white bow bag

Let's Talk About Hemp...

I have introduced a new line of bags in my Etsy shop made from eco friendly and sustainable fabrics such as hemp, linen, organic cotton and bamboo.

I wish to buy hemp.  It is not grown or manufactured in the U.S. .....soooo, I need to send my  dollars out of the country since our government in it's effort to keep us drug free simply flat out banned the growing and harvesting of cannabis.  In researching the fabrics I am using I am learning a lot about growing, harvesting, manufacturing and arcane laws.

Hemp bags with coconut husk buttons lined with bamboo-cotton. 

 

Surely no member of the vegetable kingdom has ever been more misunderstood than hemp. For too many years, emotion-not reason-has guided our policy toward this crop. And nowhere have emotions run hotter than in the debate over the distinction between industrial hemp and marijuana.  Please read this article which is intended to inform that debate by offering scientific evidence so we can distinguish between myth and reality.

Finally....hemp is one of the easiest and sustainable  crops to grow.  Anything that can be made from cotton can be made from hemp.  Cotton is one of the most environmentally destructive agricultural crops. In pesticide use in the US alone, it is staggering – 125 million kilograms annually. Worldwide, cotton production used 50 percent of the world's pesticides/herbicides. 

Pesticides are possibly the greatest toxic threat to contaminating our soil, air, water and natural communities because they are often permanent and they bio-accumulate, ie their toxicity increases as they are consumed up the food chain. Many pesticides are known carcinogens, and can also cause immuno-deficiency disorders. Added to this, pesticides have a petroleum base and their excessive use perpetuates our dependency on oil. (Courtesy: Binhai Times).  You may want to take a look at Hemp 101 .

I am more and more tuned into what we, as a family, are doing to work with our environment as well as getting chemically engineered products out of our lives.  With my antennae up I am taking in more and more information and adding that to what I already know....which I find was surprisingly little.   So I am taking the liberty of chunking up my blog with this information.  Sorry, but this little corner of the world is mine.

In the next few weeks, I will pass along information about household cleaners, organic gardening and re-cycling.

Please, if you have something to add...I would welcome it.  The comment section is open to everyone.  Let's share what we know.

Just Listed In My Shop....Look, Look....

What do you think....is this suedecloth bag just green or deep celery....how about basil?

I have just listed this and the Lucy Tote in my shop.  

I love suedecloth, but it is not new to me....But  Laura Gunn’s new fabric line “Lantern Bloom” knocks my sox off and really shows off this bag…or this bag shows of her fabric line. The lining is also from the line. Laura is an artist and this bag, inside and out, looks like a painting. The aqua background really makes the orange Chinese Lantern Flowers pop.

Blogging in the sphere...

Every morning I go to my own blog, where I have my blog roll of favorites.  I read them....then check out their blog roll and on and on until I have no idea where I got where I am.   Then I feel the need to blog  here.  I know that I have two (2) followers and when I check my Sitemeter the numbers are single digit hits.

I make it a point to visit certain blogs,  Autum Hall at Creative Little Daisy has just installed a new stainless counter top.  She blogged about that and we all were thrilled.  How she develped a following is perfectly clear....personality, enthusiasm, tutorials and just a lovely lady.  This summer she did not post for weeks, and finally I send her an email asking if she was allright!  I received a friendly reply advising that she was fine, but was very busy.

Anna Maria Horner has the most fabulous fabric and a very folksy blog.   I wouldn't miss it.  I can see what draws people to her.

I need to know how to reach more folks and invite them read my blog.  I really have no theme, so I have decided that since my time is spent making bags right now,  I should concentrate on that.  I am a quilter too, and will try to squoosh some quilting thoughts and photos in as well.

Here is my newest creation (made from a pattern by Michelle Webster at  Keyka Lou
I tinkered with two of her patterns and am pleased with the result.  If I named my bags, this could be called "Whaddya doin' New Years Eve?"........

 Pearls and a wine glass on satin with the gentleman's pocket watch a few minutes after midnight and the lady's evening bag open......is that sexy, or what?

p.s. This fabric is so lovely....click on the photo to enlarge......

You purchase a pattern from her on Etsy and right away download it as a pdf.  Instant gratifiction.
Her blog http://www.keyka.typepad.com/ is chock full of tips, tutorials, instructions questions answered.  All in all, a really super find. 

Look....I'm On etsy Showcase

I signed up for a spot on etsy's 'Showcase'.....and lo and behold there I am! Right there on the web flashing around in cyberspace for all to see (well, not me....but the bags I have made to sell in my etsy shop). You don't have to go to etsy to see my bags. Some of them are on my Flickr Photostream...I put the gizmo on here...look to the lower right. If you do go....check back now and then since I am busily sewing away for fall and Christmas.

Into the garden:

I went out in the garden yesterday basically to see if there were any melons to pick. No melons, but the tomatoes are going nuts. I also brought in some peppers and cukes. There was a lot of basil, thyme and parsley, too.

There were a lot more of these yummy, sweet tomatoes. Between the garden and the kitchen I just couldn't help myself.

Garth is the real photographer here and my step-daughter, Renee, is a real pro and has given me some advice. I am getting better,