I did not officially meet Jennifer Zamudio until I showed up to photograph her & her darling shop in Downtown Brunswick last Friday. (I thought it would be most appropriate to feature her because her shop, Dot & Army, ends up in almost every one of my features!) I remember running home to my husband & bragging about all the ways this venture has affected me; not only have I come across some businesses I didn't know about or hadn't had the pleasure of visiting, I have met some remarkable people (now friends!) along the way. After declaring how lucky I am, I proceeded to tell my husband how so very talented, nice, genuine, bright, easy-going, & hard-working Jennifer is! That's why I'm so excited to be featuring her this week!
Today, you know the brand, Dot & Army, as beautiful, handcrafted cloth napkins & table linens. But the brand was actually started about 8-9 years ago with bibs, burp cloths, snack bags, baby's & children's dresses & pajamas all made from vintage fabrics, table linens, & muumuus. Jennifer sold her goods on Etsy, farmers markets, trunk shows, & by way of word of mouth. However, a personal decision 7 years ago for her family to quit using paper towels & only use cloth napkins sent Dot & Army in a new direction. Friends and family began requesting her hand-sewn cloth napkins & in 2016 her shop opened in Downtown Brunswick. The rest is history. (But I'll keep telling the story anyway!)
(Scroll a bit to view only some of her amazing work!)
SNACK BAGS! As somebody who has been transitioning to a more eco-friendly & health-conscious lifestyle over the last couple of years, I can totally get behind this! These are completely reusable and can be used for ALL kinds of snacks, ranging from grapes to blueberries, crackers to granola, & oranges to Cheerios! Just throw in the wash!
What or who is "Dot & Army?" you may ask! Dot & Army are actually Jennifer's maternal grandparents! A humongous inspiration behind her work & solid contributors to the person she is today, Jennifer says they "are the best people, kind & generous, family is a priority to them." And wouldn't you know the brand does not pay homage to her grandparents in just the name? Dot taught Jennifer's mother how to sew & Jennifer's mother taught her how to sew. Aside from passing on her talent, "they are hardworking people, and very kind and honest, and I strive to be like them," Zamudio says. (I think she's been pretty successful!)
Jennifer was able to employ her mother & together, in the back of her shop, they sew. For some, a mother-daughter team (or any close friend or family member) in a professional environment doesn't sound that appealing but for Jennifer & her mom, it works! They seem to have a wonderful relationship, constantly encourage/support one another, & continue to grow together! "In the end," she says, "we always laugh a lot, & we are never one to say no to a glass of wine!"
A custom apron for our friends, the Farmer & the Larder
REUSABLE SANDWICH BAGS in the making! You guys, QUIT USING ZIPLOC BAGS RIGHT YESTERDAY AND GO GET YOU SOME OF THESE!
Blueprints for a custom order for another local business owner!
Matthew of the Farmer & the Larder holds up is rough sketch of his custom-designed apron!
Jennifer has opened her storefront to other business owners to sell goods made in Georgia. About once a week, she searches the world wide web for new shops & items that are unique, tell a story, & represent the great people who make them. Currently in her shop is a wide selection of soy candles, soaps, pottery, wall art, wood products like cutting boards and salt cellars, cooking salts, locally made furniture, & jams & pickles & more!
I can't even begin to tell you how sad I am that we had to sell our farm table due to down-sizing houses. I can assure you that once I have a forever space, my table will be completely adorned with Dot & Army linens. For now, Jennifer has inspired me to transition my own family to cloth napkins in leu of paper napkins (even if we are having to use them on our TV trays). With little ones who are constantly eating, I am excited to carry around my new snack bags that are beautiful, practical, reusable, & made right here in my own town! But Jennifer has also inspired me to keep doing what I'm doing. She truly is a hard worker &, though her vision didn't explode overnight (as is the case with many successes!), people have caught on to the quality of her work, unique story, & love that goes in to each piece. She truly deserves all the good things!
Thank you Jennifer for your contributions & thank you Dot & Army for helping create one of my new favorite entrepreneurs!
If you live in Brunswick, please visit her store at 1426 Newcastle St #100, Brunswick, GA 31520.
Also check her out at the following:
Etsy :: Website :: Uncle Don's Local Market on St. Simon's Island :: the Market at Sea Island :: Turnip Greens in Darien :: Food52.com :: the Farmer & the Larder