I was so inspired that I continued reading and found this video of Natalie at Hello Etsy Berlin speaking about connecting your business to your community. I love everything about her story of arriving at this point of running a successful cottage industry run business that powers the local economy while staying true to her values - not to mention her down to earth southern charm and appreciation for the traditions of her heritage. I also love the idea of a woman run business using quilting and stitching techniques passed down from generations of women living in the rural south by women who otherwise would not be employed using a skill that is such a part of who they are.
I found the part in the video interesting when she was talking about how some people in the industry were referring to their company as being elitist because of the prices of the garments. The garments are made from organic cotton that is grown in the United States when possible and sewn completely by hand (not machine) and can take one person 4 to 6 weeks to complete (while also paying the artisan a living wage). She was approached to write a book and happily accepted the idea so that people would be able to create the garments themselves or could pay someone else in their community to make it. Once people realized what went into these heirloom garments and how time consuming it was to create one piece people could better understand and appreciate their worth.
You can order books here, as well as sign up for weekend retreats in their studio! I can't think of anything dreamier than a weekend in the south sipping cocktails, eating biscuits and stitching your own Alabama Chanin inspired garment...Sign me up.
www.alabamachanin.com
1 comment:
What an inspiring story!
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