill. The fabrics are repurposed with a mission for zero waste. Each product is slow-sewn with a lot of love into a one-of-a-kind piece for you to treasure.

My background in clothing design and the journey of motherhood sparked the idea to create sweet, sustainably made bags to keep and treasure.