Ellie Mae's Handquilted Weekender

🐾 Handquilted in Gatlinburg, Tennessee — One Animal at a Time By Eleanor "Ellie Mae" Hartwell — 74, master quilter. 42 years at the frame. 14,000+ bags quilted by hand in a converted barn at the edge of the Smoky Mountains. "Every animal I quilt is one I've loved. Biscuit's been on that frame so long I could stitch him with my eyes closed. I want every woman who carries one of these bags to feel like she's carrying a little piece of home with her." — Ellie Mae Hartwell, The Patchwork Porch, Gatlinburg, Tennessee What's in the Box 🎒 Animal Weekender Your design of choice from the final collection 👜 Cotton Dust Bag Keeps your weekender pristine between trips 📜 Handwritten Care Card Ellie Mae's own care notes & a personal greeting 🏷️ Numbered Authenticity Tag Hand-numbered & signed, sewn into the inner pocket Why This Bag Is Different 🧵 100% Handquilted Stitch by stitch, by hand. Every bag takes 16+ hours of skilled handwork. No machine could replicate the texture or the soft, layered weight that 42 years of practice puts into every seam. 🐱 Six Hand-Stitched Animal Portraits Psychedelic Cat, Dachshund with Sunflowers, Poodle Group, Black Cat Patchwork, Sleeping Calico Kittens, or French Bulldogs with Flowers — each animal quilted stitch by stitch, not printed or ironed on. 🌈 Premium Cotton + Polyester Batting Holds its shape even when fully packed. Soft against your hand, structured enough to stand on its own. The quilting creates a padded shell that protects everything inside. ✋ Padded Fabric Handles Comfortable when fully loaded. The padding runs the full length so the strap never digs into your hand on a long walk to the gate. 🧳 Carry-On Sized Roomy enough for a full weekend — clothes, toiletry kit, a book, your pet's travel blanket. Compact enough to fit overhead on most U.S. domestic flights. 🎨 Six Limited Designs Psychedelic Cat, Dachshund with Sunflowers, Poodle Group, Black Cat Patchwork, Sleeping Calico Kittens, French Bulldogs with Flowers. Six portraits, each one a world of its own. " Ellie Mae's animal portraits represent something increasingly rare in American textile work — a quilter who has spent four decades learning to render a living animal in thread and cotton until it looks back at you. The stitch density, the color layering, and the dimensional quality of her appliqué work put these bags in a category that mass production simply cannot reach. Each one is a small piece of folk art you can carry on your shoulder. Martha Calloway Curator, Appalachian Textile Heritage Collection Available in Six Hand-Quilted Designs Psychedelic CatDachshund with SunflowersPoodle GroupBlack Cat PatchworkSleeping Calico KittensFrench Bulldogs with Flowers Perfect For 🐱 Cat Lovers🐶 Dog Lovers🚆 Weekend Trips✈️ Carry-On Travel🎁 Birthday Gifts👯 Best Friend Gifts🚗 Road Trips💃 Mother–Daughter Trips What Makes It Different ✓ 100% Handquilted Cotton. Real handwork, not machine-stitched, not printed. Every stitch placed by Ellie Mae's own hands over 16+ hours per bag. ✓ Hand-Stitched Animal Portraits. Each animal is quilted stitch by stitch in premium cotton — built up in layers of color until it looks alive. Not a print. Not an iron-on. Not machine embroidery. ✓ Hand-Numbered Authenticity Tag. Each bag is numbered and signed in Ellie Mae's own handwriting. The signature copycats can't fake. ✓ Premium Polyester Batting. Holds its shape under load, protects what's inside, softens with use the way real fabric should. ✓ Wraparound Heavy-Duty Zipper. Opens the whole top wide for easy packing. Closes smoothly even when the bag is full to the brim. 🛡️ 90-Day No-Questions Guarantee If you don't fall in love with your Animal Weekender within the first 90 days, send it back. Ellie Mae will refund you in full — no forms, no questions, no hassle. A Note About Handmade Variation Each Animal Weekender is quilted by hand from start to finish. Color tones, stitch patterns, and the exact placement of each animal's features may vary slightly from the listing photos — that's the fingerprint of real handwork, not a flaw. To care for your bag: spot-clean only, air dry. Avoid machine washing to preserve the colors and the quilting. Product Details Material Premium handquilted cotton + polyester batting Animal Portraits Hand-stitched in layered cotton — design varies by style (cats, dogs, or both) Set Includes 1 Animal Weekender, 1 cotton dust bag, 1 care card, 1 hand-numbered authenticity tag Dimensions 20″ L × 11″ H × 10″ W (50 × 28 × 25 cm) Weight ~1.9 lbs (860g) empty Capacity ~25 liters — fits a full weekend's clothes + shoes Designs Psychedelic Cat, Dachshund with Sunflowers, Poodle Group, Black Cat Patchwork, Sleeping Calico Kittens, French Bulldogs with Flowers Closure Wraparound heavy-duty zipper Pockets 1 exterior zippered pocket + 2 interior slip pockets Care Spot-clean only; air dry Origin Handquilted in Gatlinburg, Tennessee Lead Time Each bag takes 16+ hours to complete Sales 14,000+ bags sold over 42 years • 4.8★ average rating