"Who despises the day of small things?" Zechariah 4:10a Earlier this week my mother and I were reminiscing about the year we began our business The Scarlet Thread. With such small beginnings, we marveled at how God has blessed us and taken us to places we never imagined possible!
In the spring of 2003 I graduated from high school. The winter preceding my completion of home schooling I was very concerned with what I should do next in life. Everywhere I went people were asking me, “Are you going to college?”. I did not feel that the LORD was leading me to attend college, but at the same time I was unsure of His plan for me. About that time through the verse 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependant on anybody.” my family felt directed to open a small booth at a local farmers’/craft market, Hanna Junction.
Hanna Junction had been a very popular indoor market through out my childhood. Opened one day of the week, it was always a special treat to visit and purchase a homemade pretzel. With high hopes we furnished our booth with all our handmade doll dresses, baby dresses and purses. At the beginning of the season I had very carefully sewn several doll dresses, all the same style just in different fabric. I remember our first day of business I sold two doll dresses to a mother; I was delighted that someone liked what I had sewn.
At the same time we were sewing for our booth at Hanna Junction, I was beginning a correspondence dress making course. I now felt sure that the LORD was directing me to further my skills in sewing. Through out the years I was home schooled I had always enjoyed handicrafts, especially embroidery, but up until this point I had never considered this the beginning of a possible “career”.
As the summer progressed our sales rather than growing decreased, this was very discouraging! However this problem was not unique to our business, it seemed that Hanna’s Junction was reaching the end of it’s popularity. Our first year of business would mark their last year. It was at this time that a fellow vendor directed us to another farmers’ market. This was an outdoor market, and our first day to set up at the Geneva farmers’ market was very hot and sunny! Even then the LORD provided. Our friend from Hanna’s Junction had an extra tent which she gave to us. For the next few years to follow we used that tent many times.
The Geneva farmers’ market was positioned in a parking lot across from Seneca Lake, one of the Finger Lakes and the traffic was great. We were so blessed and surprised. The following two summers we would set up our tent piece by piece by the light of street lamps at 6 am. We even spread out to other markets, at one point we were attending three markets a week.
During the Christmas season we would attend craft shows. My favorite show was located at the Granger Homestead. The Granger Homestead is a large Civil War era home originally owned by Gideon Granger the first United States Post Master General. We were privileged to display our merchandise in one of the lovely Victorian bedrooms in which was decorated with a beautiful pink floral wallpaper. I was thrilled! Our line of merchandise had greatly increased by this time. We were now knitting shawls, scarves and hats, sewing several styles of doll dresses, sewing nightgowns, girls’ dresses of various styles and many different style purses.
Photos above: top photo- our booth at Hanna's Junction, middle The Granger Homestead and bottom photo is our tent at the Geneva Farmers' Market
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