Hi! my name is Lidia Thor...

I was born in a small town in south-eastern Poland. As a child, I'm told I was very happy, energetic, and curious. Very curious. I was always interested in arts and crafts. More specifically, I just loved making stuff. Other people's trash was my art supplies and I had a knack for creating something out of nothing. I especially grew to love sewing.

The very first memory of sewing I have is from when I was just a little girl, about 4 years old. The attic at my grandparent's place was a treasure chest and I loved spending hours up in there discovering items as old as my grandparents themselves. Back in war time Poland sewing was an essential part of life so my Babcia (=grandma in Polish) had a hefty collection of sewing tools, fabrics, threads, and what not. One afternoon I dug up about a yard of fabric and sewed a skirt for my favourite, life-sized doll. I inserted an elastic around the waist and cut the fabric along the hemline to create fringe. Having done all the sewing by hand, I was very proud. When I showed off the skirt to everyone, instead of congratulating me and admiring the fine job I had done, Babcia had scolded me! I later understood that, although I had created something extraordinary for my age, I cut the two small rectangles for the skirt right smack in the centre of the piece of fabric, essentially creating remnants of the rest of it. Babcia could no longer use the fabric to sew an apron as she had planned (many decades prior, I'm sure!). That was my very first sewing project. My aunt, who was a seamstress, used to save fabric scraps for me and I could not wait to receive my regular fabric stash. My barbies were probably the best dressed dolls around!

At the age of 10, I immigrated to Canada with my family. As I adapted to the new country and began to build a new life here, I stopped sewing for a while. I continued to express my creativity in different ways; arts and crafts, knitting, drawing and painting. At about the age of 13, I picked up my mom's sewing machine and a purple piece of corduroy and attempted to sew a skirt for myself. It turned out pretty good for my first try at operating a sewing machine and making a real garment. I was hooked on sewing once again! Each sewing project got more complicated than the last and eventually I had self-taught myself to be a pretty skilled seamstress. (When my dad finally trusted me with his tools, I discovered that I enjoyed 'building' too).

I pursued all types of projects, but my favourite was designing and sewing garments. I became passionate about fashion design and dreamed of becoming a fashion designer. At that time, I was completing my Undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Biotechnology and planned on applying to Parson's School of Design in New York City to study fashion design. However, one of my professors persuaded me to apply to a Master's Program and when I received my McGill University acceptance package, I could not turn it down. I obtained a Master's Degree in Science (Biology; Molecular Genetics) and shortly after I began working as a Forensic Scientist. Throughout my schooling and full-time career, which often times were very intense, being creative with my hands was my outlet. 

Currently I am a stay-at-home mom to two toddlers. In between being a wife and a mom, I continue to escape into arts and crafts, sewing, cooking/baking, taking on DIY projects, and everything in between. Fitness and healthy living are also my passions. 

This space is a collection of all my creative endeavours. I hope you enjoy reading about each as much as I enjoyed working on it. Feel free to leave a comment, share my posts on other social media sites, and don't hesitate to drop me a line! Although this page does not have an e-store, I'm happy to take orders for anything you've seen here or challenge me with your own project proposals! 

 Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoy your stay.