gallery of dreams and a new hiree

We are having fun watching our labor turn into these creations. So much fun that I hired another worker. Actually, that was not why. I am a sucker. I so adore and admire these women that when one finds me I cannot turn her away. Her vibrant head wrap. Those big brown eyes. Francois had asked me if I would take her. Once a week only. I know her. I understand a little of her life and what she goes home to. She is a part of our little cleaning lady gang here on our base. I see her 3 days a week. Now I am going to see her twice, at the Gallery when she comes to the hut to sew with us. I wish you could have seen her face when I asked her to come and work with us. PRICELESS. She has a nose ring and it is way cool and she pulls it off beautifully. As Francois told me, she is older and the cleaning and hauling water is so hard on these older women and for them to sew is such a gift. Apparently she knows how. She was taught to sew but not how to cut things out and make patterns. So I will teach her. I love her heart and her personality and am excited to have added her to the team. How in the world we are going to fit her in to our little assembly line in our little gazebo I do not know. Nor do I know how I am going to pay her as we are still a little in the red. But the Business Plan is so, so beautiful and promising. We just need one more big sale and all of that will be profit. We are almost there! Our plan really is incredible. You should see the numbers. We don't need to sell a whole lot to keep us going. I can keep these 5, now 6! people employed easily with our current production rates, we just need to get in a few more shops. Speaking of which, we will soon be on a shelf in Chattahoochee Coffee Shop in Atlanta, Georgia! (Mary West, tell your friends. Kylene Compaan, you are my hero.)

A load of goods will be shipped next week, one dress in a size 5 (the one Luci is wearing below), one pillow cover in the Afonso yellow & purple pattern, lots of napkins and runners in all sorts of colors, NEW cocktail napkins and the bow ties from the photo above. Look for them on our Etsy page HERE. We made this clutch today and are playing around with designs for fabric goods that will sell well at Chattahoochee Coffee; iPad sleeves, cosmetic bags and more.