way harder than it looks ...

About the treadle-foot machines ... My great grandmother sewed on one of these kinds of machines, and I've sewn my whole life, so I really thought that I'd step right into it. Not so!

I needed electricity to go. I can pat my head and rub my tummy at the same time just fine, but to keep this machine needling fast enough to get into a rhythm to do the embroidery stitch -- that was tough.

If I thought too much about my feet, I couldn't concentrate on my stitching and then the embroidery looked like it was sewn during an earthquake. If I stopped thinking about my feet, then the machine would stop.

These gals are good, and they've been doing it their whole life.

There's a sound and a rhythm that happens when you're doing it right, like playing an instrument. My grandmother told me about this kind of music her own mother "played" when she sewed.

Little Maya girls in the monte are now growing up with this same sound in their lives and it will be second nature to them, too, if they choose to do embroidery work.

Here is a great picture of one of the ladies showing me how to work the foot-pumped treadle machine, and a little face is peeking from behind to see.

stranded in our MonteDesigns skirts ...

My friend Lindsay and I were driving down highway 307 in the Mayan Riviera headed out for a day of shopping in Cancun.  We were singing along to Juanes tunes when all of a sudden we heard what sounded like a gun shot!  We both screamed, being the girlie girls that we are, and looked back to see our rear tire shredding away behind us.  A flat!

We pulled over to the shoulder and got out.  We stood on the side of the road with our Monte Designs skirts flapping in the wind.   What to do?  Well, we didn’t have to wonder long because within ten minutes five gentlemen pulled over to help the beautifully dressed damsels in distress.  We were back on the road in no time.

Admittedly, my friend and I are two relatively attractive women, but honestly, I think it was the skirts that got the attention of our heroes.  Thank goodness we had our MonteDesigns on!