Colorful Lucy’s Canvas Bags are Back

“Summer Sizzle” bag, $50-$60

After about thirty years of being off the shelves, Lucy’s Canvas has recently returned to the Boston area — and the bright, splashy bags are perfect for the beach or a summer weekend away.

Lucy Mackall founded the eponymous bag line in 1975 and helmed one of the first Faneuil Hall kiosks. At the company’s peak, there were five Lucy’s Canvas stores selling tens of thousands of bags, each hand-stitched in the Boston area. But unable to meet the growing demand and keep the same high level of quality, Mackall shuttered Lucy’s Canvas in the early ’80s.

Growing up, Clayton and Savannah Sachs, Mackall’s children, remembered always having the bags around the house — and last year, the siblings decided to create updated totes for friends and family. “Since my sister and I are both interested in entrepreneurship, we thought it might be fun to revive the brand,” Clayton says. “We went from making one quick batch to selling more and more, and it continues to be our nights-and-weekends business.”

The brother-and-sister team works closely with their mother to manage the online store and design bags, which have a retro feel but are done up in modern colors. “We’re trying to stay true to our roots but with a more current look and feel,” Clayton says. All of the stitching is done in Everett and all of the materials are sourced in the United States.

And it’s all hands on deck at the small company. “It’s literally the three of us. There’s not much more to it,” Clayton says. “We’re the ones packing the bag, we’re the ones shipping it off to you, and we’re the ones that hope you like it.”

“Even Teal” bag, $50-$60