Melissa Lappin received a hand me down sewing machine from her mother in 2011, and she started sewing as a hobby. By 2016, that hobby had evolved into a business.

Roxbury place is an online store run by Lappin where she sells handbags that are designed and sewn by her. More recently, Lappin started making handmade jewelry to add more variety to her store.

The online Etsy store started in 2014 and has grown significantly since then. The work has always been done  by Lappin, and she has never took on any extra help.

“I could make anywhere from 6-8 handbags in a day.” Says Lappin

There is no physical storefront yet and everything is still sold on Etsy, a website for artist to sell their crafts.

Although a good site Lappin does not consider it a permanent solution to sell her bags because many other people also sell handbags. Lappin describes it as “getting lost in the shuffle.”

There is no other way to buy the bags except online because Lappin has not supplied any store since Variety Blue the only store she used to supply, went out of business.

Lappin does hope to have her own storefront one day “Maybe down the road” says Lappin

The majority of shoppers are from town but she has also sold to people who stumbled across her page on Etsy.

Their is no official schedule of what patterns or types of handbags will be sold but rather is based on what pattern or type of the bags sells the most.