Meet the Maker: Jenci Bags

1August, 2019
by OHIO MADE

Why Shopping Ohio Made Matters

Here at Ohio Made, we are dedicated to illustrating the importance of shopping Ohio Made. To do that we will be featuring makers set to attend the Ohio Made Holiday Market on November 15th & 16th. While our events offer free admission to the public, we also offer ticketed times where shoppers can get their shopping done before the event opens to the general public. Our VIP event on Friday features discounts to shop, drink specials, special VIP Raffle, all while getting the earliest access to Shop Ohio Made. Make sure to get your tickets before they sell out (again).

Official Ohio Made Holiday Facebook Event

To stay in the loop on important updates and giveaways, make sure to click “going” to the 2019 Ohio Made Holiday Market Facebook event.

VIP & Early Access Tickets

Meet The Maker: Jenci Bags

Please join Ohio Made in welcoming Jennifer Crouch of Jenci Bags to the Ohio Made Holiday Market on November 15th & 16th. Jennifer Couch grew up in a small coastal town in Maine and learned to sew as little girl by watching and helping her mother and grandmother sew items for the family Art and Craft Gallery. Jennifer met her husband while living in NYC. In 2000 they moved to his hometown of Copley, Ohio, to be near his family, with the hopes to start their own.

Now an Akron Ohio resident, with a passion for recycling, what could be better than creating bags and purses from vintage clothing with a moth hole or perhaps an out of style cut? Jennifer also uses upholstery leftovers from her friend’s slipcover shop that were destined for the trash. Jennifer’s focus is on bags and purses. She bases her designs on needs and suggestions from customers. To Jennifer, being a small business helps her spend more time with family, while allowing her to fill the needs of customers and community quickly.

The whole process behind the transformation is amazing. Clothes are gently deconstructed and re-sewn using her own original designs. Pockets are reused and original elements of garments are re-imagined. They feature leather belt straps, silk ties, and antique buttons. To Jennifer, each piece is a puzzle that has a story behind it, and that’s what keeps her going.

To Jennifer, the Ohio Made Holiday Market is the perfect marriage between people looking for one of a kind items and gifts, to the artists who can custom create them. Jennifer is looking forward to participating in an all Ohioan event. She cannot wait to shop from other makers, while supporting our local economy.

What makes Jenci Bags unique is that they use recycled fabrics from upholstery shops that would otherwise end up in Ohio landfills. Jennifer is able to support our community by re-using those fabrics. Supporting our local economy and environment is extremely important to her.