🔁 After meeting Delphine at a Bouge ta Boîte entrepreneurs' meeting, and completing a first project for her parents, she came back to me for a project just for herself.

👛 She had a Cabaïa backpack to which she wanted to add a removable pouch. She wanted to bring meaning into her daily life and pay tribute to her grandmother.
🧥👜 So, she entrusted me with her grandmother's leather satchel, the remnants of her father's Compagnons jacket lining that were used in her previous project, and an insignia from her grandfather's felted wool beret... all pieces full of stories and very inspiring.

✏️ We discussed her needs and desires at the workshop, such as having a pouch larger than the original one. I analyzed the pouch's construction to replicate it as closely as possible and offered her sketches of different versions.

🪡 Once she had chosen the final design, I assembled a few prototypes to ensure the technique and look were right before touching her sentimental materials. I then carefully dismantled her grandmother's bag, cut and prepared the pieces from the least damaged sections, and assembled everything.
She came to pick it up and try it at the workshop, we took a few photos, and she left happy and well-equipped!

This is the second time I’ve turned to Marie for a personal project, and I’m just as thrilled as ever! 🤩
The pouch, created from my grandmother’s old satchel, fits perfectly with my Cabaïa bag. A huge bravo to her, because the satchel was really in very poor condition! 👏🏻

Other beautiful stories

Alison 's babywearing wrap

Alison is a textile artist for whom I made a custom bag as a thank-you for the works she created for the children of a lost friend, as a tribute to her.

Discover their story

Before
After

Élodie's babywearing wrap scrap

Élodie is a loyal customer who had fallen in love with the Croisette model (she has good taste!) and had a wonderful offcut in mind for its creation.

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Before
After

Emelyne's bag

Emelyne supported me for a year in gaining clarity about my business. In awe of her elegance and style, I didn’t hesitate for a second when she came to me afterward to transform her Bottega Venetta bag...

Discover their story

Before
After

Élodie's babywearing wrap

Élodie had this babywearing wrap to which she was deeply attached. I share her words that deeply moved me.

Discover their story

Before
After

Browse the designs I have my idea All your stories

Want to tell your story too?

Did one of these stories inspire you, and do you feel ready to write your own? Book a free phone or video call (on Zoom) to tell me about your fabric, budget, schedule, and ideas.

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Photo of Marie Alhomme

Common questions

Can I transform the clothes of a loved one who has passed away, as part of grieving?

Yes, and these are among the most deeply moving projects I get to work on.

Your father's jacket, your grandmother's coat, the jumper you can't bring yourself to give away because it still smells a little like her... These fabrics carry something irreplaceable. Transforming them into an everyday object means giving them life again without erasing them, and for many people, this is part of the grieving process itself: the memory is no longer folded away in a drawer, it's worn, or displayed.

I approach these projects with particular care: we take time to talk about the person, the story behind the fabric, what you want to preserve and how. The finished piece isn't just a bag: it's an object that continues to bear witness.

And if several family members each want a keepsake made from the same garment? That's possible too. One piece of fabric can give birth to several different pieces, for several different people. We look at what the material can offer, together, without wasting any of it.

“It’s too expensive”

Each piece is unique: imagined and handcrafted in my studio in France.
The price reflects the technical skill, premium materials, and the uniqueness of an artwork designed to last and keep its aesthetic strength. A true favorite like this is cherished for years.

Can I combine fabrics from different people in the same piece?

Absolutely, and it can be extraordinarily beautiful.

Blending your grandfather's jacket with your grandmother's scarf in one bag, weaving together fabrics from three generations in a clutch... these assemblages carry something powerfully symbolic, and they often produce visually rich and unexpected results.

The only constraints are technical: the fabrics need to be compatible with each other (durability, thickness, structure), and each piece needs to be large enough for the planned cuts. But by playing with finishes (flat panels, patchwork, geometric or organic shapes), we can often work with small pieces and still create something coherent.

We take stock together during the discovery call, looking at your fabrics and imagining the possibilities. Bring everything you have!

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