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I started this updated back when I made my Ultimate Cottagecore Lingerie Set video last summer, and just today am ready to publish the updates! Woohoo!

I’ve never been a fast content creator… but I’ve become extra slow lately. And I’m trying my best to just be ok with that. I’ve always been a bit of a contrarian, and in this time of instant gratification, it feels good to be that slow outlier (or so I tell myself!). I did recently post a youtube video about some of the other things I’ve been doing if you’re interested to see the other creative endeavours I’ve been up to!

It feels good to have finally completed a task after months of just starting things. I’m preparing for several big markets this summer so all of the planning and prep seems like an ongoing project and the “payoff” feels a long way away! So I’m glad to be putting one of my projects to rest today.

The Ruffle Thong pattern was the 2nd or 3rd pattern I ever released, over a decade ago. It’s been completely reimagined, with updated instructions, a video tutorial, extended sizing and two style variations.

This pattern is developed for woven fabrics, just like my Jane pattern, and it’s a great companion for with the August Ruffle Bra! It’s a fun way to use up pretty woven fabrics – my favourite thing is to upcycle vintage cottons.

You can get the pattern here or over on Etsy!

I’ve spent this week listing lots and lots and lots of lingerie pieces. Some of them are samples I made for products that were in my shop, some were small stock runs I had made, others are one of a kind samples, and occasionally a few flawed items. I’ve kept the prices quite low on most things!

I hope you’ll check it out. In the mean time, here’s a little snapshot of what’s included.

Shop the Sale on Etsy.

This is going to be a hard post to write, but honestly, it’s at least a year in the making.

I’ve made the very difficult decision to close my lingerie business. On one hand, it is a huge weight off my shoulders. But on the other hand, I’m left feeling somewhat defeated.

The last few years have been hard. Having a baby, then being struck with a pandemic, attempting to “online school” a child between the years of 5-7, having precarious childcare, following COVID protocols, and a partner whose job is not very flexible, made it virtually impossible for me to focus on work, besides staying afloat. And, in the “aftermath” (i say this somewhat jokingly because I know so many people with Covid right now) of the pandemic, I was left with two choices: build back up my business or move onto something new.

I spent the last year attempting to build it back up, but my heart wasn’t it in. I’m not sure if it’s that I’m older, that I’ve spent the last 4 years pushed into the roll of “full time” mom, general burnout or what, but I just didn’t have it in me.

Financially it all took a pretty big toll on my family. I am so lucky that my partner has a dependable, stable job, but going from the main breadwinner to scrimping for necessities was pretty hard. Add that stress to the stress of not knowing what was going on with my business, and it was kind of a recipe for a total mental breakdown.

Luckily, I never completely made it into emotional breakdown zone, but I definitely dangled my feet over the edge. Life the last few years has had a lot of really beautiful, memorable moments with my kids, but I also have seen a piece of myself… change. I don’t want to say lost, because in many ways I feel more “me” than I have in a while. But I’m definitely being pushed out the other side of this a very different person.

I’ve been finding social media so hard these days. I just don’t have the desire to hustle undies online, and the social media landscape has changed so much from my humble beginnings in the early 2010’s. Back then I had a blogger account and a facebook page. Now I’m juggling YouTube, two etsy shops, Tiktok, Instagram… And I’m OLD. I don’t want to be competing with the youngsters any more! (ha!) The market is so saturated, and the uptick in brands like Temu and Shein has really changed things (this deserves an entire deep dive on it’s own).

So, in the midst of my ‘what am I doing with my life’ semi-crisis I decided to take a step back. I hooked myself up with some cleaning jobs and spent about a month just cleaning houses a few days a week (and still managing the bits of work that were coming in). And as weird as it sounds, going from a full time lingerie designer to a house cleaner was one of the best things I could have done for my mental health. It feels so incredibly good to go out, do a job, come home and not be thinking about the job. I can sit on the couch, play with my kids, frig, I can sit and do a sudoku with out that nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I “should be doing something.”

The one thing that never changed over these few tumultuous years is my desire to create. And I can say, one of the positive things the pandemic brought to me was a discovery of new crafts – namely crochet, clay and art! On a whim I decided I was going to start vending at local craft markets. I did 3 over the holiday season and they were amazing. It was so much fun to interact in person with customers and other makers. I found a new drive to make and it feels really good.

So, that in a nutshell is what led me to where I am now.

Here’s what is going to change: I’ll no longer be making Lingerie under the brand “Ohhh Lulu”. Hit me up if anyone wants to buy a lingerie brand (haha). Over the next month, I’ll be clearing out old stock and samples, then I will be transitioning to a new brand, Green River Mercantile. I am going to continue making sleep masks and scrunchies (but I want to work more with reclaimed materials), and possibly some lingerie here or there, but likely ready made. That being said, I will always have time for my long-time customers. I also want to focus on crochet goods, clay earrings, and some art (like stickers, notebooks, etc). I know that the general business advice is to find a niche and stick to that but screw that. I hate following rules! I just want to make beautiful things that fill my heart with joy! So that is what I am going to do.

Here’s what is not going to change: My sewing pattern business will stay the same. I’m undecided as to whether I will rebrand this as well. I really feel like a “rebirth” is what I need mentally but I’m a little worried about how I do that after a decade of a specific brand name. I want to branch out more into lounge wear over the coming year and focus more on YouTube. I really enjoy making videos and interacting with everyone over there.

Thanks to all of you for coming along on this journey with me. I’ll keep posting here, though the blog name may change. I hope you’ll join me to see what is to come!

If you follow me on social media or YouTube, you’ll be well aware that I am in the process of getting a breast reduction surgery.

Smaller breasts is something I’ve wanted since I first needed a bra. I was one of those kids who just woke up one day with boobs. I was a pretty reserved, shy kid, so finding a bra that fit, when the B’s, C’s and D’s from my local department store back in the mid-90’s barely covered what needed covering and the bands were all so big I’d fall out the bottom felt really embarrassing. I got unwanted attention, and being at that time only around 12 years old, I didn’t even understand what people (ie. boys and men) were talking about. It wasn’t until really reflecting upon this over the past few years that I realize how much it effected me.

I remember the first time I stumbled upon a 32DD bra at LaSenza (Canada’s version of Victoria’s Secret). It was a bra that nearly, almost, kind of fit. Sure I still got a bit of a quad boob, as I’d pop out the top, and I’d have to frequently pull my boobs up so they didn’t slip out under the still too-loose band, but it was a far cry from the bras I was used to wearing!

In my teens and twenties, I was in a much smaller body. But even then, proportionally, I had a larger chest.

Now, in my 30’s (almost 40!), I’m in a much healthier space mentally and physically, however my breasts (and my body) have gotten even bigger. And after having my second child, they kind of just went out of control. I breastfed for 2 years, which was 2 years longer than I anticipated! And somehow, they just never shrunk back down to their previous size. So, the 30FF bras that used to fit pretty perfectly have now been set aside and replaced with 30H. I actually just had to undo my bra to check. I think I thought I was a G… but here I am in an H cup Curvy Kate bra.

Physically, the feeling of my breasts give me a sense of discomfort, physically and emotionally. The weight… the sweat… the underboob rashes… the feeling of just all this “stuff” around my chest… It is so uncomfortable. My shoulders and mid back hurt all the time. I actually thought for the longest time that having a constant back ache was just part of being alive, but apparently it’s not! Running is hard… but running while carrying the equivalent of a bag of flour strapped to your chest is even harder. I want to jump rope with my kids, but it just is so uncomfortable to do so. That all sucks, but the other thing that sucks emotionally is how hard it is to find clothes that fit/flatter/are comfortable for larger breasts. I obviously can make my own bras and my own clothes, but honestly… I just want to be able to buy something cute from Aerie, or wear a crop top from Old Navy that my boobs don’t entirely consume.

I’ve never had any type of surgery before besides dental surgery, so I’m not entirely sure how my body and mind will react. I have had the experience of seeing my parents both go through very serious surgeries, so I feel like I have a decent idea of how tired and out of it you are for the first little bit. After spending way too much time on the r/Reduction subreddit, I’ve decided that there is absolutely no way to predict how much help I’ll need and how my body will recover. I just need to listen to my body and accept all the help I can get.

So, that’s all the background. It’s something I wanted for the longest time, but my cup size increase after my second child really spurred me on. One of the hardest initial things to do was talk to my family doctor. Not because she isn’t patient, and understanding, and all around a wonderful human being, but because I was worried I’d be bothering her with a “trivial” issue. Let me be clear, my back pain and discomfort is not trivial, I just have this mindset that there’s always someone else worse off so I don’t want to bother people with my problems… I was relieved to hear her say that she totally agreed that I shouldn’t have to live in pain. One of the complicated parts with where I live in Ontario, is that it is fairly rural. We do have a great local hospital, but the one plastic surgeon in the area was not taking patients. So, I had to look a little farther than my home town. After doing a bit of research, I found a surgeon fairly close by who was doing consultations.

This was about two years ago, so the timeline is a little fuzzy! When I finally got in to see the surgeon, she was really receptive and kind. When she found out I sew and make sewing patterns, she was excited because she could relate a lot of what she does to what I do as a pattern maker. Her excitement about it really was motivating and also put my mind at ease. I could tell she was really passionate about her job. Parts of the consultation were uncomfortable. I had to have photos and measurements taken to be submitted to our provincial healthcare plan. I’ve been so self conscious about my size that I basically am never braless.

Within about 8 weeks or so, I found out I was approved for the surgery! Woohoo! However, this was still during Covid. There were huge backlogs in surgery dates… so my elective surgery was obviously not a huge priority.

I finally followed up again about two months ago. Their office had to submit the paperwork for insurance approval again, but it was quickly approved and I was given the option of 3 dates. I decided to go with the soonest date so that I am recovered by the time my kids are out of school and daycare for the summer. It’s a little daunting as I thought originally I’d have my mom here to help me, but unfortunately SHE had to have a very serious surgery a couple of months ago and is still not back to her normal self yet. But, I’ve enlisted the help of other family members and friends. My kids are (almost) 4 and 8. My oldest is very self sufficient. I’m a little worried about how Sparkle, my youngest, will do. She is very clingy to me, so that might be tough for a bit. But whenever I do it, it’ll be hard! So, I’m just going to do it…

The nerves about it all didn’t really set in until last weekend. I’m not so concerned about the surgery itself as the recovery and making sure my kids get to all of their places and that my husband maintains some level of sanity while also managing many of my day-to-day tasks. I’m not terribly worried about pain, but perhaps this is naive of me.

Ive started doing all of my pre surgery prep, like ordering a few surgical bras, preparing a few things to read and do while I’m relegated to the couch, meal planning, and giving the house a good clean.

Buying a surgical bra was kind of surreal. First, I was able to buy 3 bras for about $50 on amazon. I haven’t been able to buy one bra in my size for that price in ages! When I got them, and tried them on I was so excited about the prospect of being able to fit into something like that comfortably. I can get them on as I am, but I’m all kinds of popping out of them.

If you’re curious about the bras I bought, you can find them on Amazon. I felt a little overwhelmed by the task of buying a surgical bra, so I thought I’d share what I bought. I’ll be sure to add an updated after my surgery to let you all know how they faired. These are affiliate links, so if you happen to purchase one of these bras, I may receive a small commission from amazon.

I’ve been sharing my experiences over on YouTube, but if you’re not an avid youtube viewer, I’ll update here as time permits!

Thank you so much to everyone who has messaged, emailed, and commented on my posts with their experiences and well wishes. It is so reassuring to hear everyone’s stories!

Affiliate Disclosure: I am an Etsy and Aliexpress affiliate. Applicable purchases made through the links I provide may earn me a small commission at no cost to you. This helps keep my blog and youtube channel running! I appreciate your support.

It’s basically been 100 years since I’ve updated my Where to Buy Lingerie Making Supplies video and blog posts, and a lot has changed since then… mostly, the loss of Fabric.com. I’m still mad about that. Amazon totally ruined a great thing!

I’m sure I’m not the only one who spent a lot of time at the beginning of the pandemic doing lots of online shopping. During that time I discovered some new shops that have become go-to sources for me.

I’ve outlined it all in a video on YouTube, but I’ll provide a full list here with links. If I’ve missed your favourite online store (or in person shop!), let me know in the comments. I always love discovering new stores.

My Go-To Fabric Stores

USA

Canada

International

ETSY! – I love shopping for fabric on Etsy. There are several shops I have purchased from repeatedly in Japan, South Korea and Easter Europe. The wonderful thing about Etsy is you can narrow down your search by location. I show you how in my YouTube Video.

My Go-To Shops for Elastic and Notions

In no particular geographic order

Affiliate Disclosure: I may receive a small commission from purchases made through links provided in this post. This is at no cost to you and helps me keep my blog and YouTube Channel running! Thank you so much for your support.

I am OBSESSED with polymer clay!

When I was a kid, my cousin and his wife owned a miniatures store. They had all of these tiny little clay foods and treats and accessories… I was absolutely in love with all of it. One year for Christmas, they gave me a miniature pumpkin pie. It’s still one of my prized possessions, and lives safely tucked away with my eraser collection. So, I kind of grew up around clay. We used to play with FIMO as a kid and now that I have my own kids, we play with Sculpey and also air dry clay, as it’s a little easier for small hands to work with.

A while back, I started seeing these clay earrings popping up on Pinterest. I decided I’d try my hand at those and quickly became re-obsessed with clay. I’ve even added a few earrings to my Etsy shop because I can’t stop making them. But then I had a great idea! I should make them into pattern weights!

So, I sent my husband to the hardware store in search of washers and he found just the right thing. I ended up using 2x 1 3/8″ washers glued together as my base, and then polymer clay on top. I recorded the process of making the floral motif weight, but ended up making 4 different styles, with the bee being my favourite.

One of the things I’ve been wanting to experiment with is painting on polymer clay. So for my crescent moon weight, I used some acrylic paint and a fine brush to paint on some simple stars before baking. I really love how that turned out and I’ll definitely be experimenting with painting on clay some more.

You can find the full instructions on how I put these together on my YouTube Channel. They are pretty simple to make and with a little practice I’m sure you can come up with some really amazing designs. I went with a nature-cottagecore theme… which is basically my life’s aesthetic.

Here’s what you need to make your own Pattern Weights:

• 1 3/8″ (3.5cm) metal washers (available at most hardware stores)
• Polymer Clay (FIMO, Sculpey) in assorted colours. You can get a great assortment of colours on Etsy, but I usually pick mine up at my local Michaels store.
• Basic clay tools (acrylic rolling pin, toothpicks). Here is a nice set from Amazon.
• Strong Glue (I used E6000 available on Amazon, and most hardware and craft stores)

Once you have gathered your supplies, go ahead and watch my video for all the details on how to make them!

Affiliate Disclosure: I may receive a small commission through purchases made through the links in this post. This helps support my website so I can continue providing content! Thank you!

Years before I started sewing lingerie, I walked into a local thrift shop and spotted a 1980s lingerie pattern from one of the Big 4 Pattern companies. It had already been cut and was missing a couple of pieces, but I was able to cobble together one of the teddies and a pair of underwear. It kind of sparked that lingerie-sewing love within me.

Since then, whenever I see an older lingerie sewing pattern, I pick it up. I had great luck a few months ago and found 3 at my local ValueVillage! I decided that for Valentine’s Day, I wanted to sew myself something special. I was wanting a new silk camisole (I love silk under knitted sweaters) and some matching bottoms to go with it. I wanted something comfortable, but still pretty and romantic feeling, even though at this season of my life, romance to me and my husband is watching an episode of the Last of Us and passing out on the couch… at least I can do that in something pretty!

I decided to document my process on my YouTube Channel in three parts. Part one goes through the patterns, tracing them off, and cutting my silk.

Parts two and three walk through the steps of sewing the top and bottoms. However, part of the way through this process I realized I was missing the instructions for one of the pieces, so there was a lot of trial and error involved.

I always find that the Big 4 (Vogue, Simplicity, Butterick, McCalls) always have a ridiculous amount of ease. So, unsurprisingly, both my pieces ended up much to big, even though I sized down. This is always such an annoyance to me. Nothing needs as much ease as what these patterns include! Anyway, I suppose that is part of the process! I’m spoiled by being able to just sew my own patterns!

In the end, I was 95% happy with the results. The cami was great and I’ve already worn it once. The bottoms aren’t my favourite fit, so I ended up making a pair of Jane Panties (shown on the mannequin below), which I LOVE and has inspired me to make more silk underwear.

If you are interested in trying out some vintage lingerie patterns, there are many available on Etsy as instant downloads (my friend Anna from Mrs Depew has lots of pre-1950’s patterns, or you can check out SewGirlPatterns for 1960s-1980s patterns), or you can get your hands on the original things. Many of these patterns are meant for woven fabrics, as knits weren’t as widely available even just 20-30 years ago (trust me, I remember this!). Here is a nice source for silks that I have purchased from before! Be warned though, once you wear silk lingerie, it’s hard to go back!

Affiliate Disclosure: I may receive a small commission through purchases made through the links in this post. This helps support my website so I can continue providing content! Thank you!

I love the holidays because it gives me a great opportunity to get crafty. I personally love giving and receiving handmade items, but sometimes when you are in a crunch it can be hard to get those creative gears turning. So, I’ve complied a list of items I personally love to make and give, and people actually really like receiving!

Underwear!

Duh! In my opinion, nice underwear is one of the best gifts you can receive. One of my favourite things about making undies is that they are pretty quick to sew and you can get a lot out of a meter of fabric! When my daughter started potty training, I made her a big batch Belle Undies (my kids pattern), and I often have been known to gift a pair of Celeste’s or two (my FREE pattern!) My current favourite pattern is my newest, the Birch Panties sewing pattern. It’s got a great, every day fit and would be fun sewn up in holiday prints.

Sleep masks

Sleep masks are a great gift to thrown in with a sleep mask, bubble bath, or candle. I like to make mine a little extra special by adding silk lining. I have a free Kitty sleep mask pattern available here.

Lingerie Wash Bags

Not sure what to get the lingerie-addict in your life? How about a handmade wash bag? I like the pattern I’ve developed because it lets you add a pop of print around the zipper. Download the FREE pattern here.

Handmade Choker Necklace

I was a teenager in the 90’s and early 00’s, so choker necklaces hold a special place in my heart. If you have left over strap elastic from any past lingerie projects, you can easily make one of my bra strap chokers. I like to add a pendant, like the resin one I made here. You can find the tutorial HERE.

Satin Hair Ties

Hair ties are great to add onto larger gifts, especially if you have any elastic in fun prints. I’ve got a tutorial for how to make these really cute and practical SEWN (not tied) Fold over elastic hair ties. Package them up on a little pieces of card stock and they make a great little gift or stocking stuffer. Get the tutorial Here.

Donut Pin Cushion

For your sewing obsessed friends, make them an adorable donut pin cushion. All you need is some felt, batting and embroidery thread. Throw in a few sewing supplies, like a nice pair of scissors or an assortment of colours of thread, and you’ve got a great gift for anyone crafty. Find the tutorial Here.

Hand Knit Socks

Like underwear, socks can be pretty underrated. I just started knitting again over this past year and have made myself 2 pairs of socks, and am working on a pair or two for christmas gifts. There’s just something about handmade socks. They’re like little hugs for your feet. I’ve been using the Crazy Sock Lady’s vanilla socks pattern. I like that she also has a walk through available on Youtube, which is great if you’re new to knitting, or just need a refresher.

Slippers

I make my mom slippers every single year. My go-to for the past several years was the Radella Slippers from IThinkSew. You can add little bits of embroidery and play around with fun linings. I usually add a non-slip fabric patches to the soles.

Last year I switched things up and crocheted her a pair of slippers from Make & Do Crew. I think I’ll do the same this year. She wears them pretty much every day so a new pair is needed!

Cardigans

Cardigans are nice because the fit is fairly flexible. I’ve made the Calgary Cardigan from Pattern Niche for my mom and myself, using lightweight rib knits, french terry, and my favouite, double sided stretch minky (otherwise known as cuddle). The minky one is my favourite. It’s so cozy, it feels like I’m wearing a snuggly robe all day.

Do you have any go-to holiday gifts that you love making? I’d love to hear about them!