Tag: blogging

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Grateful on so many levels

To say that I am grateful is an understatement. I feel very fortunate to have been able to see a portion of the amazing Yup’ik collection of handmade items by master artists from around the state and The Yukon Kuskokwim Area.

My focus while visiting The Alaska Native Heritage Center was to view piluguk (hard sole bottom books), teggumiaqs (dance fans), nasqerrun (headdress), traditional necklaces, and other skin sewn items. Since I have hit restart on my skin sewing journey I have been focusing piluguk because that was my first big sewing project I wanted to complete. I completed my first piluguk at the end of March thanks to a project funded by The CIRI Foundation.

My visit to The Alaska Native Heritage Center was made possible thanks to The CIRI Foundation along with Museums Alaska and of course a big Quyana to the staff at The Alaska Native Heritage Center for being so kind and gracious .

With each beautiful handmade item I felt an a sense of peace. Viewing the Yup’ik collection of handmade clothing wear brought me so much joy and also sparked the connection again to start hand sewing again. I lost that spark after my brother passed on March 28th, 2023. After completing my first pair of piluguk I was on cloud 9 and that feeling was replaced with grief and immense sadness. I have been slowly making my way back to skin sewing and sewing but now it has become more important because it is healing my soul.

Skin sewing has brought me closer to my grandmother Narull’aq and aunt Tun’aq. I have felt more connected to them since I started getting serious of skin sewing and it has been an amazing feeling. To be able to create with guidance of my grandmother’s handmade clothing wear has been an honor. And my visit to The Alaska Native Heritage Center brought on that same sense of feeling. These opportunities have allowed me to grow as an artist in so many ways and for that I am forever grateful. I know going forward I will pave the way for my skin sewing journey and I can’t wait to share that with my children, grand children and future generations to follow. I hope that I can lead by example and show that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Follow your dreams and stay true to yourself. And as always remember where you came from.

Quyana Cakneq again to The CIRI Foundation, The Alaska Native Heritage Center, Museums Alaska. And most importantly quyana to our ancestors who have walked this earth before us and led by example.

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When dreams become reality

My dreams became reality when I created my first pair of Piluguk. Piluguk in Yugtun translates to skin boot.

Here is the explanation of piluguk from the Yup’ik Eskimo Dictionary:

piluguk skin boot (LY, HBC, NI, CAN, LK, BB meaning); clothing (NSU meaning) # and pilugug– to put on footwear; to dress # pilugugtuq
‘he is putting on footwear’; pilugugaa ‘he is putting footwear on him’ / in areas where both piluguk and kameksak (q.v.) are used for skin boot, piluguk is used for boots that go higher up the calf; piluguugka ‘my skin boots’; Aturangqerrluteng yup’igtarrlainarnek pilugungqerrluta, ivrucingqerrluta-llu. Yup’igtarrlainarnek sap’akirtaunani-ll’ enurnapiarluteng. ‘They had only Yup’ik style clothing, skin boots, and wading boots. Only Yup’ik style, no (western style) shoes, which were very hard to come by then.’ (KIP 1998:105)

I didn’t grow up watching my grandmothers, aunties or mom work on piluguk. I had never watched anyone making piluguk but I knew that when I got older and into sewing I was going to make my dreams come true.

In 2015 I purchased my nat’raq from I think family out in Chefornak. And by I think I mean maybe he is an uncle but I am not sure the relation and as I write this. But I purchased in hopes of learning how to make piluguk from an elder in Nunapitchuk. But I didn’t make the time to try and learn and I missed my opportunity because she passed a few years ago. And I put my dreams on the back burner.

nat’raq, nateraq (NSU form) sole of skin boot; special oversole used to prevent slipping on
ice

naterkaq sole material for skin boots, made from the tanned skin of the bearded seal

Here is the nat’raq that I purchased in 2015. Nat’raq is tanned bearded seal skin used for hard sole bottoms.

But then I had an opportunity to apply for a grant with The CIRI Foundation as an extension from my ARTShop grant that I received and I jumped at it. I began my search to find a teacher who would be willing to teach me. And just my luck I had a cousin (don’t ask me how but we are related) reach out and she said she was willing to teach me. I was excited beyond belief. I began my shopping for piluguk making supplies. Here is the list and I will expand on it more as I remember :

Calfskin

River Otter or sheared beaver or sea otter

Yarn for ciivaguat and strings

ciivaguat black beads between the decorative stitching on the calfskin panels of a traditional Yup’ik parka # literally: ‘things like flies’;
< ciivak-uaq plural

Beads if you want to decorate your piluguk

Glover skin sewing needles size 5, 6, 7 (the smaller size is better for when you working on hard sole)

Thread for skin sewing

Wax for thread

Corduroy for the top of the piluguk

And lining material

And nat’raq

Here are my piluguk in the making with the supplies that I used in the process.

My pattern I used was shared with me from Margaret Dillon of Kuiggluk who got the pattern from Mary Anaver of Qipneq. I am thankful for the pattern sharing and I am willing to share with anyone interested please send me a message at sewyupik@gmail.com and I can share the pattern that I have.

Margaret guided me as I started my piluguk making over text and FaceTime. And when I first started my project I began documenting it on my Sew Yup’ik Facebook Page, Sew Yup’ik Instagram and Sew Yup’ik TikTok. I was very nervous to start and was even more nervous because I was opening the door to have people watch me as I started my sewing. But after I made the first initial cut and it started coming together I became more confident. And that fear turned to excitement with each stitch. With Margaret’s guidance I was also using a pair of my grandmother piluguk that she created. I felt so close to my grandmother while working on my piluguk and it made me miss her even more. But I was thankful to have her piluguk that she created and used them as the ultimate guide. I knew when I made my first pair I wanted to replicate a pair that my grandmother Elena made.

My grandmothers Elena Nick “Narullaq,” Sophie Nicholas, and Eliza Chase “Mikaq”

This was my process of sewing together the piluguk:

  1. Once you gather together the supplies then you will decide where you want to put your piluguk from the calf skin. You always want to make sure that the calfskin is going down. Once you cut out the calfskin then you will decide if you want to decorate it with ciivaguat.
  2. Decide what you want to use for the sides, I used river otter just like my grandmother. I also used river otter for the top portion. For measurements I measured my grandmothers and used hers.
  3. Decorate your calfskin with ciivaguat (river otter), yarn, beads. And then I added the two strands of beads on each side of the front.
When I sewed on the yarn pieces I made them longer, and then I cut them down to the size I liked.
  1. After you decorate the front and back. You will sew on the strips of river otter tails to the calfskin starting from the bottom. Sew those pieces on the front calf skins. After attached to both sides, now you sew on the back piece calfskin.
My son helping me sew together my piluguk.
Here is where I attached the river otter tails (1″ wide) to the front of the calfskins.
  1. Once they are assembled, you will sew the river otter top pieces.
  2. I decided to turn them then at this point and measure to make the liners. I made my liners out of quilted material.
I was thankful to be able to spend a weekend with Margaret in Homer while I worked with my piluguk with her guidance.

7. After I sewed the liners together I then attached them onto the calfskin on the inside. I made sure to leave a little space for when the nat’raq was going to be sewn on.

8. And then I cut out the corduroy tops and sewed those onto the piluguk.

Here are my completed piluguk without the corduroy tops.

9. Once you have assembled all the outside pieces at that point you will now cut out the nat’raq to match your piluguk.

Here are my piluguk and nat’raq cut ready to be crimped. To keep your nat’raq from rotting you get them wet and put them in the freezer until ready for use.

And then here comes the hardest part, crimping the nat’raq using a small uluaq. This part almost had me wanting to quit because I kept comparing my crimps to my grandmothers. I discovered with the commercially tanned bearded seal might be too thin and it was easier to work on while it was more dry. Traditionally you wet the nat’raq and then you are able to crimp them. Aka tamani (a long time ago) they used their teeth and a small uluaq to crimp. Nowadays with the new tools there are crimping tools out there that you can use.

Here is my first time crimping. I am so thankful to my teacher Margaret for showing me how. I have a lot to learn but I am so grateful that I have my first pair of piluguk under my belt and I am excited to keep sewing. Throughout the process I shared videos on my Sew Yup’ik social platforms. Please check them out if you would like to see more. I am hopeful one day that I will be able to share this knowledge and teach it in classes. For now I am going to just keep trying and I hope that my crimps will be someday as good as my grandmothers.

Here are my first crimps. This is when I discovered it was easier to work with my nat’raq when it was more dry vs. wet.
I was so excited to share my first side. It was not great but I was thankful to start.
My first pair of piluguk completed. I decided to try my hand at teeth crimping on my second pair and actually enjoyed using my teeth to crimp.
Wearing my piluguk for the first time in Mamterrilleq.

I am so thankful to The CIRI Foundation and my piluguk teacher Margaret for making this possible. I am thankful to my grandmothers who were incredible sewers and seamstresses. I am thankful that I was able to replicate a pair of piluguk from my grandmother for my first time. And most of all I am thankful to my family who is always supportive especially my aipaq.

Quyana! Don’t be scared to start something new. Don’t wait until it’s too late. If you have someone willing to teach you how to make a craft take the time and listen before it’s too late.

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The many faces

this is the many faces of a tired soul

a soul that has been carrying years and years of trauma

the trauma that has scarred her deep into her bones

the bones that have held her upright to continue to keep going

to keep at it

to never give up

but this is the face of a tired soul

who has wept a sea of tears

the cuts of generational trauma has left her

tired

but she must keep going

because this curse of generational trauma

must and will stop with her

her children

my children they are my strength

and even though they open new wounds that have been

forgotten for many years

she must face those demons

in order to move forward

the tired that she feels can feel

overwhelming

but the determination to heal is overpowering

and that is what will keep her going

to never give up

to always keep moving forward

this is the many faces of a tired soul

the many faces of a tired soul
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Sharing is Caring

As I was sharing around resources to my friends and family for various areas of need I thought why not share them with all of you.

This first micro grant is with the Division of Agriculture for the Food Security program. I just applied because I have been wanting to put a fish camp in my backyard and if I receive the funding that would be covered by the micro grant. There are many other areas in which you could apply the funding. Check out the link HERE.

The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation is hosting another ground of applications for their rent relief and homeowners assistance. Check this LINK to see if you qualify for their application. I don’t believe that my household qualifies but I was checking anyways.

Check out the Emergency Broadband Benefit to see if you qualify for assistance with your broadband services. Check out the link HERE.

Go to your local library and sign up for a library card. I believe if you don’t have a library you can choose the nearest library and sign up through them. Once you’ve signed up you can go download the Libby App. Input your library card and you can listen to audio books for free if your library carries then and then you can also download books to read on your phone. I believe you have a week to listen to the audiobook or read the book on your phone but it is pretty neat. And honestly I don’t know what else it can do I just downloaded it today and started listening to Michelle Obama’s audiobook so I am still learning.

We also discovered our local library Soldotna Library is giving out free seeds to start your gardens. Check out this Facebook post for more information if you are in the Soldotna area. We picked out our five packets and we are going to try our hand at that green thumb again. Every year we yield a few more peas, and a couple strawberries but I would like to try and see if we can get more than 6 peas and 4 strawberries.

And if you are an artist check out Cerf+ The Artists Safety Net. They provide artist relief grants and you don’t want to miss out on applying. Check out their website HERE.

And please if you know of any other resources please share in the comments.

Quyana Chuck Norris!

Here is a recent photo when we were flying to Anchorage from Bethel.
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Our Arizona Adventures

I am finally feeling myself again after our crazy Arizona adventure and ready to share all the fun things we did around Phoenix. We had initially planned our trip for 10 days and then it got extended to 17 days thanks to Omnicron and the storms in the Pacific Northwest. For those first 10 days I jam packed our days with adventures in the morning and relaxing by the pool in the afternoons. If you have teens or little ones renting a house with a pool is a must.

Our first Airbnb in Glendale

In our 10 days we visited the Desert Botanical Gardens accompanied with a photo shoot, the Phoenix Zoo, The Hole in the Rock, Butterfly Garden, McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, Odysea Aquarium, Glendale Glitters, Piestewa Peak Hike, and Tom’s Thumb Hike. And I cannot forget to share the most amazing tacos from Cocina Madrigal.

If you have little ones and they enjoy the zoo and animals I recommend checking out the Phoenix Zoo. With our huge family I found tickets on Groupon for cheaper than the admissions price. We found ours on Groupon for $23 a piece and if you purchase them at the zoo they are $29.95 for adults or $19.95 for children. They also have these sweet little animal rides called Rydables and you can rent them by the minute.

Sydney & I at the Phoenix Zoo

Right next to the zoo is Papago Park where there are some great hiking trails, or you can go check out The Hole in the Rock. The Hole in the Rock is a super duper short hike and Sydney enjoyed the views. We didn’t explore the trails around Papago Park but if we visit Phoenix again we will definitely check them out.

Sydney & I enjoying the views from The Hole in the Rock

Prior to our visit to Arizona I booked a photo shoot with the talented Morgan of Prickly Pear Photography LLC. Morgan suggested we take our photos at the Desert Botanical Gardens and she picked a beautiful location. Sydney and my mother in law led the way through the Gardens. The boys were not as impressed as the ladies were but we enjoyed our time exploring the Gardens. Tickets were a little on the spendy side but they were worth it. Make sure you plan enough time to walk through it all, there is a lot to see.

And if you are ever in the Phoenix area and are needing an amazing photographer check out Morgan she was wonderful to work with!

Orson not impressed with the Desert Botanical Garden

McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park was a fun little park to explore with Sydney and Orson. The railroad ride and carousel ride were inexpensive and the kids enjoyed the rides. Sydney also had a blast playing at the park. This was a great little park to explore.

Sydney at the McCormick Stillman Railroad Park

The Butterfly Garden was a neat place to explore, it was a little spendy but Sydney loved walking around with the butterflies. I don’t know if it was worth the amount we spent there are no children rates, or Groupon options. If we were to go back to Phoenix I don’t think we would check it out again.

Sydney at the Butterfly Garden

Next to the Butterfly Garden is Odysea the Aquarium. Be sure to check out the bathroom before going upstairs, it is definitely one of the coolest bathrooms we have been in. Again the tickets to the aquarium were expensive and if we were to go back I don’t think we would visit here again. There was no Groupon option or children ticket options. Sydney had a blast exploring the Aquarium and she loved the Tide Touch Pool.

Sydney at Odysea

Goldfield Ghost Town in Apache Junction is a fun place to explore. If we didn’t have the little ones we might have went on one of the tours. But walking around and seeing one of the shows was interesting and loud. A little piece of advice do not stand too close when they start the show if you have sensitive ears like me.

Exploring Goldfield Ghost Town

Two hikes that we were able to explore were Piestewa Peak and Tom’s Thumb. Both hikes were pretty intense with two little ones. We made it about halfway up for both which is pretty impressive for Sydney considering these were her first two hikes. And Orson just added an additional 20 lbs to my hikes but they were both beautiful. The next time we make a visit hopefully we can make it to the top with both kiddos.

Stan-O enjoying Tom’s Thumb
Sydney summiting Piestewa Peak

And if for whatever reason you find yourself celebrating Christmas near Glendale check out Glendale Glitters. Or any light shows for that matter. Sydney and I had blast wandering around checking out all the Christmas lights set up in downtown Glendale.

Syd and I exploring Glendale Glitters

As far as places to stay we loved staying in Scottsdale. And if you ever need a beautiful place to Airbnb please check out Mindy’s place in Scottsdale. Our place in Scottsdale was close to great hikes, restaurants, and shopping. If we find ourself in Arizona again we will definitely be saying in this area again.

Our Airbnb in Scottsdale

Last but not least if you are wanting to eat the best tacos in the world you NEED to go check out Cocina Madrigal. They have thee most amazing tacos I have ever eaten in my entire life. The beef tenderloin steak is marinated in the most delicious pomegranate marinade and cooked to perfection. The tacos were so good we had to eat them twice and I am drooling just thinking about them. You will not be disappointed. Do yourself a favor and if you ever find yourself in the Phoenix area you will go grab yourself some tacos, maybe an elote and some delicious chips and salsa!

The best steak tacos I have ever eaten

And that’s it for all my recommendations for if or when you find yourself in the Phoenix area. I will post another blog on what you should and shouldn’t when it comes to traveling with kids. Our 10 day trip turned into an extended 17 day nightmare and there were plenty of things I wish I had purchased and looked into before we went on our family vacation. Overall we had a blast and made the best of it!

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Zoom Qaspeq Classes

I plan on hosting three qaspeq zoom classes.

The zoom classes will be over three different weekends. The three weekends are:

November 27-28

December 4-5

December 11-12

The first two zoom classes will be traditional qaspeq classes. And the third class will be a modern qaspeq class. There will be three sessions over the weekend. There will be two (2) hour sessions on Saturday, and one (2) hour session on Sunday.

Students will need to provide their own material, and sewing machine.

The fee to participate in the class with $75 per person. And there will be at 15 person maximum capacity.

I will create three different events on Facebook for these events. If you do not have Facebook you can send me a message to sewyupik@gmail.com if you are interested in participating.

I wanted to create this post to prepare those of you who are interested in attending. Please do not ask me to remind you, or to message you when I post the events. I work full time, work part time, have two little ones at home, and my mom brain is in full force. I forget when I showered last so I am not a good person to ask to remind anyone. Sorry for the TMI but I want to be honest.

Materials needed for a traditional qaspeq:

3 yards for sizes XXS-XL with no skirt

3 1/2 yards for sizes XL and up with no skirt

Add 1/2 yard if you would like a skirt

2-3 packages of bias tape, trimming of your choice

I personally like using the extra wide double fold bias tape, and piping

Materials needed for a modern qaspeq:

2 yards for sizes XXS-XL

2 1/2 yards for sizes XL and up

1 yard of rayon knit spandex

Here is what I like using from Joanns Rayon Knit Spandex

Please let me know if you have any questions. Please keep an eye out for those events created on Facebook and it will have all the information on how to register for the classes.

Quyana Chuck Norris!

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Its been hard

Being a school nurse during this difficult time has been unbearable at times to the point that I am breaking into a million pieces.

I cherish my times with the students and generally love every aspect of being a school nurse. But now it has been so hard that I get physically sick to my stomach every morning when I drive to the school. Being yelled at daily is normal. Most times its more than once.

It is all out of my control.

I don’t have control over the school policies. I am not making up any nilly willy rules just because it’s fun and I feel like it. I want students in school just as much as the parents. We all saw how last year students suffered mentally and emotionally because they were not socializing. It was tough. For every single one of us and some more than others who have lost a family member, friend, coworker. I get it. I too have lost family members to COVID related illnesses and it sucks.

It is not hard to be kind. It is not hard to be empathic or sympathetic. We are all doing our best. Most days I am prepared to be yelled at and that is the shittiest feeling in the world. But today is not one of those days.

So please be kind. It’s not hard. And I hope that you can find joy. Life is too short to be angry.

My beautiful babies

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Setting your children up for success

My two little investors

Here are my two littlest investors and I am going to share how I am setting them up for success. First and foremost I am not a financial advisor and by no means an expert but I am sharing what I know and have learned in my investing journey.

I first learned about 529’s at a young age when my father started putting my Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) in my own account. He was also gracious and put half of his PFD in my 529. A 529 is a tax-advantaged savings plan designed for future educational expenses. The only downside to a 529 is that the funds can only be used for educational purposes. It may not work in your favor if your child does not have plans on attending college, or a vocational school. I am not planning on investing huge amounts into each of my children’s accounts. With each of their PFD’s half of the funds will go into their accounts and the other half will be invested in their UTMA which is a Uniform Transfers to Minor Act.

My children who are 4 years old and 6 months old each have an account for their 529’s with Alaska 529 which is associated with T.Rowe Price. There are many other websites that offer 529 plans make sure you do your research. I chose Alaska 529 because my children’s PFD’s can be deposited directly into their accounts.

Now I chose to open UTMA accounts for my children because I can invest in Mutual Funds, ETF’s (exchange traded funds) and individual stocks. With a UTMA I am able to invest as little or as much as I prefer up to $13,000 per year per child. I chose Vanguard to open their UTMA’s because I have been a Vanguard investor for the last 10+ years and I like how their website is user-friendly also their funds have low expense ratio’s.

Creating an account on Vanguard is fast and easy. Once you decide which account you want to open with them then it takes a couple days for the funds to hit the account. Once you see the funds in the Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund the key is moving those into a mutual fund, index fund, or individual stock. You do not want those funds to sit in the Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund because they will not start accruing that compound interest.

When it came to selecting funds for my children my go to tickers have always been VOO (Vanguard S&P 500 ETF), VTI (Vanguard Total Stock) and VTSAX (Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Admiral Shares). The key to choosing funds is selecting ones that have a low expense ratio. I prefer funds that have an expense ratio of 0.10% or less any more than that you are losing out on free money.

If all this is another language to you and confusing I recommend checking out Personal Finance Club’s website Jeremy does an amazing job of explaining all of this in simpler terms. At the beginning of the year I knew that I wanted to learn more about investing and the stock market. I went head first and started watching hours of YouTube videos, researching the web and then started stumbling across great finance accounts on Instagram. If I can start, you can do it! Sure, it can be scary at first but the scarier thing is not starting. If you have funds sitting in a bank account and you are not sure what do with it I suggest you start researching investing. And if you are scared to put it into the stock market look into HYSA (High Yield Savings Accounts) at least allow your money to work for you.

My goal for my children is to set them up for success and allow them to have that financial freedom that I am working hard to create for myself. I am working on that generational wealth. Money should not be a topic that is taboo it should be something that we discuss with our children at a young age. I know that when my daughter is old enough I will allow her to choose her own stock to invest in for her birthday present. For now mama will invest in one stock for her each year and right now mama is liking AAPL (Apple).

And if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out I am willing to share what I know to help others. I hope that this post was helpful and if you enjoyed it please feel free to leave me a comment. Quyana Chuck Norris!

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Make up Bag Tutorial

For awhile I have had my previous students tell me to make a tutorial for the make up bag that I teach in class and I finally got around to it 🙂 So here it is. And dont be afraid to sew with a zipper they are not as scary as they look.

Gather your supplies. You will need:

-Fabric of your choice for the outside

-Fabric for the liner

-16″ zipper (I prefer to use longer zippers because it is easier to work with)

-Pellon Fusible Fleece 987F

-Coordinating thread

And then of course sewing machine, iron, scissors, and sewing pins.

1

Step One:

Cut the fabric to the bag size of your choice. For this bag the finished product is 10 1/2″ wide by 9 1/2″ height. There are bag patterns all out there on the interweb that you could find a pattern if you are not sure about making your own.

– Cut the outside fabric (llama fabric) to 11 1/4″ width by 10″ height

– Cut the liner fabric just a tad bit bigger 11 1/2″ width by 10 1/2″ height

And heres why I cut my liner bigger. I dont like pinning so I make my liner just a little bit bigger because I dont have to pin while I am assembling it together. But, for this tutorial I will use pins to show you.

-Cut your pellon fusible fleece to the outside fabric dimensions

Step Two:

-Iron the fusible fleece to the outside fabric. Make sure that you iron the fabric to the textured part of the fleece. If you buy it from the Joann’s it will also have directions with it.

Step Three:

-After you ironed the fusible to the outside fabric you will sew the zipper on the outside fabric like the picture below.

-As you can see I dont use a zipper foot. If you want you can use it, it is up to you. I will sew a straight line between the zipper and the edge. I dont have an exact measure but I just tell my students sew right in the middle.

6

Step Four:

-Sew your liner to the outside fabric (make sure right sides are facing each other). And sew down that same line just like the pictures below.

Step Five:

-Now you flip the fabric and then top stitch and make sure that you are sewing over the outside fabric and liner like the pictures below.

Step Six:

-You will now sew the other outside fabric piece to the zipper. Make sure that right sides (of the outside fabric) are facing together when you sew the zipper on like the pictures below.

And as I am writing this my panik (daughter) just peed on the floor. I am trying to potty train so I have been putting her in underwear and she has not caught onto it. Shes 22 months old and I guess still not ready to potty train anyways where was I.

Step Seven:

-After you sew the zipper the other outside fabric you will now sew your liner down that same line just like we did in step three. Make sure that right sides are facing each other just like below and then sew down that same line.

Step Eight:

-You will now flip your fabric out and top stitch just like the pictures below.

Step Nine:

-You will now sew it all together right sides facing each other leaving an opening at the bottom of your liner so that you can turn your bag inside out. Make sure you leave an opening so that you can turn it right side out. Also make sure that your zipper is on the inside of your bag when you sew it shut. If your sewing machine has a difficult time sewing over the zipper you can always hand crank your machine over the zipper. If you wanted to add a handle you can add one on either side and make sure that is on the inside of your bag. See pictures below.

As you can see I used pins to show you where you can pin if you want to. I generally just sew all the way around without pins. I put pins at the bottom of the liner so show you where to leave the opening. And like I said just make sure that your zipper is on the inside of your bag before you sew it all the way around. I usually leave mine in the middle of the bag because if you leave it to close to the edges it can make turning the bag inside out just a tad bit difficult.

Step Ten:

-Sew all around make sure you dont sew over the pins. I sew over them only cause I like to live on the edge, jk I have glasses and if one of the pins shattered I have eye shields just in case. I use the edge of the sewing foot as my guide when sewing around. I start sewing on my liner fabric on one side of the pins and sew all around. Dont cut your zipper ends yet until you sew all around.

Step Eleven:

-Trim your zipper ends. Trim the excess fabric from your liner fabric. And then cut the four corners so that when you turn your bag right side out they will be nice and neat. See pictures below.

Step Twelve:

-Turn your bag right side out. Poke the corners out I use my finger but you can use a chopstick or pen. And now you will sew the opening shut, I use my sewing machine but you can hand stitch if you prefer.

Step Thirteen:

-Admire your work and reward yourself with a cup of really good kuuviaq (coffee).

And yes this bag is looking for a new home if you are interested send me a message sewyupik@gmail.com to claim it!

If you make this bag and have issues or the instructions arent clear enough or too much information send me a message or comment below! I try to make it as easy as simple as possible without the fancy sewing lingo. Or if you want a tutorial for something else let me know and I can see what I can do!

Good luck and tag me in your finished product Sew Yup’ik on facebook or instagram! I would love to see what you make!

Quyana cakneq!

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Where do I even begin…

Womens Large

Its been a whirlwind of travels since July 23rd! Whew!

Where do I even begin?!

I quit my job July 21st and I was on the plane en route to Kotzebue to Camp Sisualik to be a camp counselor for a week! It was such an ahhmazing experience! Camp Sisualik is 14 miles northwest of Kotzebue and a former village and it is still currently a summer camp. It was such a wonderful experience! I taught the kids fish skin tanning. Taught them how to take a good Yup’ik hut maqii. We went out on a hike. Berry picking. The kids were able to check the white fish net. We played some native youth olympics. Made fireweed/bluerry and fireweed jelly. The students collected and made a traditional oil using stinkweed, fireweed flowers, and blueberry leaves. And the students got to just play! There were 10 girls and 6 boys from Kotzebue who made it to camp. Did I mention I was teaching the kids Inupiaq? Or what I learned from the book and shared with the kids. It was such a crazy, wonderful experience! I dont know if I would camp counsel again but it was one for the books!

After camp! I was home for an evening and then right back on the plane the next day to Nome to teach a qaspeq class to the students at the Rural Providers Conference. It was such a wonderful time! I was able to cenirtaq lots with family and friends. Berry pick. Fishing. Get some pro style pictures from my talented friend. And then I was able to share the art of cutting qaspeqs to 23 students from the Norton Sound region! It was such a wonderful experience! I also took the time to speak to our Senator Lisa Murkowski about the heroin epidemic affecting the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta. I urge you if you are concerned to call her office, send her an email, write a letter. Share your concerns with those who have the ability to make waves. Enough is enough. It it is time to take back our communities and protect our future generations.

After Nome! It was home sweet home. For about a week 🙂 I was able to work on some orders before I was right back on the plane heading back to Bethel to teach a class and get lotsa of visits in. I was able to squeeze in three maternity photo shoots! I am not an expert but I am able to point and shoot and try and find good lighting. It was so much fun! I am learning lots and definitely feel like I am improving on my skills. I was able to get out and berry pick for blueberries and tundra tea. And then I taught a class to 6 students and it was wonderful! Everyone was able to make 2 in the class and we had a blast! The weather was raining and windy so it made for a perfect day to be inside sewing.

After Bethel! I was home only for a day before I was right back on the plane the next day to Takotna to teach fish skin tanning at Spirit Camp. I was so thankful for Takotna Community Association for reaching out and making it possible. It was such a wonderful experience! There were 16 students from Takotna, 16 students from McGrath, and 4 students from Nikolai! I was thankful for my Soldotna friends for saving me halibut I was able to bring halibut with me for the students to tan. The water level was so HIGH the students werent able to catch any silvers. It was such a wonderful week with the students. They berry picked. Fished. Hiked. Fish skin tanned. Made survival shelters. Ethical wildcrafting. Knot tieing. Packed water. Chopped wood. Stacked wood. And so much more! It was such an ahhmazing experience! I am so thankful I was able to make it up there and be at my other other home 🙂 I hope to make it again!

After Takotna! Home sweet home! Whew. I am finally home, rested and ready to plan for the fall classes and trips. We are also in the process of home improvements which include painting, new flooring, and light fixtures. I am hoping to make it to new places this fall to teach classes! If you are interested in having me come to teach a class in your community please send me an email sewyupik@gmail.com

I will share more photos of qaspeqs and make up bags I have finished in the last couple days. But for now back to sewing!

Have a wonderful Saturday!

Choose to be happy and healthy!