"re-[Joyce Hildebrand]" because Hildebrand, a self-confessed scrounger who was brought up by "a prairie woman who reduced, reused and recycled looong before it was trendy," crafts her projects using second- and third-hand material acquired from two decades' worth of haunting thrift shops, flea markets and garage sales in search of the perfect swatch.

"To make a long story short, that project never got off the ground, but while I was waiting, I started selling what I was sewing at the time -- which happened to be bags -- and giving all of that money away," Hildebrand says. "It's perfect because it combines everything I love -- helping others and working with all of my favourite materials."

Hildebrand incorporates modern-day conveniences like pockets for cellphones and/or iPods in her designs, which she sells for a minimum $25 donation. "I've noticed a lot of kids in Niverville are using them to carry their school books, too," she says. "They seem to have become a bit of a hot commodity that way."