Green Patchwork

I work at a small locally-owned children’s clothing and toy store called Wild Child. About 27 years ago Renee West opened the store as a result of not being able to find non-branded cotton clothing for her kids. She was also frustrated by the fact that all the toys being sold for children were made of plastic, required batteries, and broke easily. Read the rest of this entry »

I just found a good link about the safety concerns surrounding PVC or #3 plastic. If you go to pvcfree.com you can watch a short cartoon about PVC, where it can be found in the home, and why it is harmful.

Many years ago I decided to wrap all of my X-mas gifts in decorative scarves and fabrics, and I was thought of as an extreme environmentalist. But now if I wrap a gift in fabric or a fancy silk scarf most people appreciate the extra attention to their gift and think i’m being creative (and not just a crazy hippie).

I love receiving gifts wrapped in unique fabrics and luckily the trend has picked up speed. I was just browsing the Inhabitat site and found a posting on silk scarves being sold as something to wrap gifts in, similar to a furoshiki. I hope you don’t start thinking you have to only use fancy silk scarves as wrapping material, because you can use any interesting fabric that you find to wrap a gift. Check out thrift stores or buy a yard of fabric at the craft stores to use for wrapping a present. Handkerchiefs and bandannas work great too and are always appreciated when someone catches a cold.

Last semester I took a course called History of Textiles where we studied civilizations’ earliest textiles from around the world. By the end of the semester we were looking at textile technologies and how textiles are being used in medicine, architecture, and contemporary art. We watched a video on these technologies where scientists in Europe were working on encapsulating fragrances, body lotions, or medicines into clothing fabrics. The capsules would be activated by the body’s heat and wear and the wearer would receive whatever was encapsulated. Read the rest of this entry »

The other day I wrote a post on fair trade businesses that work directly with artisans in communities that need an economic boost, but I forgot to add A Greater Good to that post. When I worked at Whole Foods we started selling A Greater Good products and it was the first time I had seen such a company or such products. The companies mission is to provide a fair economic outlet for otherwise marginalized producers and create market and consumer demand for ethically sourced products and supplies. Artisans from around the world create beautiful textiles, jewelry, and other small gifts while earning a fair wage for their work and you get to shop while supporting them. I love the woven scarves and the chunky beaded jewelry.

Another place in Madison where I have seen A Greater Gift products is the University Bookstore. Let me know if you have seen it anywhere else, I’d like to know.

If you have been wondering what to do with a broken umbrella or your jeans that are beyond patching then look no further, ReadyMade Magazine is packed with ideas for what to do with stuff that is broken or you just don’t know what to do with it.

Every by-monthly issue has a challenge for people to find new uses for broken or out of date stuff. Last issue’s challenge was to find a new use for broken umbrellas. Two women from Madison,Wi had the idea of creating a magazine rack out the umbrella frame and fabric. Next issue’s challenge is to find a new use for a broken suitcase.

Everyone enjoys shopping and finding unique treasures to keep or give away as gifts, but the items that we buy usually do not reflect the real price. The real price of an item would reflect the cost of gathering the raw materials which can be economic, ecological, and social. Our natural resources are invaluable, but they are often exploited for short gains and leave lasting marks on the environment. Read the rest of this entry »

Some years ago I discovered Divine Chocolate and now it is one of my favorites! It is made in Ghana with fair trade cocoa beans by the first farmer-owned chocolate company in the world.

Divine Chocolate is associated with SERVV International and A Greater Gift, an alternative trade organization that works with low-income farmers and artisans around the world to promote social and economic progress. If you go to their website you can learn more about the individual farmers and artisans from around the world.

Read this article about “The Earliest Dyes” to learn more about it’s textile history.

In the early 1800’s flour, sugar, seed, rice, and fertilizer were sold in large woven cloth bags that resourceful farmer’s wives used for dish cloths, diapers, nightgowns and other household uses. Manufacturers started offering these sacks in many different patterns and solid colors to encourage customer loyalty. It took 3 identical feedsacks to make 1 dress and a farmer’s decision to buy from certain manufacturers could be swayed by this one reason.

This is a great example of how people reused utilitarian materials to create new objects that could be used in the home. Read more about the history of feedsacks to learn more about this popular trend.