A LEMON FROM THE COUNTRY

In the search for Jamaican made shopping ideas, we came across some uniquely looking hand embroidered potholders. After further investigation into who manufactures these handmade souvenirs, we found ourselves on the rocky road to Gutters, in the parish of St. James, to visit Ms. Elma Thompson.

At the edge of a steep valley of luscious jungle we managed to maneuver our vehicle into the only possible parking spot on the hill in front of Ms. Elma Thompson’s house. Guiding us down a rocky path to her welcoming home with panoramic views, Ms. Elma served us a glass of chilled soursop juice before filling us in on the nitty-gritty of the sewing and embroidery trade.

The enterprise of hand embroidering pot holders, bags and detailed, handmade quilts started over 16 years ago, when a lady called Ann Mills passed on her skills to a group of interested women. Today, Ms. Elma carries on her legacy with the help of a few ladies, using the original stencils showing Jamaican fruits, vegetables, birds, flowers and other Illustrating the appliquéd bird, the words ‘Jamaican Doctor Bird’ was embroidered onto the fabric, followed by perfectly stitched bordering of the bird.

Opening her treasure chest again, Ms. Elma pulled out samples of quilt squares and proudly showed us photos of the numerous quilts the team has made over the years. “A quilt can take up to 9 months to make.” Pointing to a picture, she added; “I remember this particular one, which had countless narrow strips of cloth, which we had to assemble.”

Ms. Elma, who is obviously not afraid of hard work, declared that; “Jimmy Cliff sings “’It’s gonna be rough’, but I am a firm believer in God and know that he will work it all out for me.”

Ms. Elma’s storage cupboards, which we caught a glimpse of in passing, contain countless boxes of embroidery threads categorized by color and perfectly arranged along with stacks of canvas looking fabric. Neatly organized metal chocolate and cookie containers filled with needles, threads and other sewing essentials, fill her airy balcony that serves as the workshop.

Assisted by her husband; “T”, Ms. Elma eagerly pulled necessary items from cupboards and containers to get ready for her demonstration. Using a solution of lead and kerosene oil, she stenciled the patterns onto a thick, beige canvas before neatly cutting out the shapes of birds and fruits.

We had to leave and approached the rocky path back to the road when “T” called down from the roof: “Can you catch?” Down came a rain of huge, rough skinned lemons. “Take a lemon from the country,” Ms. Elma said. Country people in Jamaica never let you leave without a gift.

Look out for Ms. Elma’s potholders in the following shops:

Montego Bay: Rita Simpson’s in Half Moon Shopping Village, the gift shop at Royal Decameron on Gloucester Avenue, the Tortuga Rum Cake Café inReading, Island Creations at MBJ Sangster Airport, Sunset Beach Resort and Sandals Hotels. Ocho Rios: Smile in Taj Mahal Shopping Center and Goggles Gift Shop at Royal Decameron, Runaway Bay. Negril: Sunny Side Gift Shop, Hedonism and Grand Lido Hotels.

All items, including handmade quilts, can be ordered directly from Elma Thompson on tel. 833-4214.