Witnessing first-hand the struggles of women wrestling with their remoteness and poverty in rural areas of China, Lily’s heart was deeply touched time and again. Prompted by her desire to help these rural women, Lily – a Chinese housewife – discovered the perfect outlet for her talents in making handcrafts and patchwork. Utilizing her skills to teach and train these rural women not only helped them get by from day to day, but gave them skills for a more financially stable future. Lily’s idea blossomed into an effort she called Stitch & Bloom – and the products displayed in this catalogue not only represent her craftsmanship … but her heart and those of hundreds of women in rural China who have found stability, hope and joy in their impoverished situations.

 

The Gardener Plants her Seeds

During her time in North America with her family, Lily decided to advance her skills and knowledge at a local Community College. Graphic design courses, which had always been her passion, helped solidify her natural artistic talents with contemporary design techniques. With this newly acquired knowledge, she began scouring magazine stands, searching for new ideas and inspirations from the works of accomplished designers. She began to use these new ideas in her own work and her family and friends immediately took notice. Their praises served to build Lily’s confidence in her own talents and abilities and it convinced her to seize an opportunity whenever it presented itself.

 

Chinese Inspiration
Once during her travel to China alongside her husband Bill, she came into contact with a group of local women in rural China who asked her to share some of her basic crafts. Many of these women were quite skilled themselves in making handicrafts, but the lack of resources and vocational opportunities rendered them helpless, and they saw a glimmer of hope in Lily, to which she responded. She saw this as an opportunity that could be expanded into a business – creating an enterprise for women living in primitive conditions by which they could make a living at home without having to travel far. Lily promised to help and set forth to fulfill her promise with the full support of her family, particularly Bill.

 

Lily’s project had humble beginnings. When Stitch & Bloom first began in 2002, it consisted of a team of only five villagers. Within a span of a few short years, rapid expansion has taken place: she is now responsible for over one hundred workers in multiple locations across China.

 

Lily had to institute a production system that best suited her and her workers. She was used to the fast pace of Hong Kong where she grew up, but there are some cultural differences, especially in the workplace, that had to be must overcome when interacting with mainland Chinese. The women she has hired are of different ages and possess varying skills, so Lily must assign proper workloads according to their abilities. Their progress in adapting to modern production methods is relatively slow, so Lily must work hard to ensure productivity, efficiency and ultimately the quality of her products. She sees progress; when problems arise, Lily faces them squarely with Bill’s support.

Looking into the Future

Lily’s initial aim was to target the North American market, so many of her products are designed to suit the needs of these customers. However, because of her desire to improve, update, and re-evaluating her designs, she discovered the quality of Japanese craftsmanship and learned their designs.

 

Through partnerships and the assistance of many individuals, various markets are showing potential for Stitch & Bloom in Asia. It’s Lily’s goal to perfect her designs to suit the needs of diverse markets, and she’s confident about the future.