Ferdneit Downing-Harris turned herself from a consumer to a producer when her daughter was young. She loved dressing her daughter up in outfits with matching hair bows, but one day the high price of children’s accessories had her fed up.
“I bought her a dress from Dillards and found the matching bow – it was really expensive,” she said. “I decided to never buy an expensive bow again.”
Downing-Harris bought some ribbon and a glue gun and got to work.
About 20 years later, she has taken what she likes to do and made it into a career.
She and her friend, Terri Dansby, recently opened Nana’s Bowtique, a unique store that caters to young girls.
“We both have girls and we love to see girls looking like girly girls and not like little runway models,” Downing-Harris said.
The store specializes in handmade bows, headbands and pillowcase dresses, but also sells totes, tutus, diaper covers, socks, crochet hats, jewelry, scarves and candles.
“Soon we’re also going to sell children’s shoes and adult rhinestone shirts,” Dansby said.
The two got started when they took a community education class on sewing at Hahnville High School earlier this year.
“My grandmother was a seamstress and I always loved sewing and making crafts,” Downing-Harris said. “We took our time and worked together and I showed (Dansby) the basics.”
The two began making pillowcase dresses which tie over the shoulder with ribbons.
“They came out cute and a lot of people started asking for them,” Downing-Harris said. She also had a steady stream of people asking her to make hair bows for their daughters.
Downing-Harris has been making bows for Dansby’s daughter, who is now a senior at Hahnville High, for 18 years.
“She’s still wearing them now,” Dansby said.
Downing-Harris carefully bends the ribbons through her fingers, fanning them out and securing the shape with a piece of wire. She uses only a piece of ribbon, a glue gun, some wire and scissors to make the professional-looking bows.
“I’ve always been a visual learner,” she said, as she only had to look at a bow to figure out how to make a perfect replica.
Now that their daughters are grown up, they wanted to make cute outfits for other children.
“Now we just like to dress other peoples’ daughters,” Downing-Harris said, laughing.
Before opening the store, Dansby was a full-time mom and Downing-Harris is currently a student at Nicholls State University majoring in social services and early childhood development.
Nana’s Bowtique is now open on Highway 90 in front of Majoria’s in Boutte. The store’s hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
The team also takes custom orders.
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