Millie's advent

I made my daughter an advent calendar this year:

The good stuff:

Only 8 bags left! 

And the winner is...

Congratulations, Daniel - You are the winner of the Quince pouch giveaway! 

Thank you so much to everyone who entered, and for your very kind comments! They were unnecessary, but very much appreciated. 

Giveaway!

I am still using military surplus materials, but have also started working with waxed canvas. This material is ideal for bags because it is durable, water resistant, and develops a patina similar to leather with use. I love sewing with it too, it's such a treat after sewing with the surplus materials.

It is not a recycled material, but it is produced by a company in the U.S. that has been producing this fabric since the early 1900s, uses food quality waxes, and cares about the integrity of their product.

I thought I'd try to do a welcome back giveaway to get back into the swing of things. Up for grabs is a choice of one of the updated Quince pouches, either in waxed canvas or wool.
To enter, please leave a comment on this post. I just created a new Facebook page too, and it would be greatly appreciated if you could Like it, but it is not a requirement for entry.

A winner will be chosen at random on Sunday December 9th.

Clasp pouches

Added a few clasp frame pouches in the Etsy shop. We used to make these every year for the One of a Kind show but never managed to make it home with any to put in the webshop.

new

Just added a few new bags to the Etsy shop.

Oh wow, it has been over two years since I last wrote!

So much has changed in those two years, most notably, a new family member, and a new city.

I just wanted to write a quick note to say hello, and to say that we are, at long last, planning some updates on here, and in the shop.

Thank you so much to those of you who wrote kind emails to check in during our hiatus.

And if you wrote and didn't receive a response, please write again! I may not have gotten your message. We have been having some ongoing problems with our email account.

wideshortslimlong

This is so very creative: Japanese designer Kunihiko Morinaga, of the company ANREALAGE, recently released his F/W 2010 collection, entitled Wideshortslimlong.
The idea is that all of the pieces have been distorted to become either wide/short, or slim/long. It's really very well executed - much of the clothing is remarkably wearable, (which isn't always necessarily a requirement with Japanese designers!)




Even the labels and hangers are sized accordingly:

from: Spoon and Tamago, ANREALAGE

roxton mini and online shop updates

The roxton mini in two new leather colours (olive and brown) now in the online shop.
The brown is a chocolate-y brown with a slight hint of redness.
The olive version is only available in very limited numbers, since we're sadly now out of that fantastic leather.

We've decided to try something new with the online shop. Instead of trying (and failing miserably, clearly!) to keep the shop stocked with items, we're going to start offering custom orders of most current styles. You can order the same way as always: just click the 'add to cart' button. If the description says 'made to order; ships within 10 business days', it means we'll start work on your bag as soon as we receive the order.

yoshida-ryo dormitory - kyoto

Looking for a place to stay in Kyoto? This is Yoshida-ryo, a student dormitory on the campus of Kyoto University. Despite the 200 yen (just over $2) a night price tag, this place probably isn't for most. Certainly not for me. But I found these photos - and the accompanying article - absolutely fascinating. Read about it here, if you like.







all photos from cnngo.com

I love finding little hints of humanity on the materials we use, though it can make fitting the pattern pieces a challenge. This is a duffle bag that eventually became a big bellwood (handwriting not included on final product). Wonder how many hands it passed through before it came into mine?

For Toronto folk: Trap Door Boutique in the Junction is now carrying some jack&marjorie bags. It's a great shop in a lovely neighbourhood - if you haven't been, go!

new item spotlight: neko bag

cotton shelter half tent canvas, vegetable tanned leather, leather rifle sling strap. $135 CAD


an updated version of a popular style. hobo-style bag with adjustable leather strap. fully lined with cotton/hemp twill blend. zippered pocket inside.

japanese kit kat

I'm not usually one for packaged sweets, but when I saw these special Kit Kats at Narita airport, I couldn't resist. The verdict? Matcha flavour: good stuff. Royal Milk Tea: once was (more than) enough. I passed up the Soy Sauce and Wasabi versions. I'm thinking this was a good choice.

For some reason, Japanese Kit Kat was a hot topic around the internets awhile ago. Read more about the delicious flavour possibilities here and here.

In other news... I am buried under a mountain of boxes right now because we are moving this weekend! I'm looking forward to the new place, but the actual process of moving is the worst. Where did all this stuff come from??

bluebird handmade

I dropped off some bags at Bluebird Handmade here in Toronto yesterday. It was my first visit, and wow, what a lovely shop! They have a small but very well curated selection of handmade items, many of which were new to me. And all of it is beautifully displayed:






Bluebird Handmade is located at 986 Bathurst Street, south of Dupont, and now carries a small selection of jack&marjorie bags!

I think I'm probably the only person in the city who was loving the cold weather we had here in Toronto last week. Though I always prefer things on the chillier side, I was especially excited because it meant I could make use of the birthday present Manuel got me this year: a beautiful, soft, cozy wool blanket from MacAusland's Woolen Mills, on Prince Edward Island. Clearly, I'm not the only one who has been enjoying it; Lucy has barely moved from the sofa since it arrived!

tokyo food 2: ippudo

I'm certainly no ramen connoisseur, but I loved Ippudo, a ramen shop in Ebisu. Delicious food, an atmosphere more pleasant than most, and friendly service. Apparently, there is a branch of Ippudo in NYC too.



There are raw garlic cloves and a press on every table so you can add it to your bowl to taste. The guy in the red pants put about 15 cloves in his bowl, yikes!:



Later, in Naka-Meguro, a cute little car turned coffee stand:



If you're hoping to gorge yourself on ramen in Tokyo, you should check these blogs out first:
Ramen Adventures
Go Ramen
Ramenate