Anna Woofenden has been playing with color and fiber since she was a young girl experimenting with tie-dye, batik, and marbling, and attending any sort of children’s art workshop that came through town. Over the years Anna has used many different craft and art mediums to create a variety of beautiful and practical pieces, including quilts she designed and crafted as gifts for loved ones. She has also worked with beads, paints, wool, yarn, and felting.

A few years ago Anna decided to learn tie-dye and hand dying so she could make Christmas gifts for family and friends. After a successful batch, she started experimenting and continued to dye various scarves, hats, t-shirts, socks, skirts, and anything else she got her hands on. When a few close friends were expecting babies, she chose to work with hand-dyed silk and combine it with flannel to make a cozy, soft, durable blanket. These first two Dala Creative baby blankets are still well used today by their now almost 3-year-old owners.

As many friends and family members continued to receive hand-dyed gifts, they encouraged Anna to sell her products. Last year (2006) the dream became a reality when Dala Creative emerged as a full-fledged business venture. “Dala,” the Zulu word for creativity, reflects Anna’s deep love of the African culture and the inspiration she draws from the vibrant colors and feeling of African art. The company logo came into being as Anna doodled in the sand of a West African beach.

Dala Creative products are made from silk, velvet, and cotton. Each item is individually hand-dyed with fiber-reactive dyes. Some items are dyed with traditional tie-dye techniques, others are painted, and still others are dyed in other unique ways. All the products are treated with a dye setting agent and are machine washable using the gentle setting. Silks should be hung to dry; cotton products can be dried in the dryer. All the products are durable and ready to be worn or used and loved.

Dala Creative as a business is committed to community and global awareness, donating 10% of its proceeds to various charities around the world. It is the goal of Dala Creative to bring joy, comfort, hope, and beauty to people through the colors and textures of its products.