Frequently Asked Questions

stripykat by Katie Brown is an on-line boutique, selling unique handmade bags and accessories for the most discerning individual across the globe. I design everything myself and make each item by hand. Each handmade accessory is unique and I only make one of each design.

stripykat's headquarters are in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, so I am happily inspired by both traditional Scots influences and the good old cosmopolitan metropolis.

"Look into my eyes, not around the eyes"! No hypnotism involved - honest.

All stripykat products are designed and made by one person in one place. I doodle the design, draw out the patterns, cut out the fabrics, sew them all together, take the photographs and most importantly make the coffee.

Buying a stripykat product is buying something unique, quirky, handmade and made with the love and attention it deserves.

Indeed I can. I tell no lies when it comes to this! Each bag will be unique in fabrics, colours and finishings. I draft each pattern myself and then make each item one at a time so I am continuously monitoring the quality and uniqueness throughout the process. The overall shape may be the similar to another, but that's where it ends. If you buy a stripykat bag or accessory you are not following the crowd, but creating envy amongst the crowd.

I source fabrics from all around the world - making sure you are not going to walk past someone with the same fabric. I have found some bright, fun, unusual and quirky fabrics from designers including Alexander Henry, Michael Miller, Robert Kaufman and Amy Butler. Some genuine retro fabrics are also a source of inspiration.

No - in this wonderful interconnected world of ours, you can find everything on this site and, of course, you can look at my products at my stockists listed here.

I would love to hear from you, so please click on the Contact Katie link at the top right for my phone or email details.

stripykat endeavours to recycle everything it possibly can during the manufacturing process. All the paper I use is either 100% recycled or FSC certified. I encourage you to recycle any packaging once you have finished with it. I will also use email as much as possible to help save the odd tree.

There is a selection of stripykat products available to look at and buy in my stockists listed here. Happy shopping!

My Bernina sewing machine does the all hard work. My lovely Bernina was made in March 1967, so for a 41 year old gal, it is doing exceedingly well. Apparently it's the Aston Martin of the sewing machine world. I suppose then an Aston Martin is the Bernina of the car world?

The official way to spell it is all in lower case, one word and with a "k". It's not Stripey Kat, Stripy Cat, StripyCat, Striped Cat or any other the myriad versions I've seen!

These icons allow to quickly add a link to a particular bag to your Facebook, Digg, StumbleUpon or Delicious social networking or bookmarking profile. Handy for hinting for presents!

Indeed you can. This is very handy for sending a husband, boyfriend or other loved one a not-so-subtle hint that you might quite fancy finding it wrapped up under the Christmas tree soon (even if it is only June!) Just click the "Email this page" link at the bottom of any item's page and fill in the form. Dropping hints has never been so easy!

For a bag or purse the length is taken from the top of the body of the bag to the base. The width is, well, the width at the widest point - and the height is the total length of the bag from the top of the handle to the base of the bag.

For a scarf there are only 2 measurements. The length is taken from the longest point and the width is taken from the widest point.

All the measurements have been rounded up or down to the nearest cm, so no confusing decimal points here!

First is length, second is width and the third is the height.

Why yes! Just navigate to the RSS feed and add it to a news reader, like Google Reader. New products are listed automatically at the top of the list as soon as they arrive on the site. If you haven't a clue what an RSS feed is there's a great guide on the BBC web site. Or simply ask a friendly geek!

There is indeed a newsletter that you can sign up to. Click here and type in your email address and I will send you an email to confirm your address.

Once you are listed you will be sent the latest newsletter automatically. Don't worry I am far too busy to be writing them every day, so you won't be pestered by stripykat. I usually write one each month. It is a great way of keeping up-to-date with new products that have arrived on the site.

Yes, just click on the small thumbnail and a bigger version will pop up. If you're unsure about anything just drop me an email. Click here for my contact details.

Of course! I can ship nationally, internationally, around the corner, over the hills and far away.

Yes it is - I know an awful lot about accessories but nothing about 128 bit secure socket encryption (who does?) so I outsource all the payment processes to PayPal who know an awful lot about security (but, funnily enough, not a lot about handbags). They handle all payments through world-class secure systems, so rest assured your details are with the best people!

Postage and packing is charged at £4.50 per order for deliveries in the UK. For overseas orders please be aware this will be more - contact me for further details.

I send orders in the UK by first class Royal Mail, which takes up to 2 working days. International orders may take up to ten working days. If in doubt or you're in a wild rush please contact me.

When I have received your order I will email you to let you know. Your order will be logged into my system and I will keep you up to date on its progress. If you have any queries at any time just drop me an email.

Your order will be sent to you by Royal Mail recorded delivery. Each order will be carefully wrapped in white tissue paper and put into either a box or jiffy envelope.

You can indeed - click to Your account and log in with the user name and password you set up with your order to get the latest updates. I will also email you to keep you informed of your order's progress.

Yes, yes we do and you can click here to have a look at it. Essentially you can return things to me in the same condition as I sent them to you within seven days and I'll give you a full refund. Though I hope you will like my lovely handmade stuff and don't have to return it.