How My Mom Inspires Me

This is my mom. Doesn't she look fabulous?

My mom made most of my clothes when I was a kid. They were the best clothes any kid ever had. I still have a couple of clothing items she made for me - a kimono and a skirt - and they are incredibly well made and incredibly precious to me.

When I was a kid, we'd spend two hours at a shot in the fabric store, choosing patterns for clothes and looking for the perfect fabric for it. I learned how to squeeze fabric to test how wrinkly it would get (and how much you'd need to iron it), how to separate the line of a garment from its fabric and color, and so, so much about different kinds of cloth and stitching and how to take care of your clothes.

Handmade came to equal quality: machines made mass-produced, boring clothes that anyone could wear and would probably fall apart years before anything she made. Being able to be part of a company that makes high-quality handmade goods means that I get to (hopefully) spread the same vision of quality.

Mother's Day is May 9th.