It truly is my sewing hat.

The Crown.

I originally made this stunning crown for a Hallowe'en costume when I worked at a preschool. It was so I could look like the character on my t-shirt. Over the years this cozy crown has kept the hair out of my eyes and my head warm as I have constructed many, many items.

The t-shirt I love.

A pair of mittens and the Old Cardigan that started the whole thing

the original cardigan design

Maybe 14 years ago I bought a very expensive pair of mittens for a friend. They were cashmere from reclaimed sweaters. I decided, after I realized that the price was not what my dyslexic brain first saw, that it was an investment. My plan was that one day my buddy, that I met at fashion design school, and I would make clothing to go with the mittens. Then in 2002 I decided to make myself a cardigan out of reclaimed sweaters. A co-worker really liked it so I made one for her. Then in the summer of 2003 I was between jobs and homes, moving from Victoria to Vancouver with a two month pit stop in Duncan. My dear mother said, "I want to go to a three day craft show out of town. Will you come so I don't go mad?" Like a fool I said yes. True to form my mother would not let me go empty handed. So to the cutting table I went and made patterns for the cardigan in three sizes. For my effort I sold not one cardigan and had one of the worst migraines due to the heat. Got to love August. By September I was living in Vancouver with maybe 15 cardigans. I went to one store that sold local designer stuff and they sent me down to Gastown to Dream. For two years they sold my cardigans in the fall and winter. When my on call daycare job became a full time daycare job I was no longer able to keep up with selling at the shop. Then I was inspired by a poncho I had seen. So I messed around with a rectangle of cloth and came up with my cape. I sewed it in orange and grey reclaimed woolen sweaters. It was so cozy and practical because I left a gap at the bottom of the zipper to give ease of movement, I do not like being confined. One day I was checking out all of the funky shops on Main St. because it was now my neighborhood. I wandered in to a relatively new shop, Twigg&Hottie. The two owners had recently graduated from the same design school that my buddy and I had. I already liked them that just cinched it. Some months later I wandered into the shop with my cape on, Christine asked if I made it and if I wanted to sell them in the shop. How could I say no? Now every August I sheepishly go in to the shop and say, "So what do you think, do you want just the new sweater or do you think the cape should come too?" Several years in a row they have said, "Bring it!" So I do and they sell and then I smile, amazed they are still popular. So that is how the Sorcerer's Apprentice reclaimed line started. My mother is the WiZard of Felt. I have been apprentice to the wizard all my life so it seemed fitting to call the line the Sorcerer's Apperentice.

the first cape

The Old Flattop Toque

the original form the 90's with button accents on fold over

earlier model with patch accents tacking down fold over

the present style with no tacking
 free to be folded back as needed

This flat top toque has evolved over the years. It first appeared around November of 1993-94. My mother is a maker of many things and it was the craft show season just before Christmas. It was a three day affair and to keep her from losing her mind she dragged me along so that she could take breaks now and then. Now with my mother you can not just help you need to bring some things of your own to sell. So I made a few hats using Polar Fleece. After several years of selling stuff at Twigg&Hottie on Main St. in Vancouver I decided to pull the old design out of the cupboard and dust it off. This time I used reclaimed woollen sweaters. This hat is perfect for all different kinds of hair styles. I sometimes have long hair and wear it up in buns (two), or in braids (two or more), or just loose. This toque has the room to get all the hair into it, if need be, or stay snug on my bean when there is not so much to contain. It is super cozy and has a few ways it can be worn, depending on need and mood. 

Dollies

The first of the children's Dollies

People would often ask me if they thought my Little Felted Guys would be suitable for a toddler. I always say "Um, no they are sturdy but not that sturdy, and perhaps a bit pricey for a doll that a toddler would destroy." Several years ago a friend had asked me to make a cloth doll for an adult friend of hers. A few years later I was nanny to a little guy and decided to rework the Dollie seeing that I had the perfect person to test out the durability and play potential. He dragged the Dollie around and chewed on her and cuddled her. She held up well so I decided to make a few more. I took them down to Ainsworth to see if they would sell. My intent had been these Dollies would be for children and the Little Felted Guys would be for adults. Many adults have bought the Dollies for themselves or other adults that collect art dolls but, when a Dollie is intended for a child, Karin at Ainsworth is always excited to tell me a little person got one. This makes me smile.

test run on his own

test run on production

Sleeves (aka arm warmers)

not the original pair but the same size

A little history on why I started making sleeves. I was being a nanny to a little guy and Mother's Day came round. While the little guy's mom was at work we made her a pair of short sleeves as a gift. Inspired by a shirt I had with thumb holes. I decided that a sleeve you could wear under a long sleeve shirt might be nice, to keep his mom's hands warm. She liked them and so I made cuffs (no thumb holes) as well as three longer lengths of sleeves and took them off to Twigg & Hottie. They liked them so I took them down to Ainsworth as well. That was more than four years ago now. I can not tell you how many pairs I have made. I can tell you no two pair are quite the same.

Sunlight Soap, Why?

I have been asked why I choose to use Sunlight bar soap to make my little felted soaps. There are a few reasons. First: it is the soap I used when I first learned to wet felt. Second: it does not give me a rash. Third: everyone has a story about Sunlight soap. They sniff the bar and I can see the memory wash over their face, then they tell me. These stories are mostly associated with moms, grandmothers, old aunties doing laundry or cleaning surfaces. For me it is also the smell of clean, of making felted art with my mom, and creating felted objects with children I have taught at daycare. It is iconic in our society as it has been around for generations. It sneaks into our everyday. The story "Mud Puddle" by Canadian children's author Robert Munch has two bars of smelly yellow soap. In the background on a shelf at the morgue in the TV series "Murdock Mysteries" a bar of yellow soap sits. You know they are both references to Sunlight soap, and that makes me smile. I am all about stuff that makes me smile.

A simple toque

I have been making this simple toque for a few years now. I decided that maybe I would explain some of my reasons for making stuff, because there is always a reason why I have made something. I made it so I could wear it under a bike helmet on a cold day, or while I was out for a run when the weather is being rather Vancouver winter like, or while I am in and out of buildings running errands. It keeps my head warm while being quirky stylish. It easily tucks into my bag or pocket when I don't need it. It has no extra bits making it bulky, it is just a simple toque.

Tea Cozy

Just a cute little tea cozy to keep your classic Brown Betty type teapot warm. The lovely ladies at Shaktea asked me to make a cozy for them. So finally I did (after a year and a half of pondering).