Allsides workroom to close

Barbara Ellington

ALLSIDES Workroom has for decades epitomised the finest tradition in Jamaican hand embroidery. Those who have purchased the items throughout the years cherish the exquisite Irish linen and cotton things for the "bottom drawer". But Allsides has become yet another casualty of the harsh economic times and come month end, the Parkington Plaza workroom will close its doors.

When Flair visited the workroom, the five permanent members of staff were in the process of packing several boxes and clearing away over 63 years of files and memories. And it was an obviously sad task.

Board member Mrs. Mavis Ellis and manager, Ms. Kathy Dyke, told Flair that the workroom's woes began with the conversion of the Cargill Avenue/Half-Way-Tree Road areas to one-way traffic. "In short order our business was cut by over 30 per cent; many of our regular customers were senior citizens who found navigating the new system difficult, in fact, some got lost several times trying to reach us and gave up in frustration," Ms. Dyke said.

Mrs. Ellis noted funding as their second major problem. There's no government assistance for what could easily be seen as national treasures. The art of embroidery was passed down for generations. The patterns depict slices of our heritage and culture and with each visit to the island, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, always purchased several pieces as gifts for her friends.

"Hand embroidery is not fully appreciated, the time between purchasing raw material and completing each piece by hand is long so items are expensive; if the workers can find easier jobs, that hurts us," Mrs. Ellis said. She noted that of the 400 piece-workers across eight parishes during Allsides' heyday, the number dwindled to 30 in recent times. There were 28 permanent members of staff at Parkington Plaza, now there are only five and they had already received redundancy payments so the premises can be vacated by June 3.

Receipts from sales became inadequate to pay expenses of high overdraft and the overheads. Funds from the Dutch and other agencies dried up and attempts to secure help through JAMPRO bore no fruit.

The third major area of concern is product design and both women say with the increased popularity of machine embroidery worldwide, it would make sense to purchase machines to add products with this finish to their inventory, but the machines cost money which Allsides did not have to invest in the new technology. "We need assistance in product development, we need innovative and modern ways to do things now. Allsides needs sponsorship, we can't survive alone," Mrs. Ellis said.

The impending closure has generated interest from customers who don't want it to close so they are hoping for a miracle at the eleventh hour. It is their vision to reopen Allsides in a better location and offer something new that will generate a steady cash flow.

Wholesale business also fell drastically as craft outlets changed their inventory but many came to support the closing down sale which began in March. The sadness in the ladies' faces was only surpassed by their determination to see Allsides flourish again.

Pointing to marketing as their fourth problem, they told Flair that when hard times hit, staff volunteered to work staggered hours rather than have co-workers laid off. "This will be a big loss to our culture but we succeeded in making a connection with and lifting the standards of Jamaican women who were able to work at home and care for their families," Mrs. Ellis said.

Allsides Workroom produced altar cloths for churches, prizes for golf tournaments, hand-embroidered dresses for women who want something special, among other products.

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