Oct 31, 2012

Edmonds Shop Lending a Helping Hand One Sale at a TimeBy Dan HerdaMyEdmondsNews.com

Edmonds, WA – Nestled behind the backhoes and dump trucks working on Main Street in downtown Edmonds, you will find Fabric of Life. At first glance the shop may not come off as much more than trinkets and pieces of art. However, once you know the background of each piece, you’ll understand why founder Carol Schillios refers to the shop as “a story rather than a store.”

The shop is part of the Schillios Development Foundation, which she founded with her own resources in 2002 with the primary goal of supporting cooperative development projects that directly impact the quality of life for families in developing countries. With a little help from a property owner in Edmonds, she was able to open the shop as a way to promote the cause and help fund the projects they were running.

The shop contains products both local and foreign, and is based on several principles that the organization strives to achieve every day. First and foremost, it is in business to help promote fair trade. Most of the artisans whose work is being sold come from countries in Africa or South America and have no access to a credit program, Schillios said. Through Fabric of Life, the artist or creator can be paid half of the cost up front to buy materials to start their project. Their products can then be sold by Fabric of Life, which sends the profits back to the artist.

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