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As a child in Tel Aviv, Inbal Ithachi liked to collect things, cut them up and make something new.

“I would go around the house and collect things in a bag,” she recalled. “Then I would cut them up and glue the pieces together in a different way. When I got older, I started sewing.”

Today Ithachi is a successful San Francisco designer with a line of bags for women and men called the Home Work Collection, which consists of silkscreened clutches, handbags, totes and backpacks that range from $51 to $290.

“Bags have always been my big love, and I created my collection two years ago,” said Ithachi, 34. “I wanted to make beautiful bags, but it is also important that the bags be practical, because function is important to me.”

Before she launched the line, Ithachi spoke with women in different professions about what they want in a bag they carry. “The women told me they wanted a bag that was comfortable and functional all day,” she said. “The bags in the collection all have special pockets, including a pocket for a laptop.”

Ithachi believes her creations are more fashionable and less sporty than most laptop bags. Her handmade carryalls are decorated with subtle graphic designs using traditional silkscreen printing techniques. Sewing techniques are the inspiration for the graphics on the bags.

“When people first see the bags, they can’t tell whether the graphic design is a print or part of the bag,” she said. “They want a closer look.”

Feedback from customers at Ithachi’s Etsy shop (etsy.com/shop/inbalithachidesign) includes comments such as “a beautifully designed bag which is also super comfortable,” “I was blown away by the quality of the fabric and components” and  “this bag is both stylish and so functional, plus it’s vegan!”

All Ithachi’s bags are made from canvas, PVC-coated polyester and other strong materials. She avoids working in leather for two reasons: “You see leather bags everywhere and you can make beautiful bags from other materials.

“Also, people who want my bags want something special, something they won’t see anywhere else.”

Ithachi studied art in high school, and knew then that she would choose a career connected to art and design. She earned a degree in jewelry design at Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art in Ramat Gan, Israel, and completed a Master of Arts in Design degree from the Creative Academy in Milan.

“Going to the academy was a big advantage, because it has connections with luxury brands such as Montblanc, Cartier and Piaget,” she said. “Also, you could design for several fields, including shoes, eyeglasses and jewelry.” Next, Ithachi worked in Paris as a designer for Lancel, a luxury brand of leather handbags.

In 2009, she returned to Tel Aviv, where she took part in art and design exhibitions and launched an independent brand of jewelry and accessories.

Ithachi moved to San Francisco a year ago, “ready to try somewhere different.” The bags in the Home Work Collection are made in small workshops in Israel; Ithachi spent two years working with the craftspeople “to let them know what is important to me.” Currently she is investigating setting up workshops here.

Ithachi admitted that until she made her first bag, she had not realized the intensity of the task. “It’s so complicated! There are more than 20 parts to each bag, and the details are important to me, even the zippers and the ends of the zippers,” she said.

Her customers tell her they appreciate that attention to detail, but Ithachi said her female customers especially appreciate that the bags help them organize what they carry. “Even if you are not an organized person,” she said, “these bags will help organize you.”

Designing something beautiful, waking up each day with that task in mind, makes Ithachi happy. “I want to make other people happy, too,” she said.

“We are all so busy, running from place to place, and sometimes we forget to stop to enjoy the little moments, like coffee with a friend, looking at the sky, seeing an exhibition, eating something delicious or just having fun with your family.”

She added, “And in all these little moments, I want my bags to bring people joy and comfort.”