In Appreciation

In March I will mark my fourth anniversary on Etsy, and looking back on these past four years, I can say I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished.  But I could not have done it without all of the wonderful people I’ve met along the way.  Friends, mentors and my incredibly wonderful customers.

Just a couple months ago, I was humbled once again by the kindness of someone I didn’t even  really know.  A fellow Flickr  member who saw my bag photos and asked if I’d like some fabric she didn’t want any more.  I told her I’d love to have it. 

This isn’t the first time I’ve been offered the gift of fabric by people who want nothing in return for their kindness.  A couple years ago my incredibly talented artist friend Lisa from Island Dream Life sent me a package of barkcloth out of the blue.  She was destashing and thought of me.  And another seamstress friend named Lisa, from Zibagz was at a yard sale, bought a piece of barkcloth she knew I’d love and sent it to me.  (And she’s a fellow bag maker, too!  I love her work!) And I have to mention other generous friends...Eddie, Heidi, Vanessa.  Thanks, you guys!

When the package from Donna, my Flickr friend, arrived, included among the beautiful fabrics were four small pieces of a gorgeous aqua blue barkcloth.  Each strip was approximately 14” by 7”.  At first I thought about using them at the top of a bag as a contrasting band of fabric-but then it came to me that I could sew three of them together to form a larger piece of fabric, and use the fourth piece for the handles of a bag. 

I love the finished bag.  And I decided that I want to “pay forward” the kindness of everyone I have met in the last four years.  And so I’m donating the entire purchase price of this bag to Honor Flight (http://www.honorflight.org/)

Their philosophy, in their own words:

Since America felt it was important to build a memorial to the service and the ultimate sacrifice of her veterans, the Honor Flight Network believes it's equally important that they actually get to visit and experience THEIR memorial.

Many veterans have the desire to visit their memorial in Washington DC, but are financially or physically unable to do so.  Honor flight helps make that dream a reality. 

I can’t think of a more meaningful way to say thanks.