A 23-Year Partnership with Hillary Lambert
For more than two decades, BHcrafts had the privilege of working with the Sundance Catalog team, primarily on the Holiday Edition, a relationship that began in 2001 and continued until the company’s closure in 2025. This partnership was more than a business arrangement. It was a collaboration rooted in respect, creativity, and a shared belief in the power of handmade work.
Sundance Catalog Holiday Edition 2016 Cover Page with BHcrafts Christmas Stockings
How It All Began
The connection between BHcrafts and Sundance Catalog started with a great help of Peggy Berry, who was helping BHcrafts a lot at the time (we all love her so much), introducing our work to Hillary Lambert in 2001. Hillary was then a buyer at Sundance, known for her keen eye for craftsmanship and authenticity. In 2002, Sundance placed its first order with BHcrafts for 200 pairs of hand-knit slipper socks. Those socks marked the beginning of a long and meaningful relationship. This was described in two articles on the Sundance blog, dedicated to our women artisans, and another to a long journey with BHcrafts (Bosnian Handicrafts). Soon, our product range expanded to include blankets, baby socks, and hats. In 2004, we began creating handmade Christmas stockings and Christmas tree skirts, items that would later become signature products for Sundance Catalog Holiday Edition.
The People Behind the Partnership
BHcrafts Artisans Crocheting Blanket for Sundance Catalog Holiday Edition 2014
Throughout the years, several Sundance team members played key roles in building this strong relationship.
- Hillary Lambert evolved from a buyer into the Vice President of Jewelry and Home at Sundance Catalog. Her leadership and vision guided Sundance’s distinctive aesthetic, one that celebrated handmade artistry and authenticity.
- Kim Thompson, Angie Duckworth, and others from the Sundance team supported BHcrafts with professionalism, creativity, and mutual respect. Their feedback helped us refine our designs, improve production processes, and maintain the high quality that Sundance customers expected.
These individuals were not only business partners but also advocates of fair trade and craftsmanship. They believed in the human stories behind every handmade piece.
The Meaning Behind Every Deadline We Respected
Each year, months after delivering Festive stockings, as the holiday season approached, we would receive Christmas greeting cards from the Sundance Catalog team. These were not standard corporate cards. They were personal, heartfelt messages signed by the hand of every person we worked with who had become part of our story.
One of the Christmas Cards we received from the Sundance Catalog team
Year after year, we would receive holiday greetings like this one.
Those cards carried warmth across continents. They reminded us that behind every order and every deadline were real people who cared. It was a moment of pride and connection. It made all of us at BHcrafts, including our women artisans, feel seen and valued by a respected American company.
Growth Through Challenges
The partnership with Sundance Catalog helped BHcrafts grow from a small social enterprise into a trusted fair trade supplier. It provided stability during difficult global periods.
- During the 2008 recession, Sundance’s steady orders kept our artisans employed.
- During COVID-19, their continued trust ensured that dozens of families in rural Bosnia and Herzegovina could still rely on their craft as a source of income.
In 2022, BHcrafts received its largest single order from Sundance Catalog Holiday Edition, nearly half a million US dollars of Christmas tree stockings. For a small social enterprise, this was both a major test and a tremendous achievement. We delivered everything on time, proving our ability to handle large-scale production without losing the handmade quality that defines our work.
More Than Business
Our 23-year collaboration with Sundance was not only about selling our Festive stockings. It was a journey of mutual learning and respect. Each season brought new designs, challenges, and opportunities to grow.
Sundance helped BHcrafts shape its approach to quality, design, and customer care. The partnership gave our artisans international exposure and connected their work to thousands of homes across the United States.
Even as Sundance began its closing process in early 2025, the legacy of this collaboration remains strong. For BHcrafts, it stands as a reminder of what is possible when a company believes in people, craftsmanship, and purpose-driven business.
BHcrafts Christmas Tree Skirt photo for the Sundance Catalog Holiday Edition 2020
A Lasting Legacy
We remain deeply grateful to Hillary Lambert, Kim Thompson, Angie Duckworth, and all the Sundance team members who stood with us for 23 years. Their trust allowed BHcrafts to sustain livelihoods, preserve traditional crafts, and share the beauty of handmade art with the world.
Our story with Hillary Lambert is still unfolding. After Sundance Catalog closed, our collaboration continued through her work with Jes MaHarry.
This story is one of loyalty, shared values, and genuine partnership. Proof that good business can also do good.
Sundance Holiday Collection
For the first time, Sundance Christmas tree stockings are now available directly from BHcrafts at www.bhcrafts.shop. You’ll find the same Holiday Stockings that appeared in Sundance for more than twenty years, along with new variations created in the same spirit of craftsmanship and fair trade.
All photos are collected from Pinterest and Facebook users