Made in the Valley - Willow and Fig Leather Company
VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- The sewing machine inside Leila Garrett's home is hard at work, as the Visalia mom churns out baby moccasins from her Visalia home.
"I love starting out with nothing and then once it's complete. I feel like I've done something great, like it was an achievement," said Garrett.
Garrett started sewing the moccasins after her daughter was born in 2013. "I went online and found a pattern for a pair of moccasins and with a $20 garage sale jacket, I cut it up and made some moccasins out of it."
Then she opened Willow and Fig Leather Company online and posted pictures of her creations on Instagram. "I went from 17 followers to, I think, 1,00 in a month. It was pretty cool and just people were spreading the word. I didn't have to do anything. I was just posting pictures and people were telling their friends. "
Word and sales spread quickly and this mom has spent many a nights hand sewing these natural shoes by hand. The moccasins sell on average for about $35 a pair.
"My first foreign country was Canada... my mocs have gone to Portugal to France, to England, Sweden, Norway. It's really been all over the world," said Garrett.
Recently she's taken on a new venture with these hand painted satchels. As for Leila, she says this journey has made her appreciate the craftsmanship of makers across the Valley. "When you find out someone is local you feel like they're your friend. So when you're buying from them, you're helping a friend out."
YOU CAN FIND THESE BABY MOCS AT:
- Enjoy the Store in Downtown Visalia
- Kaweah River Trading Co. in Three Rivers-
- Root General Store in Downtown Fresno at the Fulton Mall
Or on her website:
