FAQ

Sassy Sparrow products are handmade in our home in Forrest, Illinois by five sisters and our carefully trained craftswomen. Growing up in rural America taught us to believe in what really matters: Faith, family, local community, quality, sustainability, craftsmanship, and taking the time to make something good. When you buy from Sassy Sparrow you are supporting our family and local community of artisans.

Sassy Sparrow products are handmade in the USA. Our bags are made in our home in Forrest, Illinois and sourced from American materials. Our leather is sourced from a family owned tannery that still dyes by hand, the same way it has been done for centuries. Our fabric is woven on antique looms, like it’s been done for generations. We’d love the bags, wallets, and other products we create to be the next generation’s antiques–not something that comes and goes with the season’s styles

We use a variety of materials. Our bags are made out of reproduction print cotton, hand dyed leather, waxed canvas, burlap, and wool.

Waxed canvas developed from the sailing industry in England and Scotland and became commonly used in waterproofing.  It is cotton impregnated with a paraffin or natural beeswax based wax, woven into or applied to the cloth.

Early mariners noticed that wet sails were more efficient than dry sails, but their added weight slowed their vessels. From the 15th century, mariners applied fish oils and grease to their heavy sailcloth, resulting in more efficient sails in dry weather, and lighter sails in wet weather. Out of the worn remnants they cut waterproof capes to keep themselves dry, the forerunner of the fisherman's slicker. Now we at Sassy Sparrow use it for a pretty tough and well wearing handbag that gains a beautiful patina with time and use not unlike leather.

Since all of our handbags have leather on them we would suggest spot cleaning only.

Our leather is American sourced from a third generation owned tannery in Chicago. Horween Leather is one of the oldest continuously running tanneries in the United States of America. They still tan and dye their hides by hand and the results of their care are evident in the gorgeous and unique hides that we source to make our leather handbags.

We suggest investing in a high quality leather lotion and occasionally cleaning and buffing your leather to keep it in top condition.

People that use leather products love the natural aging and weathering that comes with use and time. It's what shows you that you have a high quality, genuine leather product. A patina is a softness that develops on the leather giving it character and personality. No two patinas are the same putting your own mark on your product that will be unlike any other. It is unique to you. Naturally developing a patina takes time. It will darken in some places and smooth in others and even gain scratches and scuffs that come with time and natural usage. Your bag will gain it's own characteristics that will tell of the thousands of adventures that you have been on together, the stories you can tell, and the experiences you can share.