Today, April 15th, 2027, my travels have taken me to Sooke, British Columbia, Canada to interview Deanna Pulido Baker, owner of the Bayanihan Fiber Collective. The sun is out on this warm spring day with a light breeze caressing the pink and purple hyacinths.

As I pull into the parking lot, in front of me are three large bay windows and a glass door. Above the bay windows is a large rectangle sign. On the sign is the name Bayanihan Fiber Collective.

The name is written with what appears to be a twisted rainbow colored rope. The logo is of a young asian girl learning how to knit with a dark haired woman guiding the girl’s hands as they both hold the girl’s knitting needles.

Across all three bay windows are paintings and drawings of women and girls knitting, crocheting, tatting, embroidering, spinning or weaving. Some of the artwork resembles artwork drawn by kids using crayons or pencil crayons.

To the right of the door, sitting on a post, are two mini wooden houses with steep cedar shingle roofs. Each house has glass doors and round wooden door knobs. The red house on the left has a label that reads “Free Little Library for Crafting Material. Share extra supplies you have and take what you need.

The blue house’s sign reads “Free Little Library to take or share patterns and crafting books with others.” Intrigued, I peek into each house. The red house contains an assortment of yarn, knitting needles, and embroidery floss. The blue house has an assortment of knitting, crochet, and sewing patterns and old historical pamphlets on weaving and processing wool.

I enter the Bayanihan Fiber Collective and am greeted by a chirpy voice, “Welcome! Come on in.” The voice belongs to a short women wearing a black t-shirt and black yoga pants with green butterflies.

I glance around the large room and notice the left wall has mountains painted on it. The large wall opposite the bay windows has a large meadow dotted with blue camas, purple, pink, and yellow foxglove, and purple and pink lupine.

To my right, the wall is of a sandy and rocky beach and the ocean. In front of the beach wall I notice a large round table surrounded with several comfy chairs in primary colors. There is also a shelf with an assortment of brightly colored bean bags. I notice many of the shelves are curved.

I stroll towards the woman with the chirpy voice. She smiles and extends her right hand and says, “I’m Deanna. Welcome to the Bayanihan Fiber Collective. Please feel free to look around. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask Jacquie (she nods to a lady sitting near the cash register, knitting) or myself. We’ll do our best to answer your questions.”

I shake her hand and reply, “I’m Jess Smith from Textile Fiber Magazine and I’m here to interview you.”

Deanna smiles and replies, “Pleased to meet you.” She leads me to a small table with a shelf full of large brightly colored mugs, a large hot water dispenser, boxes of herbal, black, and green tea, and packets of Stevia and cane sugar.

“Please help yourself to some tea and we can talk when you’re ready.”

I choose a red mug with white roses on it and plunk a lemon ginger tea bag into the hot water. Deanna chooses a mug with peaches and dips a jasmine green tea bag into her boiling water. I follow her to the large round table and sit in a comfy large, blue chair. I pull out my pen, writing pad, and cell phone from my bag and place them on the table. Deanna sits across from me.

“Deanna, what made you decide to open this fiber collective?”

Deanna swishes her tea bag inside her mug before answering. “I come from a family of crafters. My maternal grandma was a skilled crocheter and embroiderer. My Mom was also a skilled crocheter who crocheted a christening gown in a day.

She taught me how to crochet when I was seven and my Dad taught me how to cross stitch when I was eleven. For years I sold my crafts at a Sunday Farmers Market and occasionally at Christmas craft fairs.

I was part of the South Cowichan Crochet Club for over a year. During the wintertime we made hats and scarves to donate to Handmade Hugs to help the less fortunate people keep warm. I occasionally joined the Knitting and Fiber circles in Sooke.

I liked the camaraderie within each group and felt like a part of a vibrant community. I wanted a business where women and girls could feel like they were part of a thriving community in a safe environment. I also wanted a way to give back to the community in creative ways.

I took the Master Key Experience course and was faced with several decisions. What did I want to do with my life? What was my passion, my center, my dharma? I know I wanted to be healthy and I enjoyed helping people. It took me a while to come up with a plan I was happy with.”

“What does health have to do with your business?” I asked.

Deanna took a long sip from her mug before replying. “I start my day focusing on positive affirmations, scripture, and the tapping technique. Philippians 4:8 states ‘Finally, brethren, whatever is true, noble, pure, lovely, and admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think on such things.’ This helps with my mental health.

I bring this positive energy to the Bayanihan Fiber Collective. Being happy helps lower my stress level and my blood sugar levels. I’m less likely to ‘eat my feelings’ so my blood sugar levels are normal. I also practice yoga and Pilates.

This helps minimize a sore back, neck, carpel tunnel, fingers cramping, and tennis elbow from repetitive motions caused from hours of crocheting and knitting. When business is slow and I need a break from making crafts, I eagerly write inspirational quotes on paint chips that karma staff and customers can bring home or share with others.

I also write thank you cards to donors, volunteers, and instructors. It’s not just a nice gesture; it’s invigorating to be grateful to so many people! Without them, this dream would not be a reality.”

“What are karma staff?”

“Karma staff are volunteers who help customers, restock supplies, act as cashiers, and assist with classes and workshops. Most of our karma staff are skilled fiber artists specializing in knitting, crocheting, needle or wet felting, weaving or embroidering.”

I ponder what Deanna has told me so far. “Bayanihan Fiber Collective is an interesting name. What does Bayanihan mean?”

“Bayanihan is a Filipino term for community. It’s often used when a community helps each other.”

“How does this collective help the community?”

Deanna smiles and replies, “On Sundays we have free knitting and crocheting classes for kids and teenagers. These beginner classes teach kids basic stitches and how to create small projects like hats, scarves, fridge magnets, toys, etc.

The kids can either bring their own supplies or we provide supplies for them. There is nothing like teaching a kid how to make something and seeing the ‘ah-ha’ moment when she understands the technique, and the pride beaming from her face when she completes a project.

Also, on Sundays between 4 and 6 pm and Wednesdays between 5 and 7 pm are free Fiber Circles. For two hours people, mostly women and girls, sit together around the round table to work on their projects and chat with friends.

It’s a safe space to talk about life, laugh, ask for help on a project, and to network. Once a quarter, we donate different crafting supplies to a local daycare like Kids Quest Day Care or a local elementary like Saseenos Elementary.

Sometimes the supplies are based on a theme like orange sweaters for Orange Shirt Day or friendship bracelets for Valentine’s day. The supplies can be yarn, crochet hooks or knitting needles, small knitting looms or cross stitch kits.

Sometimes the daycare or school will tell us what supplies they need for a project. I look forward to seeing the excitement in the kids eyes when they get a package of crafting supplies. It’s like opening presents on Christmas. The look of wonder and excitement warms my heart.”

Deanna sips more tea. She looks pensive when she continues. “Most classes and workshops are either free or for a low fee based on an affordable sliding scale; between 15 and 40 dollars. I know what it’s like to be excited about a class or workshop only to find out that I couldn’t afford it.

I didn’t want others to feel this way towards the Bayanihan’s programs. Some of our customers donate supplies or funds to support these programs. Some of our instructors donate their time to run the classes and workshops.

Once a month we have a Fiber Circle dedicated to creating ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ crafts. These crafts, when completed, are put into small plastic bags with a message letting the ‘finder’ know the item is not lost and was left to brighten their day.

We have permission to leave these items hidden at the Sooke Library, Western Foods, Village Food Market, the garden at Little Vienna Bakery, a few church yards, and the BC Cancer Clinic. Through these activities, the Bayanihan spirit is shared with others.”

I ponder what Deanna has told me. If all these services are free, how can the business stay open? I sip some tea, the lemon ginger flavor flows smoothly down my throat. I ask her, “If most of your services are free, how can you afford to pay bills?”

Deanna smiles. Her face looks radiant. Could it be from the sun reflecting on her face or an effect from what she’s sharing with me?

“I initially got grants from Scotiabank’s Women Initiative and the Canadian government’s small business grant program. I also approached the local fiber community with my business proposal.

Most of the group felt the same way as I did about my vision for the Fiber Women’s Collective. Some donated time, supplies, or funds. Others reached out to their network and procured additional sponsors. Still others spread the word about the Bayanihan through social media and word of mouth.

Women who consign their crafts at Bayanihan contribute 5% of their sales to Bayanihan’s operations. We promote activities held at other local fiber stores, craft fairs, and Fibrations, a large fiber event where everything fiber related is showcased.

If other stores carry items Bayanihan doesn’t carry, we inform our customers which fiber stores carry those items. Promoting other fiber stores and events also strengthens the fiber community. ”

I remember the two libraries at the front of the store. “I notice you have two different libraries in front of the store; one for crafting supplies and the other for books and patterns. There is also a large basket by the cash register for donations. Why are there two libraries and where do the donations in the basket go?”

“The donations in the basket are for both the children’s Sunday classes and the quarterly donations to daycares and elementaries. The reason there are two little libraries is so the community can donate or take items from either library when they visit the store during business hours or after hours. Having two libraries keeps the items organized.”

“I noticed each wall has a different painting. What made you decide to have mountains on one wall, a beach near the round table, and a meadow on the back wall? Why are many of the shelves curved?”

“Each wall is a different calming image. This reinforces the safe haven ambiance of the Bayanihan. If you peeked into the bathroom the walls have orange, black and white koi fish in ponds full of white and pink waterlilies.

Koi fish are my calming image. The curved shelves allow people to walk around and notice books and fiber supplies easier. I got my inspiration from the Sooke Library’s curved book and DVD shelves.”

“What made you choose the logo?”

“I wanted an intergenerational image of a child learning how to knit, assisted by an adult teacher. It’s a simple way to visually convey what the Bayanihan is all about.”

“Thank you for your time and telling me about the Bayanihan Fiber Collective. I wish you luck with your business.”

“Thank you Jess for stopping by and letting me tell you about the Bayanihan Fiber Collective. Safe travels.”

If you are in Sooke, BC you can check out the Bayanihan Fiber Collective at 103 Otter Point Rd. Unit 2 or online at bayanihanfibercollective.ca.