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the store onto Fifth Avenue all the world was bathed in a golden glow.

The money was important but even more important was the tremendous sense of confidence that stemmed from this first faltering venture. How my spirits vaulted! I had actually made a mark, no more than a pinprick, to be sure, but nonetheless a mark in the commercial world. Had I failed in the first few attempts, I probably would have concluded that there was no market for my work and weaving would have become merely a source of personal pleasure and of gifts for friends. (to this day, I often go to the loom and weave for relaxation, as others do at the piano.)

Ambition then led me to try the elegant small shops on Madison Avenue. Here I had little success. The buyers liked what I showed them and agreed that handwoven material was somewhat rare, but they wanted larger pieces of fabric than I could turn out on my small loom. It didn't matter greatly. They expressed interest, and if it was purely a question of