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« April 2006 | Main | June 2006 »

May 26, 2006

It's a long weekend, and just in time!

buddy.jpg
We've spent the week working on adding an exciting new selection of organic laces and several other items (including amazing organic blankets, both in a cotton/wool blend and in a cotton chenille); we hope to have them all on our website next week. We're also adding a line of patterns made for the "petite plus" woman -- those of us who are short and round. But after spending so much time on the computer, it'll be absolutely lovely to spend the weekend down by the river with family and friends.

We'll watch the kids play, get all muddy when the dogs shake off after their dips, laugh at the donkey when he tries to join in, share some good food and maybe even some adult libations, and remind ourselves of why we're really all here. Although we frequently answer emails during the weekend, we're planning to take all three days off. So don't be surprised if you don't hear back from us until Tuesday or even Wednesday, depending on how many emails and phone messages we're working our way through. :) (That's Buddy the blind Wonder Dog to the right; he can't see any longer, but he's amazing at chasing away coyotes on moonless nights -- he's got an advantage!)

May your weekend be lovely too, be it long or short, calm or hectic. And may we all come back rejuvenated!

May 14, 2006

New fabrics!

We just added thirty new fabrics -- can you find them? As a hint, many of them are in our Sustainable Woven Blends category, and they're so beautiful! We've added some springlike knit cottons as well, for people who've been patiently awaiting more pastels. And just for the fun of it, check out the new Eggplants print, and Harmony's vibrant new Let It Grow! (You can see them here and here, respectively.) Let It Grow is on a wide-width twill; think of the possibilities!

May 12, 2006

Responsible Shopper

I just returned from the All Things Organic trade show and expo in Chicago, with so much I want to learn, talk, and write about. I also returned with a wicked case of food poisoning, so I'm postponing most of the above talking, learning, and writing until I feel better. Such exciting things are happening in the "organic world" these days, though, and the show was quite inspiring.

In the meanwhile, have you seen Co-Op America's new Responsible Shopper site? Its mission is:

Responsible Shopper reports on global research and campaign information in order to alert the public about the social and environmental impact of major corporations, while providing opportunities for consumers and investors to vote with their dollars for change.

We focus on companies with significant influence in their industry that are subjects of consumer and shareholder action campaigns. Getting these companies to change could lead to significant industry wide reform.

If you, like me, have trouble sometimes remembering which company is owned and by whom, who has egregious environmental practices, who keeps the sweatshops in business ... this site is for you. And remember -- if you sew your own clothes, from sustainable materials, you can be sure they're sweatshop-free!

May 03, 2006

Charlotte's Felted Purse!

pursefelted.jpg
Even when I don't have the time to craft myself, I'm so very inspired by the incredible things others are making from our materials. Case in point? Charlotte's felted purse. Charlotte is the genius behind Hidden Valley Basketwerks, and makes the most incredible, intricate baskets imaginable. She's recently gotten into felting (you can see some of her felted characters here, including Ayla and Jondalar from the Clan of the Cave Bear books!), and she knit a purse with our Organic Merino Wool yarn. She then wet-felted it, and attached some needle-felted dogwood flowers. The purse measured a bit more than 11" across before felting, and about 9" across afterwards. I've done just a bit of felting, and I love the change that occurs in the wool and how very different my projects are after I felt them; Charlotte's inspiring me to start doing more. Just as soon as I clear my OTHER backlog of projects!
Click on the picture to see a closer view of the needle-felted flowers.
Click on the picture to see a picture of the purse before felting. (Notice how much it changed in the felting process? It's almost like magic!)

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