Makeshifter is Taking a Break

Makeshifter is taking a break this year.

Recently a lifelong friend of mine was diagnosed with late-stage cancer. Casey is moving in with me to get his treatment at OHSU, and my partner and I will be his primary caregivers. These last few weeks of tests and diagnoses have completely turned our lives upside down. I’ve been traveling, moving Casey, trying to keep us all fed and rested and the bills paid. Something has to give. The thing that is easiest to cut is Makeshifter.

For a long time Makeshifter has been a part-time, home-based business. With life’s ups and downs, opening the bike shop and navigating a pandemic, I’m grateful to have the flexibility to make things when I can, and stop making when other things need my attention. I don’t have shop space where rent is due or employees waiting for direction and a paycheck, so it’s easy to put this business on the back burner. Thankfully, the bike shop is our main source of income—but it’s also something that requires my labor and attention to run smoothly. So after taking care of my people and my own mental health, and working my other job, I don’t anticipate diving into sewing much this spring or summer.

I’m sure I’ll make some things here and there, but not with any sort of schedule or regularity. I can’t tell you when or if something will be restocked, and I may not even have the capacity to respond to emails of that nature. In fact, I’m adding this notice to my blog so that I can direct people here instead of repeatedly trying to respond to individual queries. If you’ve been a customer of mine for any length of time, probably you understand and appreciate that there’s just one regular ol’ human behind Makeshifter, a person with limits and challenges and a life full of other obligations. I’m grateful for you, your understanding and patience.

If you don’t care and just want to buy something—that’s fine. There are some things in stock and I’ll keep filling orders for now. Shipping might take a day or two longer than usual. If it’s not in stock, don’t ask when it’ll be back because I don’t know.

If you’d like to help support me and my family during this time, you can donate to Casey’s GoFundMe, or Venmo him directly @Casey-Somsel.

Casey and me, probably around 1999.