Frequently Asked Questions
Aloha mai kakou! Weʻre the States. We run this business as a family out of our home on Oahu. It is truly a labor of love and team effort! Malu holds up the Hawaiian language and community giveback end and I hold up the creative and operational side Even our kids have to contribute! They model for us and remind us what patience and humility look like. This business supports our family and we work all day every day except Sunday to give all of your our very best. We appreciate you all so much for giving us your time, attention, and support. We hope this page helps to answer some of your questions! Please keep in mind that when we answer these questions we want to help you where we can while maintaining the integrity and uniqueness of our brand and company.
Sewing
Do you do custom outfits? I’m trying to look for matching outfits for a family?
I don't sew custom outfits at this time. It is a service I would love to offer in the future once I have a team to help me run everything. I do however host a fb sewing group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/853335295248690/ and there are many seamstresses in the group interested in sewing for hire. You can post your inquiry there. I would recommend that you state in your post exactly what you want made and your budget so that the seamstresses have an up front idea of what you're looking for.
How do I join the fb group?
Our fb sewing group is called Kaulumaika Hui Humuhumu. To join the group you just have to request membership on facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/853335295248690/ and answer these 3 questions:
- What is your interest for wanting to join the group?
- I agree to follow the rules and understand that I could be kicked out for not following them.
- I agree understand that Kaulumaika created this group as a way for the community to interact and is not liable or responsible for the actions of others in the group. Kaulumaika will however moderate the group according to the rules.
If you answer the questions you will be automatically added to the group. If not your membership request will remain in pending mode until you return and answer all the questions.
Where do I get the batting and backing to sew my cheater quilt?
https://kaulumaika.com/blogs/hard-working-hawaiians/how-to-sew-a-cheater-quilt
Art
Do you illustrate children’s books?
I have tried illustrating a children's book of my own and I found it so time consuming I actually hired another local artist to help me do it. I would love to illustrate books, but with everything I have going on it's not a service I offer. I would highly recommend my illustrator. She is a very talented, professional, and willing to go the extra mile for your project. Here is the best way to contact her: sara.saffery@gmail.com
Do you sell prints or original artworks?
I love fabric so I mostly sell fabric, but occasionally I’ll sell other products to keep things fun and interesting. While prints are not a regular item in the shop they do pop up a few times a year. The first to find out about any prints available would be those on my email list and those that follow me on Instagram.
What do you use to do watercolor art?
I use Canson XL paper because of itʻs affordability and quality. I use Koi watercolor pigments along with Daniel Smith Watercolor. My favorite brushes are Silver Black Velvet round brushes and Princeton Heritage Watercolor round brushes. You can find all these things on Amazon and Blick.com
What do you use to do digital art?
I use a 12.9" Ipad Pro 2nd generation with the 2nd generation Apple pencil and the app Procreate which is available in any app store. Be sure to check Appleʻs website to see if your ipad is compatible with an apple pencil. Be sure to get Procreate and not Procreate Pocket or something else.
Fabric
Where do you get your fabric from?
I print my fabric in China and import it to Hawaii. This was a decision I made after 2 years of testing various suppliers in the US, Europe, and China based on quality, customer service, and customization options. I would love to manufacture my own fabric in Hawaii within the next 30 years of running Kaulumaika.
Who is your supplier?
While I love to share a lot of what I do, I keep the specific names of suppliers to myself. This protects the copyrights of our designs, our unique processes, and the relationships with my suppliers that I have been building for years. I will say however that I learned how to do pretty much everything I do from the internet. When I don’t know how to do something I search for the answers on Google and Youtube and try things until I find what’s right for me.
Can you customize my fabric order?
Any type of customization takes a lot of time, attention to detail, and communication. Occasionally I will open up certain items for a very specific customization like a name, year, or phrase. When I do these types of orders I will let everyone know via email or my Instagram. Outside of those group customizations, you can submit a request via this form: https://forms.gle/qDxZYAoH1tQfFXcL8
Can you restock this design?
Fabrics are quite limited and are always being changed and updated. If you see a design that you like that is not currently being sold on my site chances are we are all sold out. Stay tuned for possible restocks and future collections. Fabrics also make special appearances from time to time so while there is never a guaranteed restock for my designs, I may bring something similar to my shop in the future or bring back designs in other products and ways.
Orders, Shipping, and fulfillment
Can I cancel my order?
Please read our cancelation policy by clicking here: https://kaulumaika.com/pages/product-fulfillment-and-shipping-1
Will you be restocking an item?
Time moves fast here! Life is always changing and growing and so is the business so there is never a guarantee that an item will be restocked. Sometimes my suppliers change, my seamstresses move, our understanding of language and culture evolves... who knows?! Many times I have every hope to restock an item and I just never get the time to do it. For all these reasons you should really just buy the items you like when they come out or stick around to see if they come back. Chances are though that if you liked something that I made in the past youʻll like something I make in the future so donʻt worry if weʻre out of something! We always have new products coming.
Promotions
Can you promote my page, post, product, etc?
I highly value and respect the time and attention of my community. Your request, post, or piece of content may be a great one, but depending on the day, the time, how many stories I have already posted, how many requests I get, the theme of the day, the theme of the month/week, how I am feeling, the aesthetic of my feed, and a number of other factors I may or may not decide to share your post. It is not because your cause is not a good one, but rather because - in the moment you asked, I decided it wasn’t a good fit. If you would like to do a paid promotion then please submit your request here: https://forms.gle/QmvxseFU2MDCukfU8
Wholesale
Do you offer wholesale?
I do not at this time, but hopefully in 2023 I can offer wholesale prices on certain products.
Hawaiian Language
How do I learn Hawaiian? Where do I start?
Malu (my husband) and I are very passionate about Hawaiian being a living language and a language that is used in everyday situations and every day. We have compiled a Hawaiian Language resource page which you can find here: https://kaulumaika.com/pages/na-kumu-waiwai We also have a podcast that answers questions about learning Hawaiian, which you can listen to here: https://kaulumaika.com/pages/hawaiian-at-home
Can you translate this for me?
Donations
Can you donate to our cause?
Please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/caxrsFcs1zuAEPev7
Collaborations
Can we collaborate?
I love collaborating with other entrepreneurs and creatives, but it takes a lot of time so I have to limit the number of collaborations I do every year. If you feel we would be a good fit for your company and collaboration request then please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/yYQovNpwtwBbfRve9
Product Fulfillment and Returns
Here at Ka'ulumaika we truly care about our relationship with our customers. As in all relationships, trust is important. We want you to know you can trust our family to always strive to create quality products that meet and hopefully exceed your expectations.
We can't compete with the return policies of big businesses that you're probably used to, but if you receive a product that you are dissatisfied with please let me know through IG or the contact form below within 14 days from the date that the product was delivered and I will work with you on resolving the issue.
Refunds: Full refunds will only be issued on defective products deemed defective by Kaulumaika after doing a review of the customer's request. As most items are handmade, custom, and in the case of fabric: cut to size, it is impossible to restock items after they are purchased and those items are non refundable. Shipping is also non-refundable and the cost to ship an item back is subtracted from any potential refund.
Canceling Orders: I work hard to prepare all my items before launches so that there is little confusion with what you are purchasing. My titles and product descriptions reflect that care and are detailed in explaining the product. If you mistakenly purchase a product and would like to cancel it then it is at my discretion to honor that request. Canceling orders takes me time and costs me fees in processing so refunds will be as follows:
No refunds on custom items including cut fabric and (due to COVID-19) items that have already been shipped.
Refunds for restock-able or non-fulfilled items: Up to the full paid amount refunded minus (3% of the total purchase amount (including shipping and tax) + $1.00)
Mahalo for your understanding! As a small shop these little differences make a big difference to us and we will do our best to work with you to resolve any issues.
Shipping
Fulfillment and shipping will be done in the order that the orders are received as also as they are completed. Some items take longer than others to make but across the board shipping usually takes 5-7 business days. There are multiple shipping options at checkout if you need an item sooner than the normal amount of time it takes to be shipped.
HOLIDAYS: Holidays are crazy seasons. People are buying more than usual and sometimes last minute. During the months of November and December please give your order 20 business days to be fulfilled and shipped to you. I will do my best to accommodate your timeline, but there is only so much I can control on my end.
COVID-19: Due to Covid-19 and safety. No returns or exchanges are accepted at this time. If you have questions about this policy then please reach out to us.
Thanks for checking out this page! It can take a while for me to answer questions individually so I hope you’ll find the answer you’re looking for here so you don’t have to wait for me to get back to you. Thank you also for your questions and your patience! I’m working to build a team so that I can better respond to your questions. Tip: If you’re on a laptop you can hit “command f” (for mac) and search for key words that might relate to the question you’re looking for. - Emily