Jennifer McPhee
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 16/02) - After 17 years running a successful sewing business, Sew It All, Ghizelle Ray woke up one morning and decided she'd had enough.

Ghizelle Ray first learned to sew at age four. - Jennifer McPhee/NNSL photo

"I woke up and said if I have enough money to put an ad in the newspaper, that's it."

And although she hasn't sold the shop yet, Ray still plans to close at the end of this month.

"I'm not closing it because its not a good business," she explains. "But it's time for me to have a change in my life."

Ray sews and mends just about anything, but specializes in weddings, graduations and first communions.

During busy times, Ray often began work in the wee early morning hours and didn't return home until 9 p.m.

"It gets to you after a while," she says.

"It's not that I don't enjoy sewing any more because I love sewing. I'm tired of it. I get tired fast now, so it's time for me to change."

Still, she'll miss her customers.

"I had good customers, very faithful customers coming back all these years," she says. "I'll miss being able to have a little chat, you know, everybody has their things to say and it makes you feel good."

"I just want to say thank you to my customers for all those years. I know they will miss me and I will miss them."

Everything in the store is on sale and Ray plans to go on vacation as soon as the store closes.

She's returning to her Quebec home town Les Escoumines to visit her brothers and sisters.

But she's still hoping someone will buy the store.

"I'd like to see it continue for another 17 years.

"But, if not, by the end of the month it will be closed and that will be very sad."