ADIOS AMIGAS, PART 1

It's adios time for me here in Mazatlan...bittersweet moments of goodbyes and farewells to new and old friends alike. My original post was going to be about dye studio friends, but I found my final visit to the sewing ladies this past Monday to certainly be worthy of writing about. Bev, Toy and I met with them for the first time since the "Carnaval" break, and they "wow-ed" us (double wow!!!!) with the items they have been creating. I have been so warmed and rewarded to see them take off on raw-edge applique (birds, cats, butterflies) AND making amazing creations with the fabric they created in my studio.

Yes, I gave them a lesson on birds, but Paty has been exploring cats. We encouraged them to try more new patterns by looking in children's coloring books for simple designs, and also the obvious of using Pinterest and other programs on the internet, but only 3 of the 10 have a computer. Maybe those that do can share ideas with those that don't. Paty then suggested we have a Facebook page and we all were excited about that idea AND her initiative. She is our recent college graduate in the area of social work. How hard she works! (And notice her OWL tote at the top of the page!)

Dora is my tie dye queen. She has an amazing knack for getting the folds and swirls just right, and also for choosing the perfect sections to use in her creations. The purse above is an example of her amazing work.

Magui too brought in some lovely bags. Denim was a great choice for this one with the sweet bird on the pocket. If you look closely, you'll see a seam down the middle...she sewed two pant legs together for each side of the bag. Our ladies are always thinking! 

Grimy (greemy), our faithful Pro-Mexico volunteer, is modeling this apron made by Cecy, who dyed the pink and white striped fabric at my house. It must be some sort of cotton/poly blend as those stripes took the color just as you see it. Isn't it sweet with her little bird pocket?

And then Cecy blew us away with her seven little bird swatches that she has put together in the last two weeks. Aren't they precious? It was a morning of oohs and ahs and seeing the ladies feel so proud of themselves.

Bev brought us good news. Last week Linda from QUILTWORKS COLLABORATIVE quiltworks.org in the Bay Area discovered our little shop and now wants to be involved. She is offering supplies and the possibility of using their online boutique for sales. The only hurdle we have, and its a big one, is to figure out the shipping and customs issues. We'll see where this all goes. For now, it's exciting for us to think about.

As we were chatting away, an enthusiastic woman approached and offered her volunteer services for next year. She loves to sew and is not a beach person (like me!). We love our volunteers, and we will follow up with her.

And then the sad part came...the goodbyes. How I hate that part! But I told them to work hard, think of new patterns and keep up with their quality creations. Until next November...