NEW NEW NEW!

Its been an exciting few weeks.  I have been busy nutting out details of many of the new ideas.

Firstly come April 1^st we will be changing the business structure in a few positive ways

1. Emmy will become manager
2. Salaries will have a partial base rate plus a percentage of profits (A staggered process from me paying all salaries to me paying none.)
3. Bookkeeping will be done weekly by Emmy and Serenity (with me training and assisting)
4. Opening Hours will increase back to 5 days a week, and will be open 8:30-5 – even through lunch. (An unusual concept in Timor) 
5. I will be stepping back even more from sales, marketing etc 
6. I also designed a new simpler logo and am in the process of ordering clothing labels

Secondly we have begun a loyalty card for clothing alterations.  We printed some colourful cards with 10 smiley faces.  We also bought a smiley stamper.  For every 10 alterations, they get one free.  The local customers are loving this concept.

Thirdly and most exciting for me, is that we are commencing a monthly Gift Club.  This will be a subscription service, with club members receiving a surprise gift each month – home delivered! Their fee will also fund a monthly donation of 1 woman’s health pack to a clinic such as Bairo Pite.  Currently this service will only be available to residents of Dili, HOWEVER we are investigating the possibility of offering a mailed gift version to Australian Residents, so keep an eye out over the next few months for more information.

 Heres a look at the brochure:

(If you would like to join, either pop into Belekria shopfront or email: belekria@hotmail.com or you can also ring me on 77265308)

 

 

Nappy covers? Covered!

A few months ago Bellekria received a shipment of boxes.  These included 2-3 boxes of PUL fabric remnants and a bulk load of special “fold over elastic” – it has a crease line down the centre so it can be used like bias binding, as well as stretched to produce gathering.   I bought it because it was such a bargain and I was sure I would think of something to use it for.   Anyway here’s one of the many ways we have used it so far:  Nappy Covers!

Here they are called popok’s and are used with a piece of folded cloth inside.  They don't even have safety pins, let alone fancy “nappy snaps” or even fancier modern fitted cloth nappies.  So they are really excited about this product.  We made some samples and the same afternoon a visitor popped her head in and ended up buying 2.  We took some to the market and have had a few people question if we actually made them ourselves – here in Timor.  Because they look like something imported.  In other words they look too good to be produced here in Timor! I think that is a compliment to us, but its a bit derogatory to poor little Timor Leste.  We charge the very expensive rate of $4. About an average days wage. But word is that alternatives sell for around $11 in the supermarkets.  So i guess we are providing a bargain!
They are very simple to sew, apart from the fact that you need to stitch the elastic with a special zig zag stitch, which is only available on an electric machine, which only works when the power is on…Oh well.  We still manage to make them!
A funny note, in Australia you can buy velcro by the metre in separate sides, so that if you need more of one side eg the soft side you just buy more of that half.  Well here, it comes together.   Even when i tried to buy a whole roll of the soft side, they refused.  SO I have had to buy an equal amount of the hook side which unless i come up with some very creative ides may end up being thrown out….But I think its cheaper to buy both rolls here than to buy a roll of the soft side in OZ.

Tardy tardy – late late

Oh its been so long since I've posted a blog.  Our internet has been quite frustrating and then the times when it is working well we are pushing just to catch up on emails and maintain our main blog (bacons ba timor) , so my poor bellekria blog has been sadly neglected.  Things have been humming along, and our time here this year is coming to an end.  We are flying to Australia this Saturday for about 6 weeks.  We are hoping to return here late January.  I have had many discussions with the women, and still aren't sure what to do while i am away.  They suggested the sewing room close down until i return.  Its tempting, as its just makes it simpler for me.  But I am not sure its best for the business side of things.  I'm guessing they would be happy to have a few weeks off.  So we are still undecided whether to cut down to 1-2 days a week, or open full time for a few weeks, or closed, but Sinta available by phone…. Ahh i really need to organise this!  My concern is that i will not be here to pay them at the end of the month.  (as of today the plan is they stay open and i pay them when i get back.)
Anyway – the market trips had some interesting stories the last 2 weeks.  Two weeks ago we arrived and set up, and soon after nightfall the power went out – no lights! Made       window shopping a bit difficult in the pitch black :)  We all got out our mobile phones and lit up the wares as buyers bravely walked around.  However by 9:00 it was still a black out, and word was not encouraging the possibility of it returning, so we packed up early and came home – not much had sold at all but i guess that's the nature of life.
This past week we had quite a variety of truck issues.  Kind of funny when you stand detached from it.  (We are currently trying to sell the truck and have some funds donated to purchase a better vehicle) Anyway we still sold $50 worth of products which is a nice boost, and helped clear out some stock.  A number of customers oohed and aahed over the products which is always so encouraging to the girls.  

Custom clothing – your wish is my command

 
None of the women have had much previous experience with sewing clothing.  Earlier this year they developed the school skirts and then the school shirts. And of course we had the cheif’s wedding dress.  And the batik smocked dresses. … And with the amazing influx of beautiful fabrics inspiration has been bursting out of the boxes! :)
We also had some visitors in September requesting custom clothing. So they have slowly been trying more and more styles. 
 
Israel was desperate to get his dream designer pants sewn up.  And he was very proud to wear them!

Sinta and Novi work together to produce some lovely garments.  They are always improving in their shaping/cutting and finishing, although i still have “Oh Dear'” moments. ;)
It has been very exciting watching their creativity flow, and seeing their skills develop.

random shots

I thought a few random pics of goings on in the sewing room may be fun…..
Here’s Israel hand winding some thread back onto a bobbin after he dropped it! Serenity is posing with a lovely display stand I whipped up.  I used a cardboard long life milk carton and cut and bent and paper mached and painted. (Pink of course! Bellekria is a womens sewing group).  Its designed to hold our two different brochures in two languages (English and Tetun). 

This is Novi and Anna working hard on some applique for some more books.
Here is our very attractive bamboo clothes rack!  Isn't it lovely?  We take it to market each week and also use it in the sewing room to display clothing.  And here i am cutting out some new patterns for nappy covers….A pretty nice work environment hey? (Yes that is a sand dune and the ocean beyond the fence.  Israel is dripping wet, fresh from a swim…

The Chiefs wedding dress

       
A few weeks ago, we had an afternoon visit from the village Chief (Sheffie).  He explained that he was required to arrange and purchase a wedding dress for his god-daughter in the mountains.  We asked if he could bring her down for a measure up and to choose the fabric.  We also said we would give him a good deal.  
Anyway, a week later a small convey arrived – The Chief himself, an elderly woman and two younger women.  We trooped up to the sewing room in singe file, and set about establishing which of the young women was the lucky bride to be.   Funnily enough, she was absent!  But luckily, the chief had brought along his wife to measure up as she was roughly the same size.  As in, measure her, then make it “a bit” longer, cause the girl is taller, and she is “a bit” wider around the waist, and “a bit”smaller around the chest.  Hmmm so much for accurate fitting :)  We all had a giggle after they had left suggesting that if the dress didn't end up fitting the girl, maybe the older woman could wear it in her place!
Also, as the young bride to be wasn't around the other women chose the fabric for her.  Apparently the only request was that it was a pinky colour.  Can you imagine any woman in the western world leaving that wonderful choice to others? Anyway they were quite confident.  Earlier Sinta had helped me sort through our fabric stashes for all the pinky satin finish fabrics.  She had held up a very bright apricot fabric and said this is what they will choose.  I had repressed my revulsion and suggested putting the other options out just in case.  Of course she was right.  Its all relative isn't it?
Thankfully the design they wanted was very simple – no sleeves, simple gathered skirt with a fitted bodice.  Sinta kindly brought in her own wedding dress to use as a guide.  A lovely frothy green and yellow extravagance ;)
Sinta was the seamstress for this project – Our first wedding dress.
Here she is pinning and planning…

Of course she was the closest in size so she got to model it as it developed.

And here is the almost finished frock.  Seeing as the young bride to be still hasn't shown her face (or her body which is actually more important), we haven't stitched on the straps at the back to allow for at least a pretense of fitting.

Repurposing

That’s a modern word for chopping up some article of clothing and making it into something new.
When some of our visitors arrived they brought some treasures…. Among other lovely things, they brought over some bright colourful dresses a number of sizes bigger than the Timorese women.   Of course we immediately saw possibilities.
Sinta and Novi held one up to their chest and pulled a bit here and tugged a bit there and a cute little party dress began to take form.
A few hours later they had produced a young woman's party dress, as well as a child's version complete with bow!
Delightful.  They were quite cocky about the fact that the fabric was free, yet they could sell the dress for about $10.!!  That's a good profit margin hey?  A few women are already eyeing it off and it seems like it may sell soon.
 

Patchwork

   
Last year I tried to suggest to Sinta the concept of doing some patchwork with all the leftover scraps of fabric we collect.  I even made up a few small samples to show her the concept.  But it didn't jell for her.  Then a few weeks ago, Serenity mentioned how she has seen a number of patchwork bags in the city centre.   So I finally had a moment chatting with Sinta, and I mentioned what Serenity had said.  Sinta immediately brightened up and told me a little story…
A week or two earlier, on a return trip from the sewing shop, Novi and Sinta were offered to share a taxi with a foreign lady.  The lady was particularly large well built, so that Novi had to half sit on Sinta’s lap to fit in, but as it turned out, Sinta was so close and snugly that she got a good look at this foreign ladies bag – it happened to be a bright patchwork bag, joined simply by overlapping the edges and using a zig-zag stitch.  So Sinta was very keen to try it as she thought it was a very attractive bag…. And so the next afternoon she proudly visited me at home after closing to show me this beautiful bag!

New book designs!

After our second order of 15 books was paid for and collected, the Librarians have asked us for a third order.  As I mentioned earlier, this time 12 books, and preferably new topics.  So we thought and thought, and came up with some ideas – shapes, colours, transport, buildings, furniture and a book of 4 fish growing bigger each page.  We also had some printed fabric with cute animals (thanks Fran!) Here are a few pics so far…

Introducing a new sewer!

Well our chasing finally paid off.  Our neighbour Anen mentioned he had found a lady who knew how to sew.  So we asked her to visit.  Her name is Nofi (not sure if that is how it is spelt)  She only recently moved here from Kupang (Indonesia), where she learned sewing in high school.  Her husband is the younger brother of one of our building team members, and her Godmother is the same as Sintas, so she is suitable in local terms -  She has the right connections….
Anyway, she seems very friendly, seems to know Sinta a little already, and gets along quite well with her.
I apologise that the photo is such bad quality. I will try to get a better one next week.
  She seems to have limited sewing skills, but Sinta is picking up on a few lacks, and training her.  I taught Sinta how to do blanket stitch for the applique pictures in the cloth books.  They both seem to prefer that to satin stitch on the machine. 
The librarians also asked for 3 special books to give as gifts to some babies in Australia.  So we personalised the titles on the front cover.  They loved them.  If anyone wants to order one, we can sell them for $14, and try to send them over with one of our Aussie visitors over the next few months.  We sell them a bit cheaper to the library as they order bulk amounts of the same book. 
Also, a question for any crafty people – We have been making up our own bias binding to bind around the outside of the cover page.  Its quite thick as we use a stiff interfacing, so standard size shop bought bias doesn't fit well.  Anyway, its pretty time consuming to to hand make it…it adds considerably to our costs, and reduces our small profit.  All ideas welcome.

More books and more ideas

Lovely Beth, from the library in Gleno, came down on Thursday to chat. She brought with her a staff member from the library, and the four of us discussed how the books were coming along and when they might be ready.  They also asked Sinta to make a further 12, with different themes.  So we will have to get creative with it.  So far we did fruit, animals and clothing, so now we may do colours, shapes, transport, infrastructure, and sizes as themes.

 The books are pretty simple - a cover (front and back) and and two other sheets inside making four pages or four images.  The first batch we were able to buy stiff canvas type calico fabric.  But when we went to buy more, it had all sold, so we bought cheap calico and iron on interfacing and the pages turned out really stiff, which the Timorese librarian preferred. 
 I've been trying to get Sinta to add interesting features to the images, like hand embroidered legs for the rooster, and eyes and scales on the fish.  However im a little disapointed that she hasn't been trying new ideas with this concept.  I will keep trying.



They also asked us to give quotes on making some large book bags with zips to make up into book kits for teachers to use in classrooms.