Welcome to Ruthie Pearl!

Chic, resusable bags for the fashionable, earth-friendly set.

Some History

I started Ruthie Pearl in January of 2008 for multiple reasons. One, I love to sew. Two, I wanted to give friends and family a cute alternative to plastic bags. And finally, I like to make people happy with things that I’ve created.

Since piecing together my first set of bags (which I still have and use!) in my little apartment over the Christmas holidays in 2007, Ruthie Pearl has grown to include many prints and different sizes. And when I feel extra creative, I sew other bags and accessories that I sell in my Etsy store.

In the summer of 2008, I was so excited to get accepted into the Downtown Salt Lake Farmer’s Market at Pioneer Park. If you live close to Salt Lake City and have never been to this market, you must make a trip this summer. The energy and all the wonderful produce and arts and crafts are enough to put a smile on anyone’s face.

Who is Ruthie Pearl?

My most frequently asked question is, “How’d you come up with your name?” Ruthie Pearl is my 90-year-old grandmother who lives in Andalusia, Alabama. She worked at Alatex sewing factory for 45 years making men’s shirts–and she taught me to sew at a very young age.

It’s only fitting that I would name my company after her since she was such a big part of my childhood. We spent countless hours making doll clothes, nightgowns, costumes and other playthings every summer, and I fully credit her with my ability to control a 5,000-stitch-a-minute, industrial sewing machine!

What’s so bad about plastic bags?

Plastic bags are the single-most overused consumer item in the world–we use trillions every year. Some other facts:

• They’re made from petroleum and natural gas - precious natural resources whose consumption has dangerous environmental and economic impacts
• The inks and colorants used on them can contain lead, a toxin
• Americans throw away an estimated 100 billion plastic bags a year–many after only being used for a single item
• Only 1 percent of plastic bags are recycled worldwide, and about 2 percent in the U.S. The rest end up hanging around for centuries in landfills or as litter in our oceans, rivers and lakes.

Why buy handmade?

According to BuyHandmade.org, there are several benefits to purchasing handmade items. They list the following:

• Buying handmade makes for better gift giving. The giver of a handmade gift has avoided the parking lots and long lines of the big chain stores in favor of something more meaningful. If the giver has purchased the gift, s/he feels the satisfaction of supporting an artist or crafter directly. The recipient of the handmade gift receives something that is one-of-a-kind, and made with care and attention that can be seen and touched. It is the result of skill and craftsmanship that is absent in the world of large-scale manufacturing.
• Buying handmade is better for people. The ascendancy of chain store culture and global manufacturing has left us dressing, furnishing, and decorating alike. We are encouraged to be consumers, not producers, of our own culture. Our ties to the local and human sources of our goods have been lost. Buying handmade helps us reconnect.
• Buying handmade is better for the environment. The accumulating environmental effects of mass production are a major cause of global warming and the poisoning of our air, water and soil. Every item you make or purchase from a small-scale independent artist or crafter strikes a small blow to the forces of mass production.