Swing Low Alabama

Etsy posted a story on their blog about Natalie Chanin and her unique business, Alabama Chanin. This woman has a special place in my heart as my senior mentor in college. We would have working designers that would come in a few times a year and guide us through essentially designing a look for their line, while the students and teachers work on the reality of creating what could sometimes be incredibly painstaking, time consuming, and tear inducing projects. Read more here. Lucky for me, I enjoy laborious hours of hand stitching. Her concept of creating every piece by hand in the USA sounds like a dream come true to me, and the fact that she does it all in Alabama makes the story that much more beautiful. Here's what one Etsy blog reader said, I couldn't have put it better if I tried.

"So much low quality clothing is out there because of the need for instant gratification and the 'I want it fast, I want it cheap' attitude. There is something satisfying and fulfilling about something that was made with skill and love, not to mention something that also empowers and sustains a community. This inspiring story is proof that people succeed as a group – as a community. No machine can ever replicate the beauty coming from creating with one's hands and one's heart."