Singapore mother turns old clothes into keepsake business

Siti Nur’ain Awari, a 37-year-old Singaporean mother of four, has turned her children's old clothes into keepsakes, growing this practice into a home business called Patchwork Handmade Keepsakes that transforms pre-loved garments into stuffed animals and quilts. The idea began in early 2024 when her cousin sent 30 pieces of her daughter's baby clothes to make a quilt, leading Nur’ain to research and practice sewing techniques before completing her first quilt in May 2024. She now offers eight stuffed animal designs, with school uniform bears becoming best-sellers for graduations and PSLE results day, and she caps her monthly workload at 25 orders. Nur’ain, who was laid off in 2020, now earns nearly as much as her former administrative job. She has handled emotionally difficult commissions, including quilts from over 200 pieces of clothing from a possibly terminally ill child, and a quilt made from 22 preschoolers' clothes for an unwell teacher.