Holiday announcements 2024

About holidays and holiday orders

I am writing this post to let you know that I am unable to accept any new orders for custom orders or mending for the rest of the year. I will reopen order requests in the new year on Monday, January 6th, 2025. 

Emails will be replied until December 23rd, 2024. Any emails received between December 24th, 2024 and January 5th, 2025 will be replied after January 6th, 2025. 

Stocking stuffers for anyone on your list? 

I have some scrunchies for $5 each. 

There is no visible seam because I hand sew the opening for the elastic after putting in the elastic unlike the store-bought ones. It is 100 % cotton (less static compared to the synthetic fabric). 

They are only for local pick up until December 24th. Please phone or email to arrange a pick up. I am located just off the Lessard Road near Co-op and Tim Hortons in the west end. (Cash or e-transfer is appreciated, but credit cards and debit cards are also accepted.) 

Small

Medium

Large

The sizes (S, M, or L) simply mean the width and how much volume there is in the fabric used and does not refer to the length of the elastic inside.  

100th Granny squares

I keep on making granny squares when I have some breaks from other work. The great thing about these is that I can work on only some parts of them even for five minutes at a time. 

I am happy that I have made 100 of them now. This is about a half way to my goal! 

Mending a rip

I was asked to repair a rip in the back panel of this garment. As you can see, the rip was horizontal and quite long. 

In this kind of rip, I will have to provide a backing layer of fabric on the wrong side, and darn over from the right side to sew the rip closed. 

Although I used the thread that matches the fabric, the repaired area is visible. However, since this is a night shirt, I hope the user gets more use out of it for a while longer. 

Snow skirt

A while back, my friend gave me an outerwear fabric that is meant for an outer shell. The outside blocks wind, and the inside is lined with a thin fleece material. 

I thought I would make a jacket with the fabric, but I had a different idea and executed it. 

This is a snow skirt! 

I would be wearing it over a pair of pants when I go outside if I have to be outside for an extended amount of time. A layer of this fabric blocks the wind from going through my pants, as a result my legs should stay warm. 

I had to make sure I measured my waist with a fleece or hoodie because I want to wear it like a jacket for my leg. 

I do have a long down filled coat that goes almost to my ankle, but that coat is so hot. I have to wait till it gets below -20 degrees Celsius before I wear it. So, I wanted to make something that is suitable for the in-between coldness. 

I reused an open-ended zipper from an old jacket that I saved when the jacket was no longer viable as a jacket. (I kept all the zippers from that jacket.) That is why the colours do not match, but the zipper does not show while I am wearing the skirt. 

You may ask, "Why snow skirt?" This is because if I have to take off a pair of snow pants, then I would have to take off the boots. That can be quite a lot of work if I am bundled up with a heavy jacket, scarf, and huge mittens. Once I take off my mittens to undo the boot laces, my hands get cold, and when I take my boots off, the toes may freeze off! But with this snow skirt, since I can unzip it all the way down and it separates at the bottom, it's just like taking off a jacket. I don't have to take off my mittens and boots. 

I wore it for a walk of 1.5 hours at -18 degrees Celsius, and it kept me warm (with jeans underneath). It was not in the way of walking at all, and it was like having a longer coat covering my legs. This time, we did not stop at a cafe at the end of the walk, so I did not have to take off my snow skirt. 

I think it will be used quite often this winter. 

Train cushions

These are a set of pillows with a train fabric. The outer layer has a zipper, so if it needs laundering, it's easy to wash.  

I was a little concerned if I had enough matching thread... This is what was left when I finished. Phew. 

If you need something made for Christmas, there's still time! But the space is limited, so please contact me if you are thinking of making one-of-a-kind gift with a special fabric that you've been holding onto. (I know I'm guilty of keeping a stash of fabric!) 

Shoulder bag and pouches

This shoulder bag is for a special boy who loves trains. 

With the remnants, I was able to make a couple of pouches as well. The fabric is mostly grey, so I chose a colourful zipper to make it a little more fun. 

Jeans waist adjustment

I had to adjust the waist of the jeans to make the pair fit my shape. If I forget to use a belt, the pants kept on lowering, and that feeling is just not good. 

I saw darts in the yoke of her pants on my friend's handmade pants, and I thought, "Why not darts on the yoke?" This means I can adjust the waist of the jeans without touching the side seams (where there are often rivets at the end of the of pocket openings). 

 It's hard to see above the two darts. So, here is another photo. 

I put two darts and I cut the waist band in the middle to fit the new waist length. On the right side, there is a belt loop, so no one sees the waist band seam at the centre back. 

Now the pants fit me well. 

I had bought these pairs a long time ago (about 10 years ago?), and I don't know why I bought a stretchy pair. The stretchiness was one of the reasons that the entire pants feel like they don't stay. Now they stay on better, but I feel like I am just wearing a pair of stretchy leggings. Ten-year-younger me must have thought it was good to have some stretch, but now I feel I should have just bought jeans with no stretch. Well, the next pair of jeans I own will be the pair I make myself! :) 

If you need something adjusted on your clothes to fit you better (please remember, taking in is easier than taking it out), please feel free to contact me. I'd be happy to help you! 

More granny squares

When I was meandering about in the cyber space, I found a how-to guide to make a granny square with flower in the middle. I made some. 

They are cute, and they are also great for using up small amount of yarn - especially the middle circle bits are great for that! 

Among the five above, can you spot a mistake? Yes, I made another mistake. However, I am rather proud of myself for making it sort of work and blend in with the others. 

Some of my friends tell me that "perfectly imperfect" is the way to go with textile art. 

Have you found the mistake yet? 

I'm waiting... 

Here is a hint below. It's one of these. 

Now I wonder if you saw it. 

The answer: the bottom one has an extra petal! When I was making the centre circle, I must have made an extra stitch. So, the petal was increased by one, too. Instead of 12 petals, there are 13 petals in the red flower. Oh well. It's a baker's dozen! 

This was another post about crochet. I may be crocheting away, but if you need me to sew or mend something for you, please feel free to contact me. :) 

Granny squares

I started crocheting some granny squares. Since many people have generously gifted me with lots of yarns, I decided I needed to use them (otherwise, I run out of space in my sewing studio). They are all good quality yarns like wool, alpaca, mohair, merino wool, etc. I can knit only so many hats and mittens. So, I decided to make all the yarn balls that came in singles or in twos into granny squares. 

I found some charts online, and I started on them!

After I made about this many, I realized that I read the chart symbol wrong. I thought it was triple crochet, but the chart actually said double crochet. Oh well. So, I am making them all in a "mistake version". I had to redraw the chart for myself, so if I don't finish all 200 of them and have to come back later, I will know what I actually did. 

I was keeping the finished squares in a bin, and our cat made it a nice napping bed. I think all the nice squares will have some cat fur mixed into them. 

I may concentrate on making the granny squares for a while. So, my posts may be more of the same for a while. But if you need me to sew or mend something for you, please feel free to contact me. :) 

Cotton toque

I knitted a toque (or beanie) using lilac-coloured cotton yarn. It is an in-between time when I feel hot with a swollen toque but a little cold with a thinner hat that is not a toque. So, I decided to make myself a toque made with cotton yarn. I thought it would be easy because I have made many before using wool yarn. 

I was wrong. For my inexperienced hands, the cotton yarn was hard to handle. It doe snot stretch, and it does not bounce back in shape like wool yarn... But I struggled through the work and finished it. 

I also found that the colours in this yarn was not consistent, and I have lighter sections. Also, among the yarn balls with the same lot number and all, the colours seem to vary quite a bit. Mmm. I don't know if it's because of this brand or that's just the way it is with any yarn?? In any case, I do not think I will be embarking on cotton knitting journeys again anytime soon. 

So, the little sheep button on the cotton toque is like an ironical salut. It is a special ceramic button (I believe handmade) from a dear friend who has a good sense of humour and suggested I put it on my cotton toque. 

A short sleeve raglan top

I have made myself a top. It has short raglan sleeves, and it's really comfortable to wear. Since I am of the age when it gets hot and cold many times a day, it is always nice to be able to layer. 

I am running out of photos of what I have made in the past, so the blog posts will be made less frequently now. 

However, I am available for you. Please contact me for your sewing needs. :) 

Steeking a sweater

I did something called steeking for the first time! And I installed a zipper in the front rather than putting button hole band and buttons. 

The first step was to find where I cut. So, I counted the stitches to determine the centre front, and I marked it with the stitch markers. 

Then, I crocheted either side of the stitches vertically to secure the stitches. 

The scary part began! I cut where the "ladders" were, and that's steeking.

Then, I used a lot of clips to hold the zipper tapes in place and sewed them on, using my regular sewing machine. I don't have the picture here, but I added a pretty ribbon to hide the edge of the zipper by hand sewing. 

Bra

Yes, bras can be sewn. I wanted to try making some, and I stumbled across a cute pattern on Etsy. 

The pattern is called Brigette Triangle Bra by OhhhLuluSews. It was a PDF pattern, so the download was quick and easy. 

There are so many styles of bras out there, and I wanted something simple and comfortable. I made one, and it is pretty good. 

I don't like frills and girly embellishments, so I just went with simple contrast of blue and white. 

Shirt remake

This shirt used to be my husband's shirt that I made a long time ago. It was slightly fitted style, and he did not like it all that much, so he wore it only once in a while. So, I confiscated the shirt and remade it into my sleeveless shirt.  A few little tweaks, and it fits me perfectly. 

Baby jinbei

Another baby outfit! This is called Jinbei, and it is a Japanese summer outfit with shorter sleeves and short pants. 

I did not have a pattern for this, but I found how to make it on a Japanese website, and I followed the instructions. Again, I made this a little while ago for a friend's baby, and the then-baby is growing up so fast. :) 

Shorts

I dug up this photo in an album from a while ago. It's a cotton twill short pants. I did not like shorts that were too short, so I decided to make shorts with longer legs. They are just around the knee length. 

I wanted something summery for warmer weather, so I chose white cotton fabric. But after I wore this pair of shorts for a while, I remember why I didn't have white pants for a long time. They are harder to keep clean. 

Announcement: absence between Oct 19th to 27th, 2024

I will not be available between October 19th to 27th. I will be back on the 28th and I will reply to any inquiries then. Thank you for understanding. 

Baby dress

This is made of McCall's sewing pattern 2053. 

It was fun making this tiny dress, and the then-baby is now a beautiful girl who is very talented. :) 

For me, challenge of making a baby dress was that everything was so small. I am used to sewing adult size clothes, and the size of the arm scythe was so small, making it harder to set in the sleeves. But I managed. Phew. 

Belt

I made this lace-up belt a while ago and used it a while on dresses that did not have pockets. I wanted to have my cell phone with me as I go about my day, so I had to have something with a pocket. 

I used the belt pattern that came with the peasant shirt pattern (Simplicity 5799). 

The belt was handy while my phone fit in that little pocket. The phone sizes grew, and my current phone does not fit in it any more. So, I should make another one with a bigger pocket, but you know how a "to make" list keeps on growing... 

Knapsacks

 Here are a few knapsacks I made a while back. 

I always like to add a pocket just in case you want to get organized inside the bag. 

Fanny pack

This is a fanny pack I use when I go for a quick walk or a bike ride around the neighbourhood. I just pop in my keys, phone, etc., and it's a perfect size. This is made with Simplicity 8069 pattern. 

I lined it with a remnant from an old project. 

I added an extra pocket on the back side of the bag, but I hardly use it...  Maybe when I make it next, I can omit this extra pocket. 

Obi remake bags

As mentioned in yesterday's post, here are some bags that are made of previously loved obi (sash) fabrics. The fabrics were taken from obi (kimono sash), and they are silk. 

These bags are perfect for carrying small things around that do not fit in your purse or pocket. 

There is an interior pocket with a pen slot.

Also a little D-ring for clipping your key chain, etc. 

Each bag is slightly different in sizes because I try to make the most of the available fabric to make a bag, but this one is about 11" x 11". 

Kimono remake pouches

These are made of previously loved Japanese kimono or kimono obi (sash) fabrics. 

I believe in giving previously loved textile items new lives by remaking them into something else. Since I enjoy making bags and pouches, I often remake them into this kind of pouches. The ones on the left are made of wool fabrics from kimono (yes, not all kimono are made of silk), and the ones on the right are made of obi (these are silk). 

This year, I will not be participating in Christmas sales, but if you need special gift for someone who likes Japanese fabrics, I can make bags or pouches like these. 

Leather craft

I've decided to try making some small things with leather. 

The first thing I made was a card case. There are two pockets and it folds in half. 

The second thing I tried making was a cable tie. There was no sewing involved, and it was rather easy. I just had to use some hammer to put those rivets and snaps. 

I find that sewing leather with an industrial sewing machine goes quite smoothly. (I don't really know how it is with a domestic sewing machine. Maybe it's easy, too.) 

I tried to make a wavy kind of patterns for the pockets and added a snap to keep the case closed in a bag.