ONLY handmade

2011-11-10T21:18:00.000-08:00

Heigh-ho, everybody!

So it's almost Christmas, of which you are all aware, of course, but it means it has been a very long time since we last had any action on the ONLY handmade blog front. The reason is, I've been trying to priortise my family of late, as I felt my children weren't getting quality time with me and I was spending a bit too much time in front of the computer. But we are here, and crafting on.

I'd like to come back with some Christmas-themed posts which might just give you some inspiration to get through the craziness with a shred of sanity and (probably more likely if you don't have kids) ~~calm~~ craft time. So for the rest of the month, I'll be a-blogging about Handmade Christmas. Join me for some inspirational photos, crafty ideas, or just some screen-time away from the children!

Also, If you have a great handmade christmas gift idea, or you're right into decorations, or you just have a knack for surviving Christmas-time without going up the walls, would you share it with us? Are you selling something handmade & Christmassy? Shoot us an email hello@onlyhandmade.com.au and your product, craft, or useful idea might just be featured.

And the Winner Is...

2011-09-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

Oops, I just realised its already the 16th of September and I haven't drawn the winner of the August Referral Competition... where does the time go?
So using Random.org, and this very small list of referrers (where have they all gone?) I was able to conclude that, drumroll please....

...Jessie Boan was the winner of our competition. Congrats Jessie, you will receive the Non Planner Datebook by Keri Smith and your recommended business, Calamity Bolt will receive Extra Curricular Issue 4. Would you please drop me an email with your address details to hello@onlyhandmade.com.au

Thanks everyone else that participated, and in the spirit of all things handmade, let's keep the recommendations rolling in!

Handmade Art

2011-08-02T16:26:00.000-07:00

Have you been following the recommendations left on our Facebook wall as part of "Recommend-A-Friend" Mondays? If you have, you will have noticed, that artist Jasmin Pearson consistently leaves recommendations and links for fantastic artists and their Facebook pages. With so many amazing works out there in the artistic side of the handmade community so I asked Jasmin to share with us some of her favourites:

I have been given the pleasure and honour of sharing with you all some very talented artists thanks to Naomi from Only Handmade.

Finding your style as an artist takes a mixture of hard work, persistence, talent and belief and when that combination falls into place it is so magical that you just can’t wait to share it. Here are just a few of my favourites (I have so many ) with a sneek peek at my artwork as well.

Cards and prints by Chrissy Foreman C

Adventure Pants - printed tights by Captain Robbo

Stationery with vintage charm by Write to Me

Hand-drawn prints by Jasmins Art

Unique T-shirts by Bandit Bunny

Cards, Invitations & Magnets by My Marching Ants

Do you know of unique artists and artworks? Whose artistic talent do you admire?

August Giveaway (Revised Edition)

2011-08-01T21:18:00.000-07:00

Has your business been recommended as part of our Recommend-a-Friend Monday yet? Have you enjoyed seeing all the talented handmakers recommended by the ONLY handmade community over the past 3 months? We've decided to reward handmade businesses who are doing a great job in both supplying the handmade community and supporting the handmade community so we're going to offer an incentive to get involved.

For the month of August, one person who nominates an Australian handmade business on our Facebook wall will receive, as a thankyou, "The Non-Planner Datebook" by Keri Smith. You can find out all about it at Keri's website:

Image borrowed from Keri's blog.

One of the recommended businesses will receive a copy of Extra Curricular Issue 4, a sweet little magazine for creative folk.

Image borrowed from the Extra Curricular blog.

Here's what you need to do:
1. The business you recommend must be an Australia handmade business.
2. You may not recommend your own business (I will be checking!).
3. To enter you must leave a recommendation of an Australia handmade business on our Facebook page Wall between 17th & 31st of August .
4. You may leave up to two recommendations, one per week but your nomination must go to different businesses each time. Two recommendations for two businesses will result in two entries in the draw.
5. I will select at random (using the RNG at random.org) one recommended business and both the business and the person who recommended the business will receive the prizes as detailed above.

Mark it in your diaries to be sure you don't miss an opportunity to join in Recommend-a-Friend Monday, and tell you friends!

Cosy Knits Showcase

2011-07-26T20:36:00.000-07:00

An unusually cool snap, and by that I mean a minimum of 13 overnight (love the NT winter!) has inspired me to peruse the options for warm and cosy clothing which most of you down South will have already bought and used this winter. If it were truly cold enough to justify wool in the Far North, here are some of the pieces you might find in my wardrobe.

Hot Off The Needles

Loved Handmade


Squash Designs

Gaye Abandon

tip2toe

On a related note, how are you getting on with items for a Winter Woollies Drive? Try to finish up and donate by the end of the month!

Seven Billion Good Reasons to Buy Handmade

2011-07-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's a big call, but I'm going to make it:

handmade is what makes the world go around

Now, I might be slightly biased as a maker and purveyor of things handmade myself, and of course handmade is going to feature largely in my life and the life of other makers like me, but let's just have a look at it for a moment.

Cast your minds back just a few generations and it's clear that handmade was just what one did. If you had wanted a handkerchief you'd have made it. You would have bought a piece of cotton or linen and hemmed the edges by hand. If you wanted it to look pretty, you could embroider something onto it, and if you wanted everyone to know whose it was, you could put your monogram on it.

It wasn't just a nice idea for a winter's evening, or an educational piece of nothing for little girls to learn and then throw away (like, dare I say, some of the projects in Home Ec or Textiles classes these days). If you wanted somewhere to blow your nose other than your sleeve, handmade hankies was the way to go. Chances are your clothing was largely handmade, and unless you were fairly well off, your clothing was probably handmade sewn too, if not hand woven also.

Now fast-forward to the modern day. We now live in an era where machines do most of the work for us.

I had a little chuckle when I watched the following video because the 'comfort' of the artificiality of the situation was the very thing they seem to be trying to sell.

But the artificiality and the massiveness of the industry are the very things that are beginning to make handmade so attractive. The handmade movement is attractive to people looking for unique and original products to wear and use, and also to those who appreciate the 'humanness' that is embibed into a product by its maker.

Moreover, in countries away from the Western sphere, handmade is still going strong, and never has been threatened by the mass-produced market in the same way as it has here. There are some things here in the Aboriginal community where I live that will continue to be made by hand simply because the resources are just there in the bush, and there's no point paying for something you can make yourself just as your ancestors did.

In other countries, I believe the situation to be a little different, in that the people working in factories are paid so poorly they wouldn't be able to afford the products they are working on. "Mend & Make Do" is not just a cheery plaque on the wall for such as those. And that sobering thought could be what encourages you to support handmade and put an end to deplorable working conditions for most of the rest of the world's population.

That leads me to my final statement. I think we can also see from the handmade movement that people, the world over, will always rate human issues over financial ones. We see it locally, where they are more likely to buy a product from a friend than from a store, even if the store can sell it to them for less. And we see it globally, in the amount of businesses that have started using and supporting fair trade principles. Handmade is good for you, good for the maker, and good for everyone else. There are seven billion good reasons to buy handmade. And people, in spite of their whinges and wars, really do like other people, and are dependant upon other people. It is for that reason that handmade will never die out, in fact, I believe, that handmade is what makes the world go around.

Our Latest Crush...

2011-07-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Embroidery Hoop Art.
It's just too pretty. And a simple way to get those fantastic fabrics out of your stash and decorating your house! You know, those ones that are just too beautiful to use? The ones you want to wrap yourself in when you die? Now that I think of it, that statement probably sounds quite sad on many levels.
So perhaps I don't love them that much, but I must confess I am crushing pretty badly and have a Pinterest board dedicated solely to embroidery hoops. Here are some of my favourites.

Imagine an entire wall dedicated to your collection of beautiful fabrics.... *sigh*

Who said embroidery hoops can't be useful too?

We heart Gretel Girl Draws' use of textiles and texture.

Collage with fabric has been on the to-do list for a long time now...

The bold background raises the intricacies of these doilies to an artform.

Love & Folly On Minimalism

2011-06-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

I've asked Catherine, from Love & Folly to write a little about minimalism as she is not only the person to get me interested in the topic, but is also one of the funniest people I know. Well, maybe minimalism isn't a really hilarious topic, but over at her blog you'll find alot of humour along with her creative activities in sewing and other things. I hope you enjoy hearing from her.

Thanks Naomi for the opportunity to guest blog here at ONLY Handmade! I'm Cat and I think constantly about sewing, cooking and crafting. Sometimes I even do it in real life over on my blog, Love & Folly. Today I wanted to share with you how minimalism has helped me get creating out of my head, and into real life.

When I first heard the term minimalism, it made me think of this:

Or even this!

But what I've come to realize is that it's closer to this:

“… in all the things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.” - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Or in my case, the gentle KISS principle: Keep it simple, silly.

It was a very dear and wise friend who said to me one day, "Cat, you have really good ideas, but then you sabotage yourself!""""

What??

"You start something, and then because you can't get it done exactly the way you want, you give up doing it at all. Your perfectionism sabotages your productivity!"

And she was right! My desire to have everything done exactly, perfectly, and with excellence meant nothing was getting done, because as a mum with small children, that kind of perfection just couldn't exist. There were too many external variables (and people!) that I had no control over. As a result my house, my hobbies, my life reflected the chaos of inspiration coupled with a lack of productivity. Cupboards half sorted, projects half finished, inspiration interrupted.

Minimalism for me started small and practical, by getting rid of things I no longer needed, clothing I didn't wear... that sort of thing. But this simple step came with some big consequences - as I purged things, I found holes in my heart that were filling with grief, regret, and surprisingly, guilt - over poor purchase choices, choosing things over experiences, the wastefulness of my habits, and medicating with distractions like shopping and hobbies rather than dealing with the real issues in my heart. But owning up to what the real issues were in my life allowed me to be honest, simplify, and move forward.

What does this have to do with handmade you ask?

Take a look at the work of some of your favourite artists and artisans and you will find that more often than not, they have focused on a few simple yet meaningful concepts or themes. Take a look at some of the most successful online and retail stores, and you'll probably find again that keeping things simple is inviting and makes it easy for people to find what they need quickly and make purchases.

On a personal level, I have discovered that to be truly productive with my creativity I need lots of time and physical space. Keeping it simple gives me both of these. Also, as my focus moved from being consumptive to being creative, I found I was able to be pickier about the purchases I did make - including organic, boutique, handmade and custom made items. I now "consume with a conscience". I look for other like-minded artists and have even made some incredible friends along the way!

And that's it, I've arrived!

Just kidding. ;)

I'm still exploring what minimalism means for me, and for my family. There are great sites out there that I find keep me motivated towards pursuing simplicity (included at the end of this post) and the freedom of its application in my life - and so far I love it! Is it an easy formula that minimalism = creative productivity? No - it's definitely a process, but I think the pursuit of minimalism and excellence together can be a winning combination!

“Simplicity, clarity, singleness: these are the attributes that give our lives power and vividness and joy.” - Richard Halloway

For further inspiration:

http://mnmlist.com/
http://www.becomingminimalist.com/
http://www.minimalistathome.com/
http://zenhabits.net/

Unbleached Textiles Showcase

2011-06-27T06:00:00.001-07:00

There's something about natural unbleached fibres that gets us every time. Perhaps its the appeal of a blank canvas, perhaps its the simple background that makes other colours *pop*. Whatever it is, we are in love.

(All images via Madeit)

Gratitude Giveaway Winner

2011-06-25T22:02:00.000-07:00

Our holidays were brought forward so we left Saturday morning at a crazy 5am instead of Monday as planned but I promised to draw the winner of the Gratitude Giveaway and so I shall. Now because I'm typing on my husband's IPhone I'm not sure if this will work but out of 29 entries, random.org picked number 20

True Random Number Generator
Min:
Max:
Result:
20
Powered by RANDOM.ORG

(can't printscreen, just copy & paste so you'll just have to believe me!) So that means "counting my blessings" you are our winner! The Billy & Scarlet cards are yours if you'll email me at mabelanddaisy@gmail.com
Thanks everyone who entered and don't let it stop you from thanking someone else. We'll have another giveaway soon!

Enoch & Plonk on Upcycling

2011-06-22T08:00:00.001-07:00

I've asked Nicola from Enoch & Plonk to tell us about the why and how of upcycling with which she creates her cute and original line of dresses for girls.

My name is Nicola Thomas and I’m the designer, maker, tea lady, and owner of Enoch and Plonk. The name comes from the nickname me and my little sister were given as kids by our dad. It’s a name that I feel is a part of me. I like to feel it gives an impression of fun, is quirky and unique just like the work that I create. Enoch and Plonk began as an outlet for my artwork, creating one-of-a-kind appliquéd tees in November 2010. It has quickly developed into a small business which now upcycles stretch materials into unique and stylish dresses. But why not just buy fabric and make dresses? The simple answer is I like to take something which I consider plain and boring and make it exciting and unusual. I can visualise a dress out of a couple of tees in a way that I can’t seem to do with a roll of fabric. My inspiration comes from the clothing I find which is also a process I love, and find this more adventurous than simply visiting the local fabric shop. For me it’s like discovering a gem in a junk shop rather than picking something out of a jewellers' window.

Each dress is designed individually around a fabric’s print or colour. The tees I work with are found in regular shops like Kmart and Jay Jays. Most detailing is created using t.shirt scraps I have leftover from other dress or an item of clothing that I have recycled. I am drawn to particular colours and prints and if something catches my eye I can begin the search for other items which will compliment them. I am not a seamstress so do not work from a pattern but design as I go. Which might seem a little unorthodox but it’s the spontaneity and ‘flying by the seat of my pants’ energetic creation which I find so rewarding. Working in this way means that no two dresses are ever exactly the same and the process of making them enables me to be expressive and artistically fulfilled.

Enoch and Plonk designs are available from Facebook, Bigcartel and Madeit.

Do you use upcycled materials? Let us know how you use upcycling in your business.

Honeycomb Valley Farm Organics

2011-06-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

“Little farm big picture” is the motto of Honeycomb Valley Farm. Located in the beautiful Manning Valley of NSW, it’s a place where the land is farmed naturally and the animals have names.

The 90 acre farm has been set up on a permaculture and sustainable farming basis, for example, the chickens live in colourful caravans that are moved around the farm each week providing fresh green pick for the chooks, while spreading fertility where it’s needed; the Campbell family have also planted 1000’s of trees to provide pollen and nectar for honey and native bees.

When it comes to skincare, the family lives by the principal “you shouldn’t put anything on your skin that isn’t edible”. So raw goat’s milk from Ivy, Kay, Tracey and the goat girls is used to make goat’s milk soaps and scrubs. Honey and beeswax from the hives is used to make a variety of balms from moisturising Farm Balm to a natural insect repellent in a beeswax stick, and edible lip balms.

Industrial melting of beeswax normally involves polluting and energy sucking boilers, but Honeycomb Valley is home to the largest solar oven in Australia, and the beeswax is melted naturally by the sun. The resulting disk of beeswax is then hand-grated to form the basis of the Honeycomb Valley “Farmerceuticals” range of skin care products. Beeswax is well regarded as a humectant…a natural way to draw moisture from the air, while trapping it to the skin.

Honeycomb Valley chooses to use organic ingredients to blend with farm produce to encourage sustainable farming practices, and to minimise the synthetic chemicals going into the environment.

Farm-made with love and a smile, the purchase of these products help support an ethical, small farming enterprise.

You can now find Honeycomb Valley Farm products in our online store.

June Newsletter Winner

2011-06-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

A big thankyou to everyone who subscribed to our mailing list for our first issue. The lucky person to win this

Zesty Clutch by Little Pink Carnation

valued at $25 is....Crystal! Crystal, you're about to receive some good news in your inbox!

If you missed signing up before this giveaway, you can still subscribe by popping your details in the widget on the right hand column of this blog or by following this link to our online form. There will very likely be a giveaway for next month's newsletter and you've gotta be in it to win it...!

Gratitude & A Giveaway

2011-06-19T17:41:00.000-07:00

Isn't it wonderful when you are thanked for something? It might be for something you've put alot of effort into, or something that has gone unnoticed for a long time... either way it is a great feeling.
Have you noticed it works the other way as well? We believe strongly that gratitude doesn't just come from a happy outlook, but is a significant factor in creating a happy outlook. Author John Kralik, in his autobiographical novel "365 Thank Yous" found that daily gratitude really changed his attitude toward life & people, and I've been inspired after reading the book to give it a try myself.
So, as we're formulating plans to start a Thankyou Project of our own, we've been looking for handmade (of course!) thankyou cards lately, and here are some we've found!

Bella Stationery Studio

Billy & Scarlet - MadeIt

Misiu - MadeIt

Ruby Victoria Letterpress - MadeIt

Pixels Plus Paper - MadeIt

Would you like to hop on the ThankYou Train and show some gratitude? We are offering one lucky reader $20 worth of thank you cards from any of the above sellers. You can enter by leaving a comment below letting us know which you like best. You can have extra entries if you:
1) follow our blog,
2) subscribe to our newsletter,
3) or become a liker of our facebook page.
That's a possible 4 entries! Leave a seperate comment to let us know that you have done each of the above. Entries close midnight Friday 24th June and winner will be announce Sunday 26th June.

Organic Fabric Showcase

2011-06-10T04:26:00.000-07:00

The range of clothing made from organic fabric that has become available over the past few years is really heartening for the environmentally conscious, especially if your bent runs to earthy tones, prints and styles.
Here are a few of our favourites:

FashionSF - Etsy

Uzura - Etsy

woollenmoss - Etsy

Kate Ward - Etsy

We love Australian Kate Ward's use of print & embroidery.

And eco fashion is not just for wearing around the home!

isadoraclothing - Etsy

If only we had a dress like that we would never buy another synthetic fabric, mass-produced one. Promise!

Elena Kalis

2011-06-07T16:15:00.000-07:00

There are alot of photographers around these days... my brother is one, and my best friend from school became an amazingly good one too.

But there's one photographer, the likes of whom I"ve never seen before, probably because she specialises in Underwater Photography...!!!

All images copyright Elena Kalis. Don't steal or copy because its impolite.

Her name is Elena Kalis, and her collection "Alice in Waterland" is one of the most fantastical, beautiful things I've ever seen.

All images copyright Elena Kalis. Don't steal or copy because it's impolite.

And it just gets better, because she's giving away three prints from "Alice in Waterland" at the end of the month... imagine, a beautiful underwater print gracing the walls of your home. Visit her FB page for more details.

Winter Woollies Drive 2011

2011-06-06T20:25:00.000-07:00

It's official, the ONLY handmade Winter Woollies Drive is on. This is an opportunity to make those dreary indoors days count by making something warm and cosy for those who pass the dreary days out-of-doors. Instead of collecting alot of blankets at ONLY handmade headquarters, we ask that you keep it local, as there's no point adding distance to a handmade item when there's always a need nearby. Some ideas are blankets, beanies, jumpers, quilts, dog blankets, scarves or slippers, and some charities you may have near you are Salvation Army, RSPCA, Caritas, Anglicare or Samaritan's Purse (a quick Google search will show there are many more). We would encourage you to take a photo of the item(s) you donate and add it to our Flickr pool here so that we can celebrate your talent and your philanthropy. The drive will end on 31st July so you have plenty of time to get crafting!

Source

Hand Printed Fabric

2011-06-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, can Australia boast some of the most fantastic fabric designers? I've been making a bit of a collection on Pinterest (follow me if you like: mabelanddaisy) of hand printed fabric as it's something I've always wanted to do, and I am just amazed at how clever & skilled our Aussie designers are. Here's a bit of a collection of some beautiful fabrics... if you know of others talented folk who print their own designs, please let me know.

"Swizzle" by Yardage Design. This print is even nicer in real life (I think the detail gets lost in the large scale photo)

"Perfect Circle" by Amy Prior. Remind me of Hydrangeas

"Yellow Corn" by BIRCHseed. The wonkiness adds to the charm.


"Wrens" by Tegan Rose

"Seedling" by Lara Cameron. This simple print makes me smile.


"Gingko" by Ink & Spindle. I love how the second layer creates depth.

So many to choose from, which is your favourite?

Three Cheers for Liselle

2011-05-31T07:11:00.000-07:00

It's always very encouraging for an artist to have positive reviews, and we couldn't be more happy for Liselle after a glowing recent review at Shop Contemporary Handmade (which you can read here).
Liselle's hand-coloured drawings have a beautiful, whimsical style and amazing attention to detail. We are happy to stock a range of her Paper Dolls and Colouring Books here in our store.
Well done Liselle!

Referral Competition Winner

2011-05-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

A big thankyou to those of you who shared the news on Facebook about our online shop going live. There were more than 20 'contestants' and the winner chosen at random to receive this

Paper Doll Starter Set by Liselle Banks was...

See Sam

I'll be contacting you shortly ladies, to get your details and send off your prize!

Recommend a Friend

2011-05-15T18:06:00.000-07:00

Not many people like Mondays. But perhaps you can make someone else feel a little special and kick-start their week by recommending their handmade products to the rest of the ONLY handmade community on Monday morning! From now on, the ONLY handmade Facebook Wall will be open to your posts if you have a product to review, customer service to rave about, or are simply crushing on a cute handmade item.

Pandanus Splitting

2011-05-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

I was hoping to get down to Lucy's house today where she will be splitting the pandanus she collected again yesterday to prepare it for drying. But last night Miss S came down with the cold that Miss E has had for a few days, and was waking up every 30 minutes during the night unable to breathe and likely had a sore throat. Meanwhile, I've had a migraine since yesterday afternoon and very little sleep has not helped much. I hope we can make it to Lucy's so I can watch & learn, but if not, I'm sure there will be other times.

We had a woman, Stephanie, come to our house last night selling a woven mat like this one, for $200. When we said we couldn't really afford it right now, she came back with $150. When we asked her how long it took she answered "Oh, one week, maybe two." We told her it was worth so much more than $150, even than $200. It's so hard to say 'no' to people who put so much effort into their work, even when it's something that we don't really want and can't afford.

Pandanus Fibre Collecting

2011-05-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity on Sunday to go collecting Pandanus for fibre with a local aboriginal lady named Lucy. What an experience! My job was just to follow Lucy and put all the pandanus in a big bag. The trouble was the Lucy was an amazingly fast pandanus-collecting-machine! She was about 20 metres ahead of me at all times waiting for me to catch up. I was having trouble with the pandanus being barbed and catching on my hands as I was trying to fill my bag, while here she was trudging through the bush barefoot! In fairness, Lucy has been doing this since she was 13, (and is now in her 60s!) but it really did accentuate the difference between Yolngu and Westerner.

What I loved about it though, is the way that these people can go straight to the bush, and collect the materials to make something like this:

Which is a bulpu traditionally used for collecting bush-tucker, and was actually made by Lucy herself. You can find more like it at the Gapuwiyak Culture and Arts Centre.

I loved that there are no shops involved, the handmade process depends purely on the environment, and a woman's resourcefulness.

Something else which really stood out is the fact that one woman, after collecting pandanus for an hour or so, can get enough fibres to make only half a basket. And that's just the collecting. It doesn't include the time spent splitting, dyeing, drying and weaving. That's alot of time to spend on one handmade item and seeing the process first-hand helps me to recognise that it can sometimes be a blurry line between handmade and art.

If you are interested in the weaving process, you can see more photos of a similar group from Ramingining here and here.

We Are Online

2011-05-04T16:02:00.000-07:00

And you can now find us at http://www.onlyhandmade.com.au

Thankyou for supporting handmade and making business a reality for many of our up-and-coming artisans!

Shop Online

2011-04-25T03:19:00.000-07:00

It has been a good sort of week for taking photos, the Wet Season seems to be coming to an end so we have nicer light indoors than we have had for the past four months. I've been fiddling and tweaking and staying up until 2am working on getting everything just right. And it's a good thing, what with the last day of April fast approaching...

I sincerely hope we will launch by Friday, being the last day of April and all, but a few products have been held up in the post due to the Easter long weekend, so here's hoping they arrive soon and you can all see what we've been up to these past few months! I'm also planning some festivities and special offers to celebrate so make sure you are following our Facebook page.

We can currently offer a range of products using recycled / organic / eco-friendly or fairly traded materials from:

clutch / make-up bags from

Little Pink Carnation

babushka jingle toys and gift cards from

Little Wise Owl

a range of paperdolls and accessories from

Liselle Banks

hairbows and aprons from

mabel & daisy

with journals like these arriving soon from

Found 'n' Bound

and organic skin care and soap products from

Honeycomb Valley Farm.

Stay tuned!

Why Organic Cotton?

2011-01-18T18:12:00.000-08:00

I don't know that I had even heard of organic cotton before I started doing research into cloth nappies before the birth of my first child. And when I did hear of it, the idea didn't throw me into ecxtasies. In fact, it sounded like a luxury, something our family couldn't afford to buy.

However, since looking into the details of organic cotton, it has become rather more attractive. I've discovered that its virtues extend beyond the health of my family and I and it has advantages for the world as a whole. So here is my run-down of why organic cotton is growing (pun intended) in my estimation.

First and foremost, because it is grown without pesticides, organic cotton is good for the soil and eventually, with fewer poisons leaching into the water-table, is good for the dwindling stocks of marine-life.
Organic cotton is usually farmed on a crop rotation system instead of the intense monocultures we see going on today, which exhaust the soil and reduce productivity.
As a result of the selection of hardy, pest-resistent varieties, the cotton grown is a more hardy fibre, and will wear better than non-organic cotton.
However, the clincher for me personally relates to our social responsibility. Pesticides kill 1.2 million farmers in West Africa alone every year. That is a really alarming statistic. On the other hand, organic cotton requires people-power, not pesticides, to ensure the pests stay away, so organic agriculture creates jobs!

This a great little documentary, called "Moral Fibre - Organic Cotton" talking about the moral issues related to cotton production. Please take 8 minutes to watch it.

These days, organic cottons come in a fantastic range of prints and companies like People Tree in the UK and Cerrton in Australia are coming on board with completely organic cotton ranges. I'm starting to think that organic cotton is less of a luxury and more of a necessity for the sake of my own conscience.

What do you think? Is organic cotton worth the higher than prices? Do you buy organic? I would love to hear your stories.

Brown paper packages...

2011-01-07T00:02:00.000-08:00

I usually tie my Christmas presents up with brown paper for a couple of reasons, not least of all because it makes a charming looking gift. But imagine how pleased I was to discover All Eco on the Gold Coast. As their name suggests, their products are all eco-friendly, organic, recycled, ethical... the kind of shop we need more of. But what really got me excited was this unassuming ball of linen yarn.

I can very easily imagine it wrapped around the presents under our Christmas tree this coming year!
They also have a great range of organic fabrics and I am expecting some swatches in the mail soon. I can't wait to sample some of the unusual fabric combinations like silk/soy/bamboo and hemp/recycled PET plastic. It's like letting a little kid loose in the icecream parlour!
You can find their website here.