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Carrying
on a Cultural Tradition
As an immigrant of Tonga , Litia Lui saw
a market opportunity here in Utah that would allow her to
spend more time with her five children. Quilts have always
been an important part of the Polynesian community. They are
given as gifts for birthdays, weddings, funerals, anniversaries,
retirement and even Eagle Scout ceremonies. Litia had been
hand sewing quilts for friends and family as a hobby. When
the market trend moved from a traditional Hawaiian sewing
style, using a zigzag stitch, to a straight stitch, she decided
it was time to turn her hobby into a business.
A $10,000 Utah microenterprise loan enabled
Forever
Quilting to purchase the industrial
sewing machine needed to increase production capacity. From
June through December of 2002, Litia created over 150 beautiful
quilts. With over twelve different designs to choose from,
Forever
Quilting
offers queen and king size quilts priced from $100
to $300, depending on the details. In addition to the design,
Forever
Quilting customers get to pick the
colors of the soft, luxurious nylon tricot.
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