Today we’d like to introduce you to Al-Layshia Foster.
Hi Al-Layshia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
This month marked the 10th death anniversary of my grandmother. She worked very hard to support our family. My grandmother worked as a seamstress at Val Mode Lingerie’s production facility in Mobile, Alabama. When Val Mode closed due to overseas production, she was given the opportunity to attend college. My grandmother went on earn an Associate Degree in Tailoring. I remember her working different jobs in the daytime, then sewing into the night for different customers. I was entrusted with threading the needles. My grandmother did teach me how to hem and hand stitch when I was in middle school. I found sewing interesting while not being interested in learning the skill.
I did not have the desire to sew until the fall semester of my senior year in high school. I signed up for sewing class and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I picked sewing (back up) during the pandemic. I had not sewn a single stitch for 18 years! Necessity is the mother of invention. I needed face masks to carry out my day-to-day activities. One of my coworkers told me how she and her mother were making face masks at the onset of the pandemic. This is where I got the bright idea to create customized face masks.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have had a smooth road in the creativity department. It comes naturally, almost as if the intelligence was inherited. There are several people in my family that create. I have two family members with clothing lines.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I started glass etching in 2012 to provide sentimental gifts for my family and friends. Glass etching was a way for me to express my creativity. I elevated my crafting in 2017 when I purchased my Cricut vinyl cutting machine. I doubled down on this crafting thing with my sewing machine in 2018. I produce customized t-shirts, embroidery, glass etching, face masks, and face shields. I am a perfectionist and I pride myself on excellence in production. Crafting is a release from the everyday stressors of the world. I now see why my grandmother came home from odd jobs to sew into the night. To me, creativity is next to godliness. There is power in using your imagination to bring ideas to fruition.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I take personal orders through my Instagram page. Please feel free to follow me on Instagram. If you are interested in learning to craft feel free to reach out to me and I can help you out.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crafts.in.the.city/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Crafts.in.the.City/
