KinderCotton

I recently ran out of the Tyvek envelopes that I had been using to ship out my orders.  I liked them because they are water resistant and tear-proof, which keeps my fabric items safe in transit, but they are non-recyclable plastic, which I don't like much at all.  The plastic material also smudged when I tried to stamp my logo on the packages.  That alone was reason enough to not use them!  I looked into buying recycled products, but I didn't love anything that I found.  Luckily, I'm a pretty crafty person and I came up with a solution that uses very little new material (just some thread), holds up well in the mail, is water resistant, and is essentially free.

In order to make these mailers, you will need:
- A paper bag
- A plastic bag (I know, you all use reusable totes, just like me, but I bet you know people who don't!)
- Scissors
- Thread
- A Sewing Machine
- Packing Tape

(click on any image to see a larger version of the photo)

1) Begin by cutting a paper bag approximately twice as large as you would like your finished envelope to be.

2) Cut a plastic bag to make a piece of plastic that is slightly larger than the piece of paper. Lay the plastic on top of the paper.

3) Fold the paper and plastic in half, plastic on the inside.

4) Using your sewing machine, stitch two sides of the folded paper/ plastic together.  Stop sewing about 1.5" before the third open edge to leave a flap for closing the envelope.  Back stitch to lock stitches.

5) Cut one layer of paper and plastic away from the open end, leaving one layer of each to fold over and close the envelope.

6) Trim excess plastic and paper away from the outside of the seams.  It is much easier to cut through the paper and plastic together than to just trim the plastic.

7) I like to embellish my envelopes with a stamp of my logo and a recycling icon.  I carved my stamps, but you can order custom stamps of your logo or artwork on www.etsy.com for a surprisingly low price.  Search "custom stamps."

8) When you are ready to ship, attach your shipping label and seal the envelope with the same piece of packing tape.

The inside of the package matters too!  If you order from KinderCotton, your item will arrive safe and sound in one of these mailers.  Before I send it on its way to you, I will wrap your order in tissue paper stamped with the KinderCotton logo and tied up with natural raffia.  I'm still looking for unbleached, Kraft tissue paper, but for now, I use white or a color that coordinates with your item.  I skip the invoice, too, for all orders except international orders which require them.  Etsy saves your order history in your account and you can look up your order at any time.

The EcoEtsy team, a group a Etsy sellers committed to creating with a minimal environmental impact, is sponsoring an Earth Day auction to raise money for the World Wildlife Fund.  Please browse these awesome gift bags and place a bid or two!  You'll find a bumble bee top knot hat in the baby gift bag!  Clicking on the flier below will open the EcoEtsy Handmade for Earth Day page.  Good luck and happy bidding.

It was impossible not to smile while I was working on these two projects.  If you ever need a boost, combine babies, teddy bears, and puppies.  Everything will seem right in the world for a brief moment.

I was asked to make a custom beige and blue hooded blanket with bear ears.  I love when people come to me with ideas for something custom that they want for a special little one.  This blanket is thick and soft beige fabric on the outside, lined with blue stripes.  There is a contrast teddy bear hand appliqued in the corner of each side.  Kara enjoyed playing baby bear for a few photos!

While I had little animals with ears on my mind, I decided to make a hat with a tiny puppy on the brim.  I stitched him before assembling the hat, so there are no exposed threads on the inside of the hat.  This one is available in the shop now!  It's listed in newborn size, but can be made to fit any baby.

There are some laws that apply to selling garments.  Among them is one that says that you must tag your items with certain information.  I have some fun new tags because, if nothing else, I am a rule follower.  They were made by Miss Label, who has many things going for her: she's from Oregon, her set up process is simple, the edit process is quick and easy, she doesn't charge and arm and a leg, and she prints and mails in a blink.  I think these would be loads of fun for a purely-for-pleasure sewer or knitter, too. 

Whether or not your weather reflects it, it really is almost spring time!  Holly LeBlanc (www.hollyleblancphotography.com) shared another great photo that gets me looking forward to spring and more outdoor time with my little one.  Stock up on hats now so that you are ready to go once your weather cooperates!  Hats are available in newborn/ 0-3M, 3-6M, and 6-12M sizes in a variety of prints and embroidered versions.  If you don't see just what you are looking for, please contact me for a custom hat. (shop at www.kindercotton.etsy.com)

I had moment last week that was not unlike one that a toddler might experience.  I really wanted to buy a pair of Robeez for my friends' new little boy.  As far as I knew, they were made in Canada.  They're cute, durable, and stay on baby feet like nothing else.  For these reasons, I have always been willing to pay the approximately $30 price for them.  However, in September of 2006, Stride Rite bought Robeez for $27.5 million dollars.  Guess what happened last fall?  Yep.  Robeez are now made in China.  You may still be able to find one of the remaining Canadian pairs in stores, but they'll be restocked with a Chinese pair.  Are you surprised to hear that the price has not gone down even though production costs have plummeted?

I managed to find a really cool gift that was made in San Francisco, but left the store feeling a little bit of loss.  People like Robeez and buy a lot of them.  Imagine how many jobs Stride Rite could have provided by expanding their Canadian operation.  The toddler feeling was that I still wanted the shoes...badly, maybe even so more now that they're off the list.   Then I remembered that I'm an adult, money talks (in this case, not giving it to Stride Rite), and that I always have options. 

I went home and did an Etsy search for Leather Baby Shoes .  As of right now, there are 798 options.  Some are priced under $15 and are nearly indistinguishable from Robeez.  Be careful in selecting those, as many bad apples resell imported knock-offs, even on Etsy.   Some handmade shoes can be personalized, some are made from repurposed leather, some are made from domestic, salt-tanned leather.  A few of my favorites are shown here.  Photos link to the listing.

I just ordered a new batch of fabrics!  I am excited to see that there are so many new prints to choose from!  It's a big difference from my first attempt to buy kiddie prints last spring.  See something you like?  Claim it as yours for a custom order before I cut into it!

Maybe "right around the corner" is stretching the truth, but if you would like a custom order for your tiny sweetheart, you may want to let me know soon.  I've just updated the shop with adorable heart-embellished hats and a super cute blanket.  I can make most items to your size needs.  Ordering fabric may take a week or longer, so think about those custom orders now, even though the Christmas tree may still be in the driveway.

I love it when people make special requests!  This blanket was a custom order for a new Auntie.  She wanted a blanket to coordinate with her nephew's crib set, but also wanted to add lambs, since her brother, the new Daddy, had a beloved lamb toy when he was a baby.  I hope the new lambs are as well loved as the original!

I know that many people like to make charitable donations at this time of year.  As a teacher on maternity leave, I would like to tell you about a fantastic website that helps you make donations directly to teachers in need.  Over the past year, teachers have had their student numbers increased significantly and their classroom budgets decreased sharply.  Teachers are doing more with less now more than ever. 

Http://www.donorschoose.org is a fantastic site that connects donors with teachers in need.  When a teacher has an idea, but no funding, they write a request and post it to the site.  The request remains open until it is fully funded, and then Donors Choose sends the supplies directly to the teacher.  Things like books, computers, and art supplies are essential to giving kids the best learning experience possible, yet they are harder and harder to get into classrooms.

You can make a donation in any amount and search for projects based on location or type of project.  A friend of mine has gone above and beyond in securing extra supplies for his students at a high-poverty school.  I've enjoyed seeing pictures of his students gleefully unpacking a new classroom computer and I would love to see photos of them digging into a box of new books for their literature circles!  The link below will take you to the page that lists Mr. Fox's active projects:

http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/viewChallenge.html?id=25608&1257480827567

Thanks for reading about this cause that is close to my heart.