Our church bus had a rack full of black duffels and one quilted camper van. I had to know where she got it
Peggy Lawson on the weekend bag that ended her black-duffel years, and the six reasons she'd buy it again tomorrow.
Peggy Lawson · Customer · Lexington, KY · 5 min readEvery October our church books a motorcoach up into the Smoky Mountains to see the leaves, and every October the luggage rack above our heads looks exactly the same. A long row of black duffels, each one a little more tired than the last, mine included. This year there was one exception. Two rows ahead of me, a lady from a congregation over in Maryville lifted up a quilted bag shaped like an old camper van, peace sign on the front, sunset-colored windows and a row of little red toadstools along the bottom, and set it right in the middle of all that black. I smiled at it for most of the drive to Gatlinburg.
I'd have bet money it was handmade by a granddaughter, or bought at one of those craft fairs where everything costs a fortune. At the rest stop we ended up in line together for coffee, and I finally just asked her. She laughed and said I was the fourth person that week.
Mine now, going up on the rack on the way home. Spot the odd one out.
It's the Wildvana, a quilted weekend duffle from Clara & Owen, a small husband-and-wife studio in Asheville, North Carolina, that makes these in small batches. I'll be straight with you about my history here. I have bought more weekend bags than any one woman needs. Ones that slumped over the minute you set them down, ones so stiff they wouldn't fit anywhere, and a rolling one that lost a wheel in the Charlotte airport. So I ordered this one half expecting a pretty thing that would fall apart. It didn't. I ended up writing the studio a long letter about it, and when they asked if they could share it, I said yes.
The day it came. I set it on the bed and just stood there grinning at it.
I've spent a small fortune on weekend bags over the years. This is the first one I'm actually glad to carry.
Since then it's done a bus trip, two train rides and a last-minute overnight at my sister's in Chattanooga. Here's what it comes down to.
Strangers stop you to ask about it
The camper, the mountains, the pine trees and those little mushrooms are all quilted and stitched right into the fabric, not printed on. Put it in a hotel lobby, on a train or in a church parking lot and somebody will tell you they love it. Nobody ever said a word about my black one, and honestly, I don't blame them.
Loaded up for my sister's. It's the only thing in that trunk anyone looked at twice.
Three people asked about it at the hotel check-in. Three! I've never had anyone comment on a suitcase in my life.
Brenda L., Johnson City, TNA whole long weekend fits inside
One long zipper across the top opens it all the way up, so you can see everything at once instead of digging. Two outfits, a pair of shoes, my nightgown, a cardigan and my wash bag all go in, and it still zips shut without anybody sitting on it.
Packed for four days at my daughter's and still had room for the jar of preserves I brought her.
Carolyn W., Spartanburg, SCSoft quilting that still keeps its shape
This was the surprise for me. It's padded and soft all over, so it squeezes into an overhead rack or a full back seat without a fight, but it springs right back and stands up on its own. No slumping into a puddle on the hotel floor.
Got squashed under two suitcases in the van and came out looking just like it went in.
Deborah M., Bristol, VAHandles you're actually happy to hold
Two long fabric handles, covered in little stitched flowers, sewn on properly so they don't strain with a full load. They're soft in your hand on a long walk down a train platform, and they're pretty enough that they're part of the look, not something to hide.
Waiting for the train to Chattanooga. Those handles are as nice to hold as they are to look at.
My hands have arthritis and these are the first bag handles that don't bother me. Soft and wide enough.
Judy P., Asheville, NCTwo sizes, and the inches are right on the page
A 16 x 8 x 8 inch for overnights and a 18 x 9 x 9 inch for a proper long weekend, with the measurements right there on the page so there's no guessing. I took the larger one and it's exactly as big as they said.
Exactly the size listed. The large is perfect for a long weekend, and it still fits under the seat in front of me.
Sandra K., Greenville, SCIt doesn't sit in the closet between trips
When I'm not traveling, it's my bag for water aerobics, for nights at my sister's, and for the hospital bag I keep ready for my husband's appointments. It never looks like a chore to carry. And there are dozens of other designs, including a rainbow camper covered in daisies that I've already earmarked for my sister's birthday.
Packed for Chattanooga. One zipper, everything in sight.
Bought one for travel, now I use it every week for the gym. Bought my sister the daisy one.
Pamela R., Roanoke, VAHow it stacks up against the bag in your closet
Most of us never really choose a weekend bag. We grab whatever's in the closet and live with it. Here's how this one compares, side by side.
Looks like everyone else's on the rack
Slumps over the minute you set it down
Thin straps that dig into your hand
Sizes that are a guess until it arrives
Lives in the closet between trips
The one people stop you to ask about
Soft and quilted, holds its shape
Wide flowered handles, easy to carry
Two sizes, measurements written down
Used every week, not just for trips
About the price
Right now the 16 inch is $49.95, down from $165.95, and the 18 inch, the long-weekend size, is $54.95, down from $182.95.
I'm careful with money, so I'll pass on what the studio told me: they're a small shop that sells directly, and they're clearing out this year's designs to make room for the new collection. Each design is made in a batch, and once a batch is gone, it's gone. At that price I didn't think about it long. I ordered the larger one that same evening.
I don't trust perfect scores, so I read the reviews first. Over 11,540 customers, rating them 4.8 stars, and many of them wrote real paragraphs, not one-liners. The same six things kept coming up, in other women's words.
By the front door, ready for the next one. The black duffel went to the church rummage sale.
So if you're packing for the holidays this year, do yourself a favor and let the bag be part of the fun. Pick your design while it's still there.
Peggy
WILDVANA | QUILTED WEEKEND DUFFLE
- ✓Camper van, mountains and mushrooms, quilted and stitched
- ✓Fits a full long weekend
- ✓Soft padded quilting that keeps its shape
- ✓Long, wide flowered handles
- ✓Two sizes: 16 x 8 x 8 in and 18 x 9 x 9 in
- ✓Dozens of designs in the collection
- ✓FREE US shipping & 30-day free returns
Studio Clearance on now, making room for the new collection. The popular designs go first.