The Workroom fabric sale

One of my favourite fabric stores, The Workroom, is having a fabric sale, in conjunction with the Sheridan Textile Studio Sale. This means not only is the fabric on sale, but there will be hand printed fabric, aprons, t-shirts, and other texitle gifts for sale designed by Sheridan students. Can't wait! I'm going to stock up on fabric to work on projects over the holidays and cold winter months.

This Saturday is the Movies and Makers show at the Fox Theatre. This is my second year doing this show, and I'm really looking forward to it - both the venue and neighbourhood are ideal for this kind of show. I can't wait to check out stuff from Coy Clothes!

This is my last show of the season, I've cut back a bit to focus on other projects. So if you're in the neighbourhood on Saturday, come have a look between 11:00-5:30 (free cupcakes to the first 100 people!).

It has begun...

As you can see from my worktable, things are a bit chaotic right now: my Etsy store has been busy with sales and custom orders, I have an upcoming craft show to prepare for, handmade Christmas gifts to make, and some film photography projects on the go. And, my sketchbook for the 2011 Sketchbook Project arrived the other day. In between working on other projects, I spent a lot of time thinking about how I was going to decorate the cover. Why I thought this was important I'm not sure, I guess I'm thinking it will provide inspiration for the rest of the book.

Although it may prove to be not very durable (may have to find a way to clear coat it), I decided to use handmade Japanese paper (washi) for the cover; I buy scrap packs from The Paper Place in Toronto and use them a lot in crafts, although sometimes I think the paper is too pretty to use. I decided to orient the book horizontally rather than vertically; this may affect the digital scanning process and how it's presented on the project's website, but I prefer the layout. Next I need to create a title page, and then the sketching begins.



Participants were asked to choose a theme, or have one randomly assigned. I chose Happy Thoughts... I go through periods of depression which gets worse during the winter, as it does for a lot of people, so I'm hoping this theme will help me in staying positive.

Current sewing projects

I've been trying to use up some of my larger pieces of fabric, so I recently made two new skirts and a messenger bag for myself.


This is the first piece of clothing I've made for which I drafted my own pattern. It was also the first time I sewed a pleat and used an invisible zipper. yay for me!


This is just a simple lightweight denim skirt with an elastic waistband.


Lastly, I needed a new bag for myself as the other one I made for myself was a bit too small. It has an adjustable strap, outer and inner slip pocket and an interior zippered pocket. I forget what the outside fabric is, I know I ordered it from Tonic Living, it may be Michael Miller?

Remember: I take custom orders for bags and other small accessories!

Sketchbook project

A friend of mine posted a link to a project I couldn't resist to take part in: The 2011 Sketchbook Project. Participants are sent a Moleskine sketchbook (for a fee) in which they, well, sketch and doodle, based on a theme (not telling you what theme I chose yet). The sketchbooks are then sent back and become part of a touring exhibition, eventually ending up in a permanent collection at The Brooklyn Art Library. This is a great way to stay motivated on a creative level, and I'm really excited about filling up my sketchbook, and seeing how others interpret their theme. Stay tuned for updates!

100 Mile Finds now has e-commerce

100 Mile Finds, a website which allows you to locate local businesses for unique gifts and services, now has an e-commerce option, meaning you can purchase directly from the vendor. I've set it up for my
Zippster store. Not every vendor has enabled this feature yet, but I'm sure more will get on board soon. In the meanwhile, here are some of my picks for Toronto vendors:

Vintage Paper Parade: whimsical, stylish paper goods with a modern twist for children’s birthdays, baby and bridal showers.

Love, Poetry Corsets: specializing in one of a kind, hand made corsets, often using rescued, recycled, or vintage fabrics. Beautifully hand painted!

Dear Sukie: Handmade wallets made in small quantities using a variety of patterned papers and clear vinyl. Very cool, and reasonably priced.

Yes, it's time to start thinking about holiday gift shopping, so why not support local businesses!

Bazaar of the Bizarre show

This past Sunday I participated in the annual Bazaar of the Bizarre show, at the Pia Bouman School for Ballet and Creative Movement, in the Queen and Dufferin area. Despite the fact that it was a long week-end and a day when many were probably feasting on turkey, I was pleased with the turnout. It was a long day, but I'm happy with what I sold. I was very impressed with the quality and variety of goods, much more so than most shows I've done, and especially pleased to discover that the baked goods being sold by Bunner's were gluten-free - yay for tasty treats for me! I have two more shows lined up before Christmas, details to come soon.