All women make their own molas from puberty to death.  A girl’s first mola is presented to her by her mother as part of her puberty ceremony. From that point on, she has to make all of her own molas to provide clothing for herself. The panels are sewn into a blouse which is accompanied by a long strip of cotton fabric that is wrapped around the woman’s waist as a skirt.
These molas are the Kuna’s primary source of income.  Every arriving sailboat, as well as all of the people on the few cruise boats which stop in the San Blas, are heartily greeted with the hopes of selling their molas.