5 weeks to go...the race is on

I have just 5 weeks to get all my Akabi samples made up to take with me to do the photo shoot when I visit Ghana. Things with Kenya are going well. I just need to move quicker on my side.

I went zip hunting as the Kenyan factory cannot supply the zips unless i order a bulk as they order them from their YKK supplier who only sells in 100 piece orders per colour. So i went to suppliers in the UK and haberdasheries only to not find the right colours in the open ended metal teeth cotton tape zips i need (something i really should have researched ahead of time i guess...) so i decided to and was advised to by a fellow fashionista who has set up her own label to dye them. SO i hunted for natural dyes as i also wanted to dye the recycled polyester i have and firstly it was a nightmare to find the dyes and to get them in the 2 days i needed before i post out the zips to kenya AND you cannot dye nylons with natural dyes or even standard dylon dyes! It needs an acid system to dye it. On deep thought i decided to scrap the extra colour ways i wanted the nylon to be and decided to use the colours it was available in.

Its all a bit of trial and error this season 1.

I am also concerned if i have totally missed it for spring summer 2010 and if i should aim for winter??? but i feel i could still approach the stores and sell online too. But i may have to order so many styles in sizes and colours by easter when i go out to kenya and bring them back with me so they can go straight to stores.

There is so much to do and i am feeling more and more tired with work, uni and two businesses but i am nearly there and christmas will be for business but also for holiday.... i cant wait :)

So wednesday i sit with Heba to get all the woven styles made up ... making that 8 styles i believe....aagggghhh i just remembered I need to dye the hemp fabric!

roll on chrimbo ....