Real Deal Road Trip No. 4: Wellesley Marketplace
Wellesley Marketplace, Welleseley, Massachussetts
I surrounded myself in handcrafts at the Wellesley Marketplace. Yum. I love chatting with people to find out how they make the beautiful things they display. I found some potential new Grommets and caught up with a few folks who are already in the Grommet catalog. Having launched with us in our first year, I am delighted to bring these special finds back to the forefront. You have NO idea how how hard these people work.
That’s one reason for supporting Grommet…if we can give these people enough business they can have more time to make work and spend less time having to sell it. Holiday craft fairs are special….but there aren’t any of them in, say, March.
Here are two of the new folks I met:
Lacey Goodrich, potter
Lacey's work, Laceypots
- Maddie and Me felted bags.
Maddie and me creator, Sue Clark. She has three hockey players, and one figure skater, giving her ample rinkside time to knit.
And here are photos of a few old friends of Grommet. I will always have a special place in my heart for people who were part of our first year’s build of the Grommet experience.
Jana Perretti of Water's End.
Janna made a clever customized Valentine's Day kit for us. Janna has a huge range of luscious stationery products.
Mary Yanke holding up one of her exquisite decoupage plates
One of many MY Design plates
Mary has such a wit and and sophistication to her many original designs. Each plate is handcrafted and very finely detailed. Her company is MY Design and you can be virtually guaranteed that if you give one of her plates as a gift, the recipient will not already have one.
Maureen Harder in her booth, ready to sample her exquisite sauces.
Sassy Sauces
I am a big fan of Maureen’s Spicy Dark Chocolate Sauce. You know when you eat it that you got something special goin’ on in your mouth.
When Maureen came into our office to make the video about Sassy Sauces, I was struck by the labor involved in creating the sauces. In the many months since, I’ve been struck by the labor involved in creating all of the handcrafted Grommets. These people are burning the midnight oil to make their creations, then up with the roosters jumping in their vehicles to deliver, display, and sell their products. There is nothing efficient about any of this. Platforms like Grommet (and etsy.com) finally give them a place to tell their story, connect with people who appreciate artisinal work, and make a living.
They all expressed their appreciation for our efforts to make this goal, and Grommet’s role, a reality. It was really heartwarming for me to see each of these talented people again, and I am glad to share their work with you here too.
Jules Pieri 
One Response to “Real Deal Road Trip No. 4: Wellesley Marketplace”
Jules, love this post. In addition to working with Daily Grommet, I’ve been involved with this event (sponsored by the Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club) for a few years. Couldn’t agree more that I deeply admire the skills and passion each artisan brings (quite literally) to the table. And this particular event raises tens of thousands for local charity. A great event to celebrate.