Avril's final batch • In 4 active carts right now • Only 57 left
Avril's Fawn Faux Fur Handbag
Avril's Fawn Faux Fur Handbag
Dispatched within 1–2 working days
90-day money-back guarantee
Insured & free delivery with tracking
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Avril's Fawn Faux Fur Handbag
Hand-sewn in Parkend, Forest of Dean · since 1977
A soft little half-moon bag with the spots of a newborn fawn, sewn by one woman at one kitchen table.
Avril’s final batch · Only 57 left“I sew every one as if it’s going on my own arm to chapel.” – Avril
“A fawn lies so still in the bracken you’d walk right past it. I wanted something just as quiet and just as pretty to carry.”
Avril Teague, 71, Parkend, Forest of Dean
What arrives at your door
- ●1 half-moon handbag in the colour you choose, about 26 × 18 cm (10.2 × 7.1 in)
- ●1 soft fur-covered handle, clipped on with two silver swivel clasps, long enough to wear over the shoulder
- ●1 chain of polished silver beads draped across the front, fixed at the two large silver rings
- ●Wrapped in tissue by hand by Imogen and posted in a sturdy box so the fur arrives fluffy
Good to know before you order: it’s a small bag. At about 26 centimetres wide and 18 centimetres tall, it’s roughly the size of a large paperback book. It holds a phone, keys, a lipstick, reading glasses and a slim purse. It is not a tote and not a work bag. It’s the little bag you grab for chapel, dinner, the carol concert or a trip into town.
What makes Avril’s bag different
Cut from behind
Avril cuts only the backing with small embroidery scissors, never the fur itself. The hairs stay long, so the edges look full instead of chopped.
Spots that keep running
She lines up the rows of fawn spots on both halves before sewing, so the pattern carries on around the bag like on a real fawn.
A seam you have to hunt for
After sewing, she lifts the fur out of the seam with a long pin, one small section at a time, until the seam disappears under the fur.
Rings set by hand
The two large silver rings are stitched on through the backing with a heavy needle and her mother’s brass thimble. No glue, no rivets.
Soft, not stiff
The bag is slouchy and light. It sits softly against your side and keeps its half-moon shape when you set it down.
One pattern since 1977
Every bag is cut from the same brown paper pattern Avril traced off her mother’s winter muff. It still hangs above the Singer.
Three colours, all from the deer at the bottom of the garden
Fawn
Light honey camel with cream spots, the colour of a newborn in June. Soft and easy with everything.
Chestnut
Rich brown shading to chocolate, with tan and cream spots, the colour of the doe herself. Warm with black, navy and camel.
Frost Grey
Dove grey to smoky charcoal with white spots, the coat the deer wear in January. Lovely with black, grey and winter white.
How to wear it
- 1Over the shoulder. Clip the soft fur handle into both silver rings and wear the bag close under your arm.
- 2In the hand. Hold it by the handle like a little evening bag. The silver beads swing gently across the front.
- 3Set it down. On the dinner table, the chapel pew or your lap, the bag keeps its half-moon shape and the handle simply folds over.
A shop-bought fur bag vs. Avril’s bag
| Shop-bought fur bag | Avril’s bag | |
|---|---|---|
| Cutting | Cut by machine through the fur, bald edges | Cut from behind, every hair left whole |
| Pattern | Spots stop dead at the seam | Rows of spots lined up by hand |
| Seam | Visible, hairs trapped in the stitching | Combed out until it disappears |
| Hardware | Glued or riveted | Silver rings stitched on by hand |
| Who made it | A production line | Avril, one at a time, at her kitchen table |
Made by hand in Parkend
Avril Teague has sewn at the same kitchen table in her family’s stone cottage in the Forest of Dean since 1977, on the black Singer her mother Dulcie bought in 1952. The pattern came from Dulcie’s worn-out winter muff. The spots came from a fallow fawn that lay for two days in the bracken at the bottom of the garden that June.
For thirty years she sold her bags in one place only, the Christmas fair in Parkend village hall. Now the joint at the base of her right thumb no longer lets her push a needle through the backing, so the 57 bags from her last batch are the last there will ever be. Her granddaughter Imogen is offering them online, for the first and the last time.
“I want them out of this kitchen and on somebody’s arm. These were always meant to be used.”
Avril Teague
Perfect for
Avril’s standard
- ✓Every bag cut, sewn, combed out and finished by hand
- ✓Every ring checked and every clasp tested before it’s wrapped
- ✓Wrapped by hand and dispatched within 1–2 working days
- ✓Only 57 left from the last batch, on sale until 20 December or while they last
90-day money-back guarantee. Carry it to chapel, to dinner, to the shops. If it doesn’t win you over, send it back within 90 days and get your money back. No questions asked.
Care
Faux fur, not real fur. No animal was harmed for this bag. Brush the fur gently with your fingers or a soft brush if it gets flattened.
Spot clean only. Dab marks with a damp cloth and let the bag air-dry away from the radiator. Do not machine wash or iron.
Every bag is sewn by hand, so the spot pattern is slightly different on each one.
Product details
| Size | About 26 × 18 cm (10.2 × 7.1 in) |
| Material | Soft faux fur with a printed fawn-spot pattern |
| Hardware | Two large silver-tone rings, silver-tone swivel clasps, silver-tone bead chain |
| Handle | Fur-covered tube handle, detachable |
| Colours | Fawn, Chestnut, Frost Grey |
| Made by | Avril Teague, Parkend, Forest of Dean |
| Delivery | Dispatched within 1–2 working days |
| Guarantee | 90-day money-back guarantee |
The Final Series
The Final Series
A message from Avril:
After 49 winters at the same Singer, the joint at the base of my right thumb won’t let me push a needle through the backing any more. These 57 bags from my last batch are the last I will ever sew. Every one was cut from behind, lined up spot by spot, sewn, combed out and finished by hand at my kitchen table in Parkend. Nothing rushed. Nothing outsourced.
My granddaughter Imogen wraps and posts them for me. They’re on sale until 20 December or until the last one has gone.
When they’re gone, they’re gone.
Free Delivery
Free Delivery
Free delivery across the UK
- Dispatched within 1–2 working days
- Insured: every parcel is fully insured, with tracking
- Wrapped in tissue by hand and posted in a sturdy box so the fur arrives fluffy
- Spot clean only: dab marks with a damp cloth
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Imogen personally replies to every single email – as fast as she possibly can. Whether you have a question about your order or just want to say hello to Avril, we’re here.
You can reach us:
- Mon – Fri: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (GMT)
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (GMT)
Email: info@countycraftco.com
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Of course. We stand behind everything in our shop 100%. If the bag doesn’t win you over, just send us an email within 90 days and we’ll make it right – no hassle, no headaches.