CJ’s Sewing in Buckhorn designs and stitches real fur garments.

In Carly Kenny’s workroom, hats, mitts, scarves, vests, headbands, pillows, and blankets are produced.

Kenny, the innovator of this business, has been sewing most of her life. When her husband wanted a pair of fur mitts they did some research. They bought a fur machine.

If you are imagining a large machine you are wrong. It is actually smaller than a regular sewing machine and produces a blanket stitch to join pieces together, so as not to catch the fur. These machines originated 150 years ago. Kenny learned how to operate it. She liked it. She took a course with a master furrier from Greece just over five years ago and since then has been making all kinds of items.

A great deal of the fur she uses is locally sourced from trappers. Her husband is one of those trappers, as are many friends in the area, and animals are completely used. (There are jewellers that use the bones).

Kenny said that some exotic skins such as sealskin can be ordered. The sealskin is bought from the Inuit harvest and used for tanned garments. Sealskin mitts are almost waterproof. Kenny also uses sealskin for pillows. She has a personal set of mitts made out of seal and bobcat. Bobcats have spots and it matches the fur on a sealskin. 

Many older generation fur coats are being repurposed. If someone has a family heirloom that they want to pass down it can be made into teddy bears or pillows. Mitts and hats have fur on the outside and are lined with fleece. Fur is biodegradable. In a landfill it is gone in months. Second-hand stores are seeing more repurposing of fur and keeping it out of the landfill.

Kenny has been doing this for more than five years. She states that patience is an important skill to this hobby, as it is very time consuming. Most projects take at least six to eight hours to complete. Fur has to be stapled or nailed out and dried. One can repair a fur with techniques that make it look as though a repair was never made.

To contact Kenny for a pair of fur mitts, email carlykenny@hotmail.com.

Vigil in troubled times

A vigil for peace will be held at St Matthew — St. Aidan, 1937 Lakehurst Rd., Buckhorn, on March 28.

In a peaceful environment, with a scripture to focus on to produce hope, you will experience periods of silence for quiet reflection and an opportunity to share if wanted.

At the top of every hour from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., scripture will be read and then at two other times during that hour. The cycle repeats with a new reading for each hour.

You may spend as much time as you like. An hour is recommended. Visit www.buckhornanglicanchurch.ca with suggestions for your meditation.

March break at Buckhorn Library

The following events are happening at the library during March break:

Daily Lego challenges

Tuesday Chat and Craft at 11 a.m.

Wednesday story time at 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday garden talk with Pam Chellew at 1:30 p.m.

Face painting Thursday.

STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) experiments on Friday.

All events are free. For more information, visit https://events.trentlakes.ca/library.

© Peterborough Examiner