First Friday is May 6th!

Be Sweet! What is perfect thought for the month of May! Being kind to others is also the premise on which the Be Sweet company was founded.

Friday, May 6th is Northville's First Friday Art Walk. Visit us at the Dancing Eye Gallery that night and meet Yvette Jenkins who represents Be Sweet handbags designed by Mielie in South Africa. These colorful, unique bags are made in a hooked rug technique of recycled fabric by Xhosa women who have learned new skills and invested in their future in a region that once offered little economic opportunity. Some of the profits from sales help support a local school in South Africa.

Yvette will also bring wall hangings and table runners besides purses. Special orders may be taken too.

Another great product that will be available will be the limited edition "yoga for schools" yoga meditation cushion. A percentage of the sales of each cushion goes toward bringing yoga training and supplies to a Michigan school in need.

So, if you are looking for an accessory that is recycled, supportive, thoughtful and one-of-a-kind art, then stop in next Friday from 5-8 p.m. to view the trunk show!

Note: We will be open and accessible during the exciting Streetscape Enhancement Project, as will all businesses. You can check out the progress during the Art Walk. You can also get updates at http://www.downtownnorthville.org/.

Mielie Bags from Be Sweet

The Dancing Eye Gallery is now carrying brightly colored and unique bags by Mielie from Be Sweet.

Mielie works with recycled materials to handcraft their unique range of products in Cape Town, South Africa. Mielie was born in 2002 around Adri Schutz's dining room table and since then has grown to a family of fifty proud South Africans. Their mission is to design and produce innovative, export-quality hand-crafted products using reclaimed materials - with the aim of creating employment and restoring dignity and financial independence to South Africans.

A portion of profits from the bags go to support local schools and create jobs within the south african communities.

As far as is possible all their products are hand-made, and they are committed to using locally produced materials. The fabric of the Mielie range is reclaimed, and their finishes (cotton thread, needles, genuine leather handles etc) are locally produced. Mielie strips - from which their bags and other products are woven - are a byproduct from cotton mills. Once a week Mielie buys them by the kilogram from local factories. Because the shades vary every week and seasonally - like a box of chocolates, they never know quite what they'll get. Their solution is to work with broad colourways - i.e. lagoon = dark blue to aqua, emerald to bottle green. This guarantees every bag is unique!

Check out more bags after the jump.