Featured Artisan: Anna of Lilia Designs/Go with the Flo

Go With The Flo cloth menstrual pads and products are designed for women who
care for themselves and the earth. Our mission is to eliminate the dread of
"that time of the month" by providing simply divine organic pads! We, a small
group of moms on Maui, have been making Go With The Flo pads since January of
2008, and I have kept Robin's original 2005 design unchanged.

What is your favorite style of dying?
As far as end results go, my favorite is the swirly dye technique using shaving
cream, but considering the work involved with the various styles I do, my
favorite is LWI (low water immersion)on scrunched up fabric in a baggie. It's
much faster than other methods and turns out with many unexpected variations
that are usually stunning!

How did you get your start as a wahm?
I started my WAHM business in 2003 with a cloth diaper line I developed out of
necessity. When I dove into the world of cloth diapering with my firstborn,
everything leaked on me just as badly as the disposables. Granted, I did not
have access to some of the awesome WAHM diapers out there. So, I made my own! In the beginning, it was just a hobby
business, trying to recoup my supply costs for the diapers my daughter wore, but
as word of mouth spread on the island, I decided to set up a website and sell
online, too. In January 2008, I took over cloth pad production for Robin's Go
With The Flo. Shortly thereafter, I purchased the business from her and added Go
With The Flo pads to my own business, Lilia Designs.

How long have you been sewing?
I used to make Barbie clothes out of my mom's
scraps and old clothing when I was pretty young. LOL! But seriously sewing? My
good friend taught me how to serge in 2002, and I taught myself to also sew well
that year.

What was your first sewing project ever?
That would be curtains. Doesn't every seamstress start with curtains? I don't
know why, actually. Curtains can be quite challenging! My first curtain project
turned out pretty well, however, I have to admit my first diaper and my first
baby dress are laughable. I saved the dress to remind myself of my beginnings,
but that first diaper had to go. Since then, I have drastically improved, and
one of my pads is featured in a wonderful cloth pad article in the current issue
of Mothering magazine!

What are your inspirations for colorways?
My inspiration comes from the brilliant scenery around my island. 'Emerald Isle'
captures the richness of the rainforest...'Tropical Reef', the myriad of bright
fish against subtle coral...'Sunset' is the closest I have ever come to
capturing the brilliance of the Maui sunsets.

What is your favorite fabric to work with?
There are so my fabrics that I love! It is much easier for me to say which ones
I dislike. Among my top picks for fabric are organic bamboo velour, fleeces and organic knits.

Do you have a funny customer story?
My best customer story is actually from a tester! When I was first learning to
dye, I sent out these organic bamboo velour fitteds dyed in lovely bright colors
to test a new pattern. I had dyed the soakers in coordinating bright colors. I
was apalled to receive a picture of a sweet baby sporting a bright blue bum! The
dye had not been fixed well, and it bled onto her skin when it got damp! I was
horrified. Thankfully, my tester was laughing about the whole situation and was
not worried about it. Don't worry, since then I have not had this problem. lol!

Now ... on to the giveaway!
Tell us you became a fan or are following us on Twitter by posting to this blog post, and get a chance to win a 9" Standard Mini pad in your choice of available colors! This giveaway is open to USA, Canada including shipping. If a winner is chosen from another country, we'll work out the shipping difference. :)

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