equipment and materials. Her business,
now called Fidelina’s, has been doing
great ever since.
Just like Fidelina’s, Dave eventually
passed the Nimble Thimble down to his
friend and customer, Linda Williams.
“One day Linda came walking through
the door and she said, ‘Dave! I had
a dream last night that I bought the
Nimble Thimble!’ and I said, ‘Well son-
of-a-gun! I had the same dream! But you
know what? I sold the Nimble Thimble
to you!’” Dave laughed. Dave wanted to
make sure that the Nimble Thimble was
truly the right fit for Linda, so before he
decided to sell her the business he had
her apprentice there every day for six
months. When her six months were up,
Linda bought the Nimble Thimble and
she and Dave coexisted within Garlic
City Mercantile until Linda moved the
Nimble Thimble down the street.
While Linda was apprenticing, she
encouraged one of her customers,
Carol Gutierrez, to take over Garlic
City ShirtWorks. Carol was a skilled
quilter and embroiderer, so when Dave
heard about Linda’s idea he thought
it was a great fit. Like Linda, Carol
apprenticed for six months before she
and her husband bought the business
this past July. Carol plans to expand the
embroidery business so that it offers not
only service but retail items as well.
Now that the Nimble Thimble has
moved, Garlic City Mercantile has
entered a new chapter of its life. Dave has
used all of the extra space to make the
store the go-to place for garlic, gadgets,
and gifts. He has even started helping
local artists by featuring their work in
his shop.
If there’s anything we can learn from
Dave, it’s that we should never be afraid
to pursue what inspires us. So far, Dave
is enjoying the store’s newest incarnation,
though there’s no telling what it
might be in the future. “Right now it’s
garlic, gadgets, and gifts. Until we add
antiques!” he said playfully.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
The Nimble Thimble, Garlic City
ShirtWorks and Fidelina’s all
started as part of Garlic
City Mercantile.
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