Creating the world around us, one stitch at a time

We've completely changed our sale items, and I know you'll want to see what marvelous goodies are on the Yard Sale Page now. There are some incredible fabrics (including the all-time favorite, Natural Hemp/Silk Charmeuse, which has been used for countless eco-friendly wedding dresses), a couple of very popular patterns, my favorite cozy alpaca set for adults (which would make an incredible present for a loved one), and more.

As it's getting colder out, I'm starting to regain my crafting moxie...and just in time for the holiday push. Like a lot of us this year, I have to do more with less so I've definitely got to get started! (As a totally unrelated side-note, I only used the word moxie, which means "vigor, verve, pep, or know-how," because I just learned that it is actually the name of a soft drink that at one time was said "to cure ailments ranging from softening of the brain to “loss of manhood.”" Moxie is the official soft drink of Maine, but I'd never heard of it and felt like sharing that information with any other people out there who also hadn't, just because.)

(Keep reading to see Clarity's glorious sheepdog...)

My current inspiration is this little sheepdog Clarity made out of our Luxurious Wool Pile. The photograph can't do it justice; it's so incredibly cozy when you hold it, and just the cutest thing imaginable! (How'd she make it? She folded the piece of wool pile over, held it with a couple of stitches, gave it the classic sheepdog topknot, added wooden bead eyes and nose, cut out and sewed on ears from grey fabric, and voila!)

Why would something made out of one of our more expensive fabrics be an inspiration when I'm talking about economizing? Simply because it was made from a scrap of the wool pile -- the piece was only a bit bigger than a swatch. Just estimating, you could make over a hundred sheepdogs from a yard (and probably have a bit left over). Or make a few sheepdogs and some gloriously warm muffs for loved ones. Or wrist rests for the high tech workers in your life, or cover one side of a pillowcase with the wool pile and the other side with a much plainer fabric... Even though the price point can be scary, it's amazing what can be done with a single yard when you plan it out well and utilize every single bit! (If you have small children who have dolls or stuffed animals that need accessories, there's a way to use even smaller pieces, and babies or toddlers often really appreciate texture blankets or pillows that are made up of many different types of fabric and yarn sewn together very securely.)

Oh, I just can't wait to start making things again! It was a long, long hot summer, and it's definitely time to get back into crafting.

Posted by Tara at 1:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Me too, for some strange reason. Thankfully, we have amazing customers and friends who are doing incredible things; I've decided to feature some of them over the next several weeks and months. They won't all be people who are working with our fabrics and yarns, but they will all be making things that can be made using eco-friendly materials should you choose to do so (and we do, of course, assume you will).

Today's choice? Living Creatively, "The Online Community Dedicated to Creativity". From Australia, there's inspiration galore in this web site, with articles, profiles, reviews, and more. My favorite part? The projects, of course.

(Read on to learn more about the projects on their site...)

From the Piggy Bank Purse for your favorite little person (they claim it's for a little girl, but I think it's much more unisex depending on the child) to the absolutely glorious knitted frog (and how that could not inspire someone, I'm just not sure!), from an easy placemat to great sewing projects that range from simple-but-cute stuffed birds to several different styles of apron, there are ideas galore. And with new issues coming out monthly, I hope to see even more ideas regularly. I can't wait until the promised crochet patterns are posted!

Living Creatively bills themselves as:

"your place to discover what’s happening in the world of creativity, and to unleash some of your own. Every issue, we uncover the best on offer in the worlds of art, craft, design, urban living and fashion from around the world or right next door.

Significantly, we understand today’s creative crafters and artisans, because we’re craft-makers and artists, designers and fashion-fiends ourselves. We know our mums and our nannas, bless them, aren’t alone in contributing to today’s crafting picture. We know that the new generation arts & craft-maker is young or young-at-heart, stylish and loves handmade creativity in all its forms. We know the simple joy that comes from living creatively."

They may not be my only place to discover what's happening, but I can definitely see adding Living Creatively to my list of sites to visit when I'm needing inspiration and ideas. If you're in a rut, as I've been, check them out!

Posted by Tara at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What do men's shirts, girl's sundress, these neat apron and bonnets, a woman's vest, this amazing stuffed animal, an incredibly functional bag (and a much smaller one, and one for kids), a diaper wrap, a fashionable (but very warm) hat, and so many other things have in common? If you read the title of my blog post or looked at the picture the answer's really pretty obvious -- they're all creations that either require or are greatly improved by buttons. And boy do we have a wonderful selection for you -- if you haven't checked out our marvelous variety of sustainable buttons recently, I highly recommend doing so.

(By recently, I mean in the last 24 hours -- that's when we finished renovating our button section and adding quite a few new ones. But that's not the end of the planned changes; we expect to add quite a few more over the next month or so, so keep your eyes open.)

(There's a lot more, keep reading...)

We offer buttons made from a variety of sustainable materials, including:

Antler Buttons: The antlers these buttons are made from naturally fall from the deer each year; the deer aren't killed to get them. (That's why they're called natural-fall antlers.) Antlers make my favorite toggles; they're absolutely gorgeous!

Tagua or Corozo Nut: Tagua Nut and Corozo Nut are different words for the same nut; it's the nut of a rainforest plant that has the feel and look of ivory and makes wonderful buttons. Many of these buttons -- the natural-colored ones -- can be hand-dyed to match your fabrics (that is, if you choose to dye your fabrics, you can dye the buttons to match them). Our tagua buttons come from different sources that are working to help both the rainforests and the indigenous people.

Coconuts: Coconut buttons have a great look and feel; many designers choose them for their rustic look, low price, and fairly easy care. (Just don't leave them soaking in water for a long time -- in, wash, and out, but no soaking, okay?) Again, our coconut buttons are carefully sourced to be sustainable for both the earth and the people who are making them. (I feel redundant saying this -- all our products are, even if I don't say it all the time. It's why we're in business.)

Bone and Horn: We resisted carrying bone and horn buttons for a long time, as there's no way to get a bone button without the animal dying. But these bones are recycled from very small-scale livestock industry, in which families in Nepal will have one, two, or maybe three animals that live and work with them for years. When they're eventually slaughtered for food, the other parts of their body are used as well, with their bones being turned into buttons. It's not supporting factory farming, but is in a way honoring these animals by helping ensure that at the end of their long lives no part of their sacrifice is wasted. The crafters are treated well, and I encourage you to read the story of the woman who owns the small factory where the buttons are made; it's very inspiring. (You can read her story in the description of any of the buttons.)

Wood: Including bamboo buttons, this category has some real winners -- different shapes, sizes, colors, and original sources, all gathered in one source for your sewing delectation. I love the feel that wooden buttons bring to projects (and, yes, sometimes I just sit there and hold them in my hand ... but that's because I'm a very tactile person in general, which is why I love this business!).

Our Other category is the least populated right now, but it'll be filling out in the future; right now it's the home of our ever-popular Buffalo Head Nickel buttons (which I've seen sold for $5+ elsewhere, ack!).

In general you'll want to treat buttons gently. It's a good idea to wash clothing that has buttons on it inside-out so the buttons aren't damaged; using a gentle, eco-friendly detergent and cold water is always a good idea not just for the buttons but also for the environment. Some buttons are more fragile than others -- recycled glass, for instance, is still glass and thus should be dry-cleaned (at a green dry cleaner) or gently hand-washed. That said, don't be scared by natural buttons -- I have items with coconut and tagua nut buttons that have been washed almost weekly for going on ten years and the buttons are just fine though the clothes themselves are looking rather worn.

Posted by Tara at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)