MS'S Cotton Creations

Hi All, It's been over a month since I came back and I'm finally back to work...Finally 😅My first restock is those tissue holders I brought in to The Schenectady Trading Company a week ago.
While I was back in Japan, I bought several beautiful fabrics in floral patterns and cat theme patterns. I just cannot wait to sew them into some new products I have in my mind now. Please allow me to take another 3 - 4 weeks to finish them to bring in. Until then, stay cool!

I'll be back in Japan from April 8 to May 13. Please allow me to take a few days to get back to inquiries and comments.
Thank you!

Hi All, anyone of you guys is looking for Spring? I guess it was coming and somehow getting off to somewhere else now 😅
Anyway, I have news to share. I made this set of Margaret Wristlet and a coin case with key ring for the local cat rescue group Kitten Angels. They will have a fundrasing event at Glennpeter Jewelers on April 25 Thursday at 5:30 pm (please get the information here if you are interested--- https://www.facebook.com/events/414199357651288 )
This is an annual event hosted by Kitten Angels and I have attended a couple of times in the past, which were so much fun. I won't be there this time unfortunately as I'll be back to Japan soon.
The auction for this set will start at $25.00. This wristlet pouch is actually one of the products I sell and I haven't made them for many years 😅If you are interested in this pleated pouch, please let me know by loving ❤️ this page or feel free to leave a comment. Thank you !

Hi All, I dropped off these "Minimalist accordion wallet with key ring" at The Schenectady Trading Company yesterday. Including the remaining wallets from last year, we have 10 wallets available at the store now. They have a lot of nice products from gifts to fresh produce and snacks. Chedder Cheese popcorn by Cabot they have was so GOOD by the way. I just couldn't stop flipping them in my mouth last night 😅Please check out their new inventory along with mine, thank you very much ❣️

Hi All, it's been a while since the last post, but I'd been working on my new products and finally here are some restock for Teeny Tiny Mighty pouches are now available at The Schenectady Trading Company, on 10 North Center St, Schenectady. Has anyone already been to their store on the new location? They have a couple of parking lots right across the building, so it is very convenient. This time we have 4 floral patterns and 6 cat patterns. Please take a chance to visit the store, they have a variety of handmade items and more! Thank you for checking out.

★I have a free gift for one customer! Please keep clicking for the detail. It comes at the last picture of this post★
Hi Everyone, I just dropped off those restock at the NEW The Schenectady Trading Company on 10 North Center St. this afternoon. I'm still working on some more items to bring in soon! For the free gift (a key chain pouch), if you would like to grab it please call the store to ask Ali to hold it for you. It will be given to anyone who came first and bought any items from me. I'm sorry if it has gone when you called the store.

Happy New Year! I came on the 5th 🎊❤️I want to thank you all again for your interest and support for 2023. I'll start working on some new projects soon....stay with me 🥰

New Year's Eve has the date 123123 this year, so I couldn't miss the opportunity to close out the year with a countdown list.... I share the results every year, but it will be the last time that I'm pulling the numbers personally.

Top 10 Consignment Vendors (Total Earnings)

10. CL Vintage Finds (Clare Lester)
9. Three Birch Artworks (Cindy Burola)
8. Electric City Knots (Kristine Giovannone)
7. The Wandering Beard Company (Sharon Feldman)
6. Maria Bondanza
5. MS'S Cotton Creations (Mischa Scharl)
4. Three Hearts Jewelry (Sarah Leonard)
3. Grandma Elf (Marsha Miller)
2. Anything But Bland Designs/SEATWorks (Tom Bland)
1. Michael Co***lo

This year it's quite fitting that the top 2 spots were claimed by woodworkers, including the new owner of the business! The ABB woodshop is located at 10 North Center Street (where the store is relocating to), so you can be sure wood products will remain an essential component at STC. And my friend Michael Co***lo is no stranger to this list, as he is up there every year.

I cannot wait to see what the New Year brings to the business, so stay tuned for the opening date and enjoy the last few hours of 2023. It was a tough year for many reasons, for myself and for others, but the start of a new year always holds such promise.

Yesterday, 23rd was the last day to sell my inventory at The Schenectady Trading Company. I brought what I made to the store for the first time in December 2019. As soon as I started my business at the same time, the pandemic broke out and I ended up making hundreds of face masks for the first year. Looking back, I have made a lot of memories and experiences I will always fond of. Thank you so much for all your support and whenever I had those wonderful customers who actually bought the items I made brought me happiness and kept me going. I also wan to thank the shop owner Caroline a lot for her support and friendship. Without her help I could not keep my business until now.
Thankfully, the new owner Anything but Bland designs decided to take over my inventory! Their shop is located at 10 North Center St, just a few short blocks away off Union Street, and they are planning to open it in mid January. I will post a detail here when they are ready. Until then, I hope you all will stay well and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We have only two weeks until Christmas! I just dropped off these wallets I named as "Minimalist accordion wallet with key ring" at The Schenectady Trading Company yesterday. The size is actually very small that fits in your palm approximately 4 and 3/4 X 3 X 3/4 inches. It has 4 slots (15 cards can easily fit, lol) for cards, ID and cash or coupons. It also has a zipper pocket for coins or something important to keep in safely, and a key ring. The price is $15 each. If you are a minimalist who like to carry your wallet in the pocket of your jacket or pants, this is for you 🙂

Hi All, I brought these new item to The Schenectady Trading Company last Friday. As I mentioned in my previous post, the store will be open during the holiday and after Christmas, the new owner will take the business over. OK, now I'll tell you more about this pouches. This is Cell Phone Wallet Wristlet. It comes with a zipper front pocket (good for cash) and two card slots inside (as a picture shown here). Up to 3 cards can fit in each slot. The measurement is 8 inch W x 5 inch L, and most size cell phone fits. I made this bag aiming for minimalists who want to carry just cash, credit cards and phone. The first picture doesn't show its real colors unfortunately (my Canon is now 10 years old....is it finally dying? 😩), so to see a better color please keep going to the next photos. The price is $22 each. Thank you for checking out ❣️

On the last Friday of October, my husband and I attended this silent auction dinner hosted by the local cat rescue group Kitten Angels which we used to foster their cats years ago. I'm still supporting them by making some handmade crafts whenever an event I can help comes up. This time, I made this tiny pouch and tissue case (I'm selling these items at the store as you know) to donate. They made a very nice gift basket and someone kind bid on this (thank you so much!) Thank you for your time checking out 🥰

Hi All, I have a great news! The Schenectady Trading Company, where I'm selling the items I make officially announced that a couple will take over her business and so the store will be open during the holiday❣️Please read the post below for more information. I'm so excited that I can continue to make some holiday gifts for this Christmas. Yeah🥰

I have incredible news, so please read and share widely!

The smiling faces you see here are Tom and Ali Bland, the future owners of The Schenectady Trading Company and the entrepreneurs who answered my call to carry the brand forward. Since discovering the pair on Instagram in 2018, I've watched them build their vision piece by piece, navigating obstacles along the way with creativity and grace. Our paths have intersected multiple times, at The Clinton Street Mercantile, Electric City Barn, and then STC, where I sell the cutting boards he makes with SEAT Center students.

Tom, a talented woodworker from Schoharie, and Ali, a Home and Landscape Designer from Duanesburg, are college sweethearts that chose Schenectady to plant roots. Through their business, Anything But Bland Designs, they've invested considerable time, energy, and money into improvement projects over the last decade, all while raising their sweet girls. Not only did they restore their former Victorian house on Parkwood, they converted a warehouse on N. Center St into a mixed-use building at the height of COVID! Project #3, the rehab of a building adjacent to the warehouse, is in the works. With teamwork, out-of-the-box thinking, heartfelt prayer, and a whole lot of sweat equity, they have produced much good fruit from their labors and plenty of custom work.

So what does this mean?

1) The store will NOT be closing and will be open for the holidays! They'll get a crash course in running the store with me still at the helm and the opportunity to engage with customers during peak season.

2) I will be restocking a variety of products over the coming weeks, particularly food items, and bringing in more handcrafted local inventory to be prepared for holiday shoppers. This includes more of Tom's woodworking along with new handmade merchandise from Ali. I'm particularly excited about some baby gift items she is working on!

For me, this experience has been a testament to God's timing, grace, and provision and a lesson in surrendering. This business was an answer to my own prayers, but the idea that it could be an answer to someone else's prayers now is deeply gratifying.

Photo credit .gazdik

Hi All, I hope you all are doing well. I restocked these turnlock crossbody phone bags at The Schenectady Trading Company yesterday. There is a chance the store may be open longer than the owner had planned initially, so I think I will make some more pouches and bags for the holiday gifts. One of the items I have made so far in my mind I would love to make again is the wine tote. Is there anyone thinking of gifting wine for Thanks Giving and / or Christmas? Please feel free to leave me a comment for gift ideas. Thank you for checking out.

I just restocked these tissue cases at The Schenectady Trading Company yesterday. These small items can be a good Christmas gift filler, I have sold many in September. The owner is not ordering new inventory anymore as the store is closing in November, but I'm still making couple of more crossbody phone bags to bring in soon. Please stay checking in 🙂

Back in April 2022, I made these animal print large wristlet (2 of them are new pattern here) and they sold quickly. As the holiday season is around the corner I made these wristlets again to restock.
They are available at The Schenectady Trading Company $28 each.
Please remember that the store is closed on Sundays and Mondays until the store closes its door in mid November. As I mentioned in my previous post though, I will take remaining inventory back to sell on a website or another store (not specific yet). Thank you for checking!

Hi All, I would like to start off a news for this post. The owner of the gift shop The Schenectady Trading Company that carries my inventory announced that she will close the store sometime in November. I'm sad with the news but also I'd like to respect her decision and bless the new chapter of her life. Anyway I won't go on with my personal talk here, but I'd like to let you know that I will continue my business trying to find a way to sell my handmade items . I'll probably start off with online website like Etsy and also find another shop in local who can take my inventory. I'll tell you more about this when my plan is more specific.
Today I brought these "Teeny Tiny Mighty Pouch" ($10 each) to the store. I have 4 florals and 3 cat patterns. One of them is already a gift for Christmas (lol). If you are local and it is easy for you to go to the store on lower Union Street, please make time to trip there. It may be still too early for Christmas shopping though, the store will close in November I hope you can make it to grab some goodies before they are gone. Thank you for checking!

Introducing new items! These Mini Clear Window Pouch are now available at The Schenectady Trading Company, $6.50 each along with black lanyard sold separately at $3.00. I came up with this small pouch with a vinyl window for anything that you want to carry with you such as ID, cash, pills, ear buds and or cords, hard candy and more. It comes with a key ring so you can use this as a key pouch too. I made some lanyard for someone who wants to use the pouch as an ID case. Thank you for checking out!

Today I restocked these "lipbalm pouch" at The Schenectady Trading Company now for sale ($5.00 each). Last time I brought them in to the store was back in April 2022 😳 I'm not sure...I just couldn't motivate myself to make tiny items like this for a long time.
Anyway, I've learnt a new method to improve the pouch. I used to finish the raw end of the sides with bias tape, and now I make the lining to hide the raw edges (the 3rd picture shows it ). I know most users would not care, but as a fabric artist this is a big difference 😅 The store closes Sundays and Mondays and the owner changed the time to open and close, so please check it out on her website when you go to the store. Thank you very much for your time to check out my new inventory.

My latest work, Scrappy crossbody cell phone bag for a friend of mine. We have four bags on this style at the store.

Hi All! It's been a long time since I posted last time 😅I was finally able to finish these pouches and brought to The Schenectady Trading Company yesterday. Now for sale at $9.50 each in store and website. This key chain pouch is my number 1 selling item out of all I'm making so far.
I have a story on this pouch. As you can see it on the second photo, the pouch is made to keep all on your key ring (or fab) together and makes it easy for you to carry those in your purse or pocket. Initially I made this pouch for myself and when I started business back in late 2019, I made only 5 pouches to sell, just to give it a go because I was not sure how many people will be interested. I never imagined this idea will make a hit back then 😄I want to say thank you very much for all of you who bought this pouch if you are there viewing this post. Your support will keep me going and motivate me to create more items ❣️

I'll be back in Japan April 12 to May 17. Please allow me to take longer than normal to get back to your message and inquiry.

With only two days for me to go back to Japan (where my family and friends are, and of course ME! have waited for so long to see each other since the Pandemic broke out), I restocked for what have been sold and added a couple of new items at The Schenectady Trading Company. Now we have 5 Scrappy Phone Crossbody bags, and 2 Turnlock Phone Crossbody bags (new item) as well as 20 more tissue holders. The size of the Turnlock bag is the same as Scrappy bag, but it has a turnlock flap on the front and a deep slip pocket on the back side, which is handy for air tickets, phone, passport or ID card for a traveler. I did not much time to work on more phone bags before I leave, so I'm planning to make some more after I came back in mid-May 😉

Introducing a new item, "You name it" multi-purpose pouch! Inspired by Vera Bradley's "Key and Coin pouch" (retired product years ago), I came up with this mini pouch wristlet. Size is approximately ５½ X ３¾ inches ($12.50 each). It is small but to organize many odds and ends stuff in your bag, the pouch will help in terms of how you use it! That is why I named the pouch as I mentioned earlier. The front zip pocket can be a coin pouch or tissue holder, whatever you want to keep in a wide mouth pouch. In the main pocket comes with an inside pocket (divider) so it can be a small wallet for cards and money. Or, with tissue in the front pocket you can carry some First Aid items. Maybe for cord and buds, tech items? Whatever you can come up with! The pouches are now available at The Schenectady Trading Company.

Hi All, these restock of Keychain pouches are now available at The Schenectady Trading Company ! I have an update to share with you by the way. Due to a rise on the consignment commission this year and also those increased material costs over the years, I decided to go up on my prices from $0.50 to few more dollars range. I do enjoy making fabric bags and accessories, but when it comes to business, I could not hold the current prices anymore. Having said that though, I'm still pricing what I make 30-50% cheaper than those fabric handmade items on Etsy for comparison. I really appreciate in advance of your consistent loyal support from you. Thank you so much for checking. ($9.50 each for the Keychain pouchs)

I dropped off new items at yesterday evening. Initially I made just a couple of this "teeny tiny mighty pouch" for the Christmas gifts stocking filler last year, but I had a good feedback so I decided to add this pouch in my regular inventory (* sale price is over and now it is $10 each). It is approximately 6 (top) 7 (bottom) 4 ¼L 2W and literary small. But, as the name suggests, it is mighty roomy inside the pouch (lol). I could put my lip balm, hand cream, hand sanitizer, tissue, tape measure, small scissors and etc. This is a perfect pouch for someone who likes to carry adds and ends in her bag. I also brought some more tissue holders. Please keep in mind that those cat patterns relatively sell quickly. If you saw something you liked here you can always call the store to hold it for you. Thank you for checking out!

I'm working on some items to restock but before I put them up here, I'd like to show a couple of Phone bags I made for friends recently. These are custom order made. Each time I think of people using the bags and pouches I made that brings me a lot of joy.

A sneak peek of "what will be coming in 2023?" ❣️Most kitty motif /pattern fabric I ordered arrived! (some are backorder) Because cats fabric items are popular and they sell quickly, I'm planning to make more of them this year. All I have to do is shaking my magic wand and turn these fabric into something.....pouches, crossbody phone bags, wallets and maybe water bottle crossbody bags? I already have some ideas, but if you have any thoughts are welcome please leave comments 🙂

We have only two weeks to Christmas day! Have you finished shopping for gifts? My husband ordered a purse by Vera Bradley (You probably can tell I'm a fan of VB brand from some of the choices on my fabric?) in the last week of November, and it came to Latham facility by UPS a week ago where it has still been stuck there! You can imagine how many boxes and packages pilled high waiting to get sorted out 😰It may be too late to get gifts delivered by Christmas eve, how about using local stores. I made the last trip to The Schenectady Trading Company to restock for this year. So I'll be off until sometime in January 2023. I hope you all have happy holidays❣️

Hi Everyone! I have some news. I just brought several new items to The Schenectady Trading Company yesterday, which I set budget friendly prices for holiday shoppers. I'd like to come up with the idea that you can put some small gifts such as candies, soap, cosmetic items etc. in a pouch shown here. I also restocked some key chain pouches and phone crossbody bags. Another thing I'd like to note is I marked down some old inventory for kind of Black Friday sale. Please keep going to the next pictures to check them out. I'm still making some more to restock within the next few weeks. I hope you all have happy holidays!

Introducing new bags! I just brought two tote bags and one crossbody bag to The Schenectady Trading Company yesterday. The bags look big in the photos but I would say they actually are on the small side. The dimensions are approximately 11(W) x 8(L) x 4 (D on the bottom) inches. The bag is good for someone who wants to carry more than just a wallet and a phone that you can put a notebook, glasses, a 16 oz water bottle, a pouch and etc. Each bag has a zipper closure with a big front pocket and a zippered pocket inside, and all are $39.50. Please keep going to the next photos for more detail. Thank you for checking out!