Batteries Not Required Toys & Things
1073 1st Ave NE S6H 0Z8 Moose Jaw, SK, Canada

Life has been a little quiet on the sewing front, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been busy! I received 28 pounds of tomatoes from my cousin's sister in law last week that needed to be processed. On the weekend I got invited to come and harvest grapes, and apples - right here in Moose Jaw!!! So amazing that fruit like this grows in our area. I was then gifted 35 pounds of Seckel pears, also grown in Moose Jaw! So tiny, but so firm and sweet. The grape clusters were so ti...ght, it took DJ and I hours to remove them from the stems and get them ready to process. The 'Fruits" of our labour? Jars and jars of goodness! Pears in Cinnamon/Vanilla light syrup, Concord grape juice concentrate, pear sauce, apple butter, apple scrap jelly, grape jelly, and tomato sauce. I even managed to get a pillow personalized to go home with a Calgary visitor. There are still masks available, but this weekend will be a bear making marathon. I will be posting some goodies for sale, but I just wanted to make sure you folks didn't think I was slacking off See more

This is in my memories from a few years ago - worth sharing again Facebook says I haven't posted in a while, so here goes - something I have been thinking about for a while now. I often get asked why I wasn't at the 'big' craft sale at this venue or that. I don't think the average customer realizes what it costs a vendor to attend these big sales. You can be sure it is $250 or more for a booth! And, the customer still has to pay $5 (usually) to enter the building just to look... at the displays. Some vendors travel long distances to put their wares on display for customers. Try to imagine the costs - Factor in how many items a vendor has to sell JUST to get the cost of the table back - not to mention the costs associated with being in attendance. Travel time, time off from a job, gas, meals, sometimes a hotel, and the costs involved in creating enough product to entice customers to make a purchase. It might look like a vendor is super busy, selling tons of product, but looks can be deceiving! I attended a two day event many years ago in Moose Jaw, table cost about $200 (can't remember for sure) maybe sold $400 worth of items. The following weekend, I attended a small town craft sale, table cost $25, and I sold about $700 worth in the few hours the event was held. Since it was 'down home', we got to spend the weekend with mom as an added bonus. Does it make sense to spend a fortune to show people my wares? Not when some of them stand off to the side with a notepad and pen, attempting to draw a likeness to my product, to go home and try to copy that item! It has happened, with my hobbyhorses, and I saw this person the following year trying to sell her version of MY hobbyhorses - unsuccessfully, I might add I have been in Moose Jaw for almost 20 years, and a fair number of people know me - you know I have flax bags on hand at all times. People know I make the personalized quilted pillows, and purses, and bowl cozies, and Christmas stockings, and finished pillows, and quilts, and messy bun toques, and teddy bears out of fur coats. You know where to find me, I have lived on 1st Ave NE for 9 years now. It doesn't cost you to walk in my door - in fact, if I am baking, you will likely get a butter tart sample, or a piece of chiffon cake! I also still do some alterations, and can put the original hem on your jeans when you need them shortened. That being said, I will be attending one out of town sale this winter - Patricia wants me back in Spring Valley on November 10th, so I better go! I won't be going to any big sales this winter, the trade off is just too high. I would much prefer to stay in my warm home, with my creations on display in my living room and welcome YOU into my 'store', no admission required! PSSST - Christmas is coming See more

I just did the math - 250+ masks created in less than a week!!! No wonder I am so tired - I have a really good supply of child and youth/teen masks on hand, will try to post better pictures later today. LOTS of the Deluxe Adult version also

Once in a while I do/make things just for me - like this En Provence quilt! I ventured into the world of Mystery quilting a few years back. The designer (Bonnie Hunter) gives color suggestions and quantities, and once a week gives a clue to create part of a block. She also uses this as a teaching tool - a technique we might not know how to do. At the end, usually about 8 weeks, she shows you how to put those pieces into a larger block. Then she gives directions on how to put ...the whole top together. Yellow, Green, purple and pink are not colors I normally have much of, but I did have enough to create this quilt using nothing but scraps and pieces in my sewing room. Just goes to show that almost anything can go together. One of my greens actually has Dalmation dogs on it! I found a fabric that was perfect for the back - vintage stamps! This summer I finally got it sent off to a local quilter - No Guilt Quilting, and I am so tickled with the end result. I likely won't get to the binding until this winter, but wanted to share anyway. This one goes on my bed when it is finished :) See more

It's been a whirlwind of activity here the past few days - these all need pressing, pleating, and topstitching. Ready tomorrow hopefully

Making t - shirt ties out of these lovely colors brought me back to my childhood! Who else remembers shoe string licorice? I LOVED the green ones!

Just to keep my brain confused, I also make a quilted personalized pillow here and there just to keep some variety in my life :) Back on July 6th I shared that I 'inherited' my friend's fabric goodies. WELL, talking with her daughter today I got confirmation that when I am working with fabric, I have 'help'! Elizabeth's granddaughter asked me to make some pillows for a pair of little boys, great grandchildren, in blues and greens. Turns out that the fabric 'I' chose was leftovers from E making Jonah a quilt! How bizarre is that? Out of 257 batik options, I chose the ones that Elizabeth already had as well! Levi and Lucas are twins, and John is my back alley neighbor! I am always available to make pillows, another great Christmas gift idea

Even though it seems like masks have taken over our lives lately, I am still making time to work on bears for folks. This fellow started out life as a Western shirt, two place mats AND a faux leather purse. I really love the chance to be creative and think outside the box! If you are looking to transform some special items into a family treasure don't wait too long. I have 17 on the waiting list right now, and I would hate to have to turn anyone away when December rolls around. Message me with any questions

I am noticing a LOT of recent mask posts on Facebook - 'sponsored', which I can only assume means they are larger companies paying a fee to advertise. Us small home crafters have our mask posts flagged as 'illegal or dangerous' on any sites other than a personal page! I do have one BIG pet peeve about the wording in many posts I have seen, big companies or small crafters - Washable and reusable!!!!! No one has to be told that the shirt they just bought is reusable - if it is fabric and washable, it is implied that you can wear it again! Marketing ploy at its finest, lol..... If anyone is looking for fabric face masks, please support local - there's lots of us right here in Moose Jaw making a variety of styles of masks for the public.

LOVE getting reviews like this, Thanks Jessica! - Love the fit of these! I’ll probably order some more in the near future! Thanks again!!

I have a very happy customer this morning - Renae is #575757!!! Thank you everyone for your continued support. Congrats Renae!!

Cleaning up old posts to avoid confusion with orders coming for out of stock prints. Holy cow, I have gone through a LOT of fabric!

I am a little goofy sometimes when numbers 'talk' to me - and this surprise definitely spoke to me. I use numbered sales order books to write up orders and such, and came across this page while adding my info to the invoice book!!! SO, since I was born in 1957 - the person who places an order that gets written on THIS page will get 57% off their order! It's not that far down the road to being used...

I have had a couple requests today for masks for 1 and 2 year olds - Not recommended people, every medical site out there states the same thing - this came from the CDC: Children younger than 2 should not wear a cloth face covering because of concerns that they might suffocate. Other exceptions include anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the cover without assistance. Everyone else, including children older than 2, a...re advised to wear cloth face coverings when out in the community. https://www.lebonheur.org//new-cdc-recommendations-cloth-/

I am going to blame my most recent lack of OOMPH on the fact that I got older last week - seems to be taking me much longer to get much done these days. All done now and I am so happy with the outcome - thumbing through the bagged masks made me think back to my days as a File Clerk for the Department of Highways and E & H Tax!! Every mask is individually bagged and numbered. The 'Deluxe' masks have a blue label, the "Basic" are red. Some fabrics are available in both options. Now I just need to find appropriately sized baskets to house the bags! My adult masks finish at about 4" x 8 3/4", the best option for the bags was 6" x 9", but they work better than trying to fold a mask with a nose wire into a sandwich baggie! Whatcha all think?

I've been under the weather this past week - literally! That heat and humidity really kicked my butt and kept me in bed. But I am never totally down and out, and have been working on a new system to package and label my masks. Once they are built they will be individually bagged - now it won't matter how many hands sort through my inventory looking for that special one! It's a time consuming process to get current stock processed, but once done it will be so much easier to help folks find that one they want. Pictures of updated inventory to come soon

We've been busy washing, ironing and cutting more fabrics -this batch contains some of the fabulous prints I was gifted from Japan. Pictures have been taken before construction so the full print is visible. I am going to leave it up to YOU to decide if these will be the deluxe model - three layers of two different 100% prewashed cotton fabrics, with a nose wire to fit the mask to your face better, and a filter pocket if you decide you want another layer of coverage. The masks... are pleated and have a casing to house the soft halter style tie - $10 each; OR the basic model - two layers of two different fabrics,.no nose wire or filter pocket. This one is also pleated with the casing for the halter style tie, $7. Both versions are hand and machine washable, created right here in Moose Jaw in my smoke and pet free home. There are five available of the rabbits/floral print and the cranes, three available of the red/white/blue stripes with fans. Payment by Etransfer will secure your order and initiate construction. Contact free pick up. Cross posted See more

DJ has an online friend who is a Marine stationed in Japan. We recently sent her some of our masks and as a thank you, she sent me some of her fabric 'scraps'! She's headed back to the US for schooling, and was cleaning up her own stash from making circle skirts. LOOK at this stuff! This is amazing and genuinely Japanese prints. Any quilter will tell you the selvedge edge where the fabric info is woven in is like gold! That will be incorporated into something special! Some of this has already been washed and will potentially be some very special masks. Thank You, Katherine Reed, you are one special gal~!

This past weekend I was asked to make a Chocolate Marble Chiffon Cake for a 68th Wedding anniversary - family gathering at the lake for ten people. I suggested whipped cream and chocolate pudding mixed together as a nice light icing. Can't just make one marble cake, need two batters to get the mix - a neighbor spoke for the second one. Review from the Anniversary --- "Oh man. Was that cake a hit! It was delicious! Thank you" Review from the neighbor, who was given the same ic...ing advice - OMG !!! that was very very good !!! OMG Sooooo good and the icing was the best, not sweet at all !!!! THIS just came to my personal page - ** I had half a maple walnut cake in my freezer at the lake from last summer. Didn’t know what to serve for dessert on Sunday, pulled it out, added some Saskatoons (also from last years crop) and whipped cream (fresh) got rave reviews! Your chiffon cakes are incredible, even a year later!! --even forgotten cakes in the freezer are incr-"edible"!! I love getting reactions like this - Made my day I am always available to make a chiffon cake for anyone who needs one - LOTS of flavors to choose from **Clean oven compliments of DJ**

One of my most heartwarming bear presentations was to my aunt out of mom's clothing. The sisters and brother are now reunited, five short days after Aunt Alice turned 90. I can only be thankful that she is no longer suffering, and that the 3 siblings are together again. Rest in peace Aunt Alice, you've earned it.

Well, this was a nice email to receive this morning - "We've bought a few handmade masks through Kijiji Regina but my husband and I agree yours are the best quality of all the ones we have." I love to hear comments like this :)

If anyone notices the names of others who 'LIKE' my posts you may have seen the name Elizabeth Kelly a time or two. She is the lady I made the neck pillow out of that amazing book fabric for. Every so often she would clean out some quilting fabric and give it to me. I knew something had happened when I hadn't seen any FB activity for a few days - she passed away on June 26th, and I will always treasure our chats and visits, and our shared love of creating. I was incredibly bl...essed to receive these two barrels from her daughter and son in law yesterday, and will think of Elizabeth with every project that uses her amazing collection. There's 257 DIFFERENT batik prints!!! I see 'pillow case' dresses for little girls, comfort quilts for the Dialysis Unit, Walker Caddies with the Scotch guarded fabric from England, and much more. I was busy before, but this inspires me to do even more. Imagine - we met because of my lefse!!! See more

I was honored to be given the opportunity to create 9 bears out of a wedding dress for a customer. I learn so much from every challenge. I think they turned out amazing, but then again, I may be a bit biased!

I'll be building an album with all the steps that I took to get to these bears, but for now it's movie time with my son!

There has always got to be that ONE person out there who needs their opinion heard, and is determined to accuse me of taking advantage of people, AND making them sick and potentially die by wearing masks. I make no medical claims regarding my masks, although I did do a lot of research prior to even making them. This is a free country (so far) and I can only assume that if you want to wear a mask, you know the reason why. I provide a very detailed information sheet with each m...ask purchase. Here's a visual on the efficacy of wearing masks, this is not my chart. It's a good thing I am the daughter of tough, stubborn French Norwegian parents, otherwise the continual accusations might actually hurt my feelings! A car dealership assumes you have a driver's license when you buy a car - I can only assume you know why you want to wear a mask. Thanks for letting me vent! See more

Sometimes I think I must be certifiable... THIS is the result of yesterday and today's sewing marathons! 99 masks :) The total for the past 7 days is 215, and yes, I do STILL have fabric we haven't touched yet! Organized mask updated pics coming soon

The production line has been very busy, and there will be LOTS of masks done all at the same time! Pictures coming soon....The production line has been very busy, and there will be LOTS of masks done all at the same time! Pictures coming soon....

A tribute to my very short acting career, as a teddy bear in the Christmas play - I was so terrified, I got a nose bleed - I was 6! But I still love teddy bears, and thought it might be easier for people to browse the possibilities if all the bears I make are in one place! Feel free to message me if you have special articles you would like to see transformed into a family heirloom.

This fellow was just gifted and I got the ok to post him. There's just something about a blue bear, love them! So did the recipient :) I was happy to have those awesome pockets to include as a special feature

I've gone through a lot of individual fabric prints on this mask making journey, but I remember every one of them. It is kind of exciting to see my masks being worn while people are out shopping. I stopped to chat with one lady, and she commented on how she just 'picked one, because you had so many options'! Snails on an orange background :)

Yep, tearing up again... such a special day

DJ and I are slowly on the journey to better health - and he recently showed me some exercise band routines to strengthen my arms and shoulders. He asked me today if I did my exercises yesterday? I asked if sewing counted? AND in typical DJ fashion I got told "If sewing counted as exercise, you would not be fat'!!! Good thing I love the dork~!

Apparently when I built this page I didn't quite know what I was doing - it is a miracle it has come this far! DJ helped me discover that I did not originally set up the 'Review" option. It's there now, so if any of you would like to post a review on any of my creations I would sure appreciate it. Your comments and messages keep me sewing!

Creating masks is a team effort in this house. I operate the rotary cutter so DJ won't lose a finger. All the cutting and planning is one of my tasks. He does the ironing of the washed fabric and pillow cases. I cut the pillow casings for the filter pockets, he gets to mark the special lines for me to sew them up. I chain sew, so there can be upwards of 70 at a time for him to then cut apart and iron open. When he's done that, I chain sew the masks and he gets them again to c...ut apart, flip right side out and iron nice and crisp. I cut up new, freshly washed t-shirts into 1" strips and he gets the job of cutting out the side seams, stretching them till they curl and knotting the ends so they are ready for me to insert into the casings. He also has the pleasure of cutting the pipe cleaners and bending over the ends so they are ready for me to insert into the masks. I sew the nose casings, mark out the pleats, create them, sew on the casing fabrics, and he gets to iron once again. I am chuckling while outlining our steps - When all the prep work is done, we can make 50 - 100 in a day or two, but it's all about the prep work. Today DJ was buried under 72 filter pockets. As soon as he had a small pile marked I was sewing them up. We both have to drop whatever we are doing to get something done so the other can continue on with the production line. As I brought 37 masks for him to turn and then press, he is looking at several cut up shirts/ties, 150+ pipe cleaners, and the remainder of the filter pockets to mark and I get "BUT I AM ONLY ONE MAAAAAAANNNNN' in a very whiny voice, and I couldn't help but laugh! We make a great team! See more

A request for 'fishing or outdoors' type fabric for a mask for Dad led me on a hunt in my fabric stash. Someone had left a small bag of leftover cottons on my doorstep that I hadn't actually looked through until today when I found it again. Holy Hannah, there's some really nice stuff in there! I am cutting up anything that is big enough to make a mask, should have pictures soon and masks ready for giving for Father's Day :)