- Stitching Life's Precious Moments, One Blog Post at a Time
Hey y’all- I wanted to take a moment to share a little about what Pockets of Orange is, where it comes from, and what it means to me.
Because yes – it’s a business. I sell handmade goods. But it’s also…way more than that.
Lately, I’ve been stepping out more and showing up at local craft markets – connecting face -to-face with folks, watching people light up when they see a fabric that reminds them of home, or find a bag that feels just right in their hands. It’s been beautiful and affirming.
But I also realized that as I show up more, I want to take a little time to offer clarity – to share the heart behind Pockets of Orange and let you into the why, how, and the who.
I’m a Black woman, a mama, an unschooler raising free babies on the island of O’ahu. I create in the in-between spaces – in the middle of mothering, resting, learning, feeling.
Pockets of Orange started from a deep need to create something with my hands and from my heart. Something that made space for joy, culture, care, and connection – outside the grind, outside the hustle.
It’s for all of us who want to carry beauty through our day – not just the pretty kind, but the meaningful, rooted kind. The kind your soul recognizes.
Everything I sew is handmade – often stitched in the quiet and often not- so-quiet- at-all (que yelling, laughing, and constant requests for snacks) hours while my kids are playing, sleeping, or dancing in the next room. I work with fabrics and patterns from around the world, especially those rooted in Black, Brown, and Indigenous traditions. Ankara, Kitenge, indigo, mudcloth– they carry stories and I treat them with reverence and care.
I offer:
Because Pockets of Orange is about more than just what I can make with my hands – its about creating space for others, too. I love the idea of a collective, a circle of artists whose work speaks a shared language of beauty story, and resistance.
And just as important – Pockets of Orange is also a space where my children get to explore, create, and shine Under the name Watoto Poa- which means cool kids in Kiswahili- they sell their comic books, art, and whatever other dreams they make real. They have a space on my website just for them, and sometimes I bring their work with me to markets, too. Watching them learn how to share their magic with the world on their own terms? That’s been one of the sweetest parts of this whole journey.
Pockets of Orange is a soft rebellion. It’s a refusal to center profit over people. It’s a love letter to slow living, to ancestral memory, to being your full authentic self – out loud and unapologetic.
I’m building a business that doesn’t believe money should be a barrier to beauty or belonging. That’s why I offer trade and barter wherever I can, and why I stay open to new ways of doing this-ways that feel good, not extractive.
This is a space for collaboration, for interdependence, for rising together. The jewelry, the fabric, the stories – and the tiny creative sparks from my babies – they’re all woven from the same thread: connection.
If you’ve stumbled across my work – maybe at a market, maybe through a friend, maybe on Instagram- I just want to say Mahalo. FOR REAL.
When you wear or carry a piece from Pockets of Orange, I hope it reminds you of:
These pieces aren’t just products. They’re little pockets of warmth, lineage, and soul. And they’re made – or chosen- with you in mind.
With so much ALOHA,
Noelle
Mama- Maker- Rooted Dreamer
Pockets of Orange
