a small food shop

image from the guardian: Jeanette Winterson outside her store Verde's in Spitalfields. Photograph: Dan Chung for the Observer

my friend eireann sent along this article this morning and i thought that readers here might be interested in it. i found it very uplifting and inspiring and a nice concise statement on buying small and local....

once upon a life - jeaette winterson .

she opened a small food shop instead of allowing a chain coffee shop into the building where she lived. hip hip hooray.

Green Friday

Just a quick post of Sew Green links to make the busiest shopping day of the year a little less busy and wasteful.

Gift for Good- Alternative gift giving suggestions

Green Gift Giving for Kids - Great list of ideas

What's in your wallet - Think before you buy

Crafty Bastards- Great handmade shopping links

These aren't your mama's clogs- Eco Fashion links

Conscientious Consumption - Mindful consumerism

Toys without the tox- DIY toys

Rock PAPER Scissors- Make your own notebooks

The Art of Finding- sourcing materials for handmade collages- which make great gifts

Also, Healthy Child, Healthy World has a list of 192 eco-friendly kids toys on Amazon.

EDIT:

Also here are a few suggestions for non-shopping alternatives for the whole family on this shopping heavy weekend:

1. Museum [we are open!]
2. Zoo/ aquarium/ garden [all are nonprofits and need your support]
3. Volunteer [soup kitchen, animal shelter or visit a senior center]
4. Tour your city [what would tourists do?]
5. Beach, mountains, river, or any spot with a great view [pack some leftovers]
6. If weather permits- get outside and organize a sporting activity [Croquet!]
7. If weather doesn't permit, board games [or organize a scavenger hunt].

Please leave any other suggestions in the comments!

Cheers!

for chicken fans

card from dandylion press

last night i went with my housemate to a garden for the environment evening of film shorts about homesteading, led by these folks. (the event included home brewed beer, homemade bread, singalongs and a goat bleating impersonation contest.)

this short film from these homesteaders' website is about a community egg co-op. i would SO go in on one of these if i knew of one around here. maybe we'll have to start one...

and this is an article about how artist hope sandrow ran into a rooster one day and how that meeting changed her life. it's a charming story with great photos.

cloth diapers

I had a baby in January. Before she arrived I had been thinking about what my choices were when it came to diapers. I couldn't help but think about how many diapers I'd be adding to a landfill [5-10 a day for 2-3 years?!?!]. I also really really dislike the smell of some diapers. They add this chemical fake baby powder smell that makes me cringe. If my nose can't stand it, how could I feel OK putting that up against a newborn's skin?? And don't get me started on the dumb cartoon characters. Why does everything have to be cross marketed that way?? I also I knew I'd be drop dead tired and most likely not up for any sort of complicated diapering plan. What could I do to do my part??

I researched g diapers ... but the thought of standing over a toilet with a wand in the middle of the night or saving those diapers until morning really didn't appeal to me.

Then I hit the gold mine in terms of cloth diaper info. I read ask moxie's cloth diaper posts part 1 and part 2 . OK - so the reality check is that even using cloth diapers isn't the best - but as much as I planned on being in tune with my baby, the elimination communication method probably wasn't going to work for me.

Realistically, I also knew there was no way I'd want to launder my own diapers. But there are some ways to make it easier than you'd think. check out soft cloth bunz or diaper pin for all the possibilities - and for articles and support on how to diaper at home. I wish I could be that hard core and good.

And then we got lucky. One of my friends gave us 3 months of a diaper service as a baby gift. ABC diapers is run out of Sacramento, CA and they serve the entire Bay Area. As Hayley mentioned in her last post - it's easy. You drop a bag of soiled diapers on your porch one night and the next day you get a whole bag of clean ones. [see the above blue bag] YES these services use water - and yes water is a scares and precious commodity in these parts - but I still feel better than if I used disposables. I don't have to contribute to what goes into manufacturing the diapers [if you want to know what goes into making a diaper - read here [eeewww] , shipping the diapers, disposing them. Although when my daughter goes to daycare I'll have to use disposables there - at least that will be only part time. YES ABC's delivery trucks use gasoline, but they are looking into bio diesel.... and at least we're talking delivery of a couple hundred miles instead of thousands of miles.

Sometimes I feel as though it's simply important to do what you can when you can. And trust that every little bit helps.

I do wish there was a good disposable that used recycled content. Seventh Generation eschews the chlorine - which is great - but still uses wood pulp [and doesn't list that it's post-consumer content]. There's also tushies diapers which like Seventh Generation are better for baby. But the magic better for the environment diaper that is convenient could be someone's million dollar money maker. [maybe anjolina jolie or some other celebrity environmentally conscious mom should champion this cause]

The cost of this diaper service is comparable to buying disposables. Maybe even cheaper. If you want to find a diaper service in your area try the national association of diaper services . If you are in So Cal... Hayley used this service.

Don't think it's tough to use cloth diapers out in the world. It's really not. Just keep a few extra in your bag... and be sure and keep some baggies [I like to use the bags that our Sunday paper comes in] to hold the dirty ones until you can get them home and into your pail. I ended up getting the vinyl sleeves to hold the diaper - so there is no pinning - just folding and velcro and snapping involved. Every couple of months I have to get the next size up sleeves. 3 has been a good number for me. 1 to wear 1 that's in some state of wash/dry and 1 as backup. What to do with these sleeves when you are done I still haven't figured out. I'd be happy to hand them down to someone - they are technically cleaned and washed [although no longer white and shiny] -- but I'm not sure I'll find a taker.

Plus having the diapers on hand is really a nice thing. They make great emergency breast pads/burp cloths, they clean windshields on cars like there's no tomorrow, they pick up cat puke incredibly well [and i didn't hear a peep of complaint from ABC about the mystery non baby mess], they are quick to catch the pee stream that always happens once you REMOVE the diaper [don't think this won't happen to you], and you can hand a clean one to the babe while you change them to keep them occupied [who knew a cloth diaper could be so fascinating?]



and the cat likes sleeping on them. How could I take away his favorite spot??

poppy talk green market

buy local, buy handmade, re-use, re-cycle. sure we all want to do what we can. but what do you do when you just do really want to BUY something. you know - that consumerist itch we're all trying not to scratch?

well - at least this month you can put a little bit of money where your mouth is and support up and coming creative folks.

jan - the genius behind poppytalk has put together an eco themed market for us this month. up through april 11th.

shop with a little less guilt here

Cloth Pads + Goods 4 Girls

I got this email from Deanna and thought it might be of interest to our readers:

I don't want to take up much of your time, but I did want to tell you about a new project I just started, Goods 4 Girls. In short, it is an organization that collects donations of new, reusable menstrual pads (aka Mama pads) from women who either want to sew their own or want to buy pre-made ones. Goods 4 Girls is working with aid organizations in Uganda and Kenya to distribute the pads to girls in need.

There are currently Tampax and Always ads airing on television regarding Proctor and Gamble's donations of disposable pads to South African schoolgirls to help keep them in school. My concern when I first saw the ads was with the environmental impact of the disposable menstrual products. So, I posted on my blog about the alternative with reusable pads and the interest was great enough that I started up Goods 4 Girls and now have several aid organizations on board. To sum it all up, girls miss school when they have their periods because they don't have adequate supplies.

Currently, GladRags is offering a promotional Goods4Girls kit to be donated to Goods 4 Girls and other large pad manufacturers will be do so soon. The interest is very high with this project.


In the future, part of the program will involve assisting local African communities in teaching women and girls how to sew their own pads with materials donated and sent via Goods 4 Girls so they can be more self-sustainable.

You can find out more information about the project at the website . If you are interested in promoting the project on your blog, there are different buttons you can grab from the contact page

nikki posted awhile back on sew green about making her own cloth pads . the tutorial is on the right.

and if you are interested in purchasing some really cute and well made handmade pads you can visit amanda's shop modern acorn on etsy.

Blog Action Day

Did you know that October 15th is Blog Action Day ?

from the site

On October 15th, bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind - the environment. Every blogger will post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic. Our aim is to get everyone talking towards a better future.

good thing to sign up for, eh?

Polar bears reappear once more

{Where to now.}

It’s the last day of September and I thought a good way to mark the day was to post a few of my recent polar bear drawings. I haven't been able to post on Sew Green for a while, so what better way to get myself slowly reacquainted than this. With polars to break the ice.


{Where to now.}


{The last safe patch. (Please, click to enlarge.)}

Medium: watercolour and pencil on Fabriano 640gsm traditional white paper.

Polar bear links to peruse:
Most Polar Bears Gone By 2050, Studies Say
WWF-Canon Polar Bear Tracker
Polar Bear Conservation Through Research and Education

(Polars also said farewell September, hello October over here on elsewhere.)

making things greenly {as much as possible}

dogwood,poppy, chrysthanthemum, daisy
Originally uploaded by oneblackbird

diana fayt makes incredible ceramics. [pictured right].

she's been having guest bloggers post their thoughts on ceramics and their process on her blog. recently, she had laura zindel as her guest.

laura's post went into depth about the question of eco-friendliness in regards to ceramics [is it or isn't it?]. she asks a great set of questions AND got some really intense and smart answers from several "experts".

i thought readers here might be interested in her thoughtful post . i definitely wonder about the materials i use in the studio and about the process of making things. how green can you be? when do you let go? what is an "OK" amount of hazard/harm you are willing to forgive? and how important is it to support small, local, talented artisans?

bloggers for postive global change

we would humbly like to thank lichenology and seeded for their nominating us for the bloggers for positive global change meme.

the meme was started by climate four future .

i don't want to speak for all the contributors, but, for myself... i had no idea what would happen when we started this blog. over the last few months as it has started to take on a life of its own i am continually awed by the posts by my fellow contributors. i am equally, if not more awed by the comments, questions, and suggestions left by this community. this space has encouraged me to look for and implement greener solutions in my own life. it has made going greener less scary, less daunting, less dramatic and thus just more part of my everyday routine.

small steps really do make a difference. and smaller steps are easier to take than giant leaps.

i had a minute this morning to follow some of the leads from these memes. it made me realize that i can't possibly choose just 5 blogs to tag. please check out all the blogs we list on the right >>>>>> as well as all the nominees and nominators for this meme. there's a wealth of knowledge and hope out there. thanks everyone!

a handmade weekend

Out and about with little planned? Why, here are a few things, somewhat hastily pulled together on my behalf, that you might like to consider supporting. Some just in time for the long weekend too.

** Hope Street Markets ** (Sydney)
[young designers collaborative markets]
The Hope Street Markets makes its long weekend debut.


{Hope Street Markets flyer, please, click to enlarge.}

“The Hope Street Markets are a creatively supported environment for young talented designers to promote and expose their talents through different mediums.

Hope Street Markets is a collaboration of young designers in:
+ clothing
+ accessories
+ jewellery
+ object design
+ art

Adopting the concept of your local community markets, the Hope Street Markets are to support more art based product than general “bric'a'brac”. The markets are based in Surry Hills in the heart of Sydney, and they will continue to commence at the start of every fresh season and run over 2 days.”

Glean a little more here.

** The Rose St. Artists’ Market ** (Melbourne)
[Open every Saturday, from 11-5pm]

Expect to find Betty and Hamish toys by Kate Brereton Designs & Rebound Books (second-hand novels are spruced up, reinvented and given new life, filled with 100% recycled tree-free denim paper).

"Now in its fourth year, The Rose St. Artists' Market is Melbourne's foremost open-air market with the prime objective of showcasing contemporary art to the wider community and engaging its audience to the abundance of talent within Melbourne and Australia.

The Rose St. Artists' Market is not only a platform for emerging talent, but is also designed to assist artists and designers to sell and showcase their works without high retail/gallery commissions.

The Rose St. Artists' Market… utilises a disused yard in the back streets of Fitzroy, showcasing up to 50 artists and designers each week, some emerging and some more established.

All stall holders are supplied with exhibiting units, so there is no need to bring trestle tables for exhibiting goods. As well as all genres of art practices, the Rose St. Artists' Market also has live entertainment throughout the day as well as a gourmet cafe. The Rose St. Artists Market is always on the look out for new stall holders, working with a wide range of materials and in mediums including fashion design, product design, furniture design, jewellery, painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, leather work, glass blowing and performing arts."

Straight from the horses mouth.



** Mercado ** (Melbourne)
A “bimonthly Art Market, featuring a rotating crew of local makers hawking their zines, books, comix, prints, apples, toys, muffins, t-shirts, jewellery, sculptures, badges, posters, stickers, vegan cakes and curries, music, video, postcards and…” so on and so forth.

The next market will be happening on Saturday the 23rd of June.


{Mercado made.}

Dig a little further here.

And finally, don't feel like heading out into the woods today, skip across to...
** madeit **
[the independent australian designers directory]
& lay claim to a few more local treats. From Chip Chop to Wild Garden and back around the block to Secret Squirrel Clothing.

Why not ferret around here and see what you can find.

Here's hoping you discover many a handmade gem should you take to market. Or perhaps you are spurred on to participate yourself, hawking your handmade pride and joy at a market stall with fellow marketeers. Either way, have fun and keep it handmade.

Links for your green fingers

Mount Iwakiyama was hard to say but the American badger knew he'd adjust. Collage on postcard, Gracia Haby, 2007.

A little over a month ago now, as I read the weekend papers several days after said weekend (are you perhaps sensing a pattern here?), I came across a reference to Sew Green in an article by Andrew Stephens and John Bailey, Back to the future (M, The Sunday Age, April 22, 2007). An article all about becoming a little more green. A three page spread on making your life a little simpler, and in short, a little more like your Nanna. All hail a return to the days when a "commitment to thrift, conserving resources and canny housekeeping" was the norm. Small ways in which you can make a difference today, from buying products with less packaging, making your own all purpose cleaning products, relying upon the virtues of vinegar and bi-carb soda in place of a chemical nasties, a different chemical concoction for each room and surface in the house. Vegetable patches, string bags, walking, and generally using less, yes, that's something we all can do. And should your green thumb have deserted you, leaving you with turnips and radishes fit only for a mouse, why there are always plenty of other green alternatives to living a cleaner, greener, simpler life.


He travelled for some time without incident. Collage on postcard, Gracia Haby, 2007.

So, here are some of the green links found in that article for you all to discover at your leisure -

Fresh Green Clean
Safer, healthier and cleaner indoor living spaces
"Learn how to clean effectively and efficiently with methods that don't cause harm to people or the planet".

Plump Organic Grocery (in Yarraville, Victoria)
"We stock quality organic and bio-dynamic produce including fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy products, wine, beer, bulk grains & cereals, soy products, meat, bread, eggs, juices, and much more."

Green Living Australia
All about living a "Green" life, starting in our homes.

Estring bags
Don't cost the earth.
(I've just ordered three long handled string bags in Ocean Blue, Pink Cherry Blossom and Fresh Green, and can't wait for them to arrive via snail mail.)

Sustainability Victoria
Find tips for the home and brush up on your facts while you're at it (Wind energy - myths and facts).

And what of Sew Green? Why, we're mentioned here: "Younger people tired of throwing away their money on poorly made mass-produced clothing and fabric products are discovering the rewards of handicrafts and clicking on to sites such as sew green.blogspot.com and Bee Green to learn how to make soft toys, darn socks and whip up a new blouse to wear to work".


We thought we knew a great deal, but really we knew nothing. Collage on postcard, Gracia Haby, 2007.

Now I'm off to get my hands on a copy of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by chemist and process engineer Michael Braungart and architect William McDonough, to read about the big things that can be done, to discover how buildings can be built like trees, like nature...

"Imagine a world where human industry operates exactly like a blossoming cherry tree: Every factory, every building and every product is as giving as a cherry tree with its flowers.

Imagine a world where our buildings are like trees: They cover their energy needs by harvesting solar power, produce food and oxygen, create habitat for other species and change with the seasons.

Imagine a world without pollution and waste: Products are made from materials that are beneficial for humans and their surroundings."

Believing that it is not simply enough for our actions to be 'less bad', to be 'less harmful', to the environment, Braungart and McDonough advocate, and practice, that there should be no waste whatsoever... that all waste should equal food. That all waste should give back to the biosphere. Just like trees (There's room for a book review on that one, and indeed many books currently on the market. Any takers? Care to pen a little book review on a green text you are currently perusing, Shari, Louise, anyone?). Oh, dear. Must dash, I fear I've bitten off more than I can chew with this one! I'll leave you to dig around further here and here.


Coins in every fountain. Collage on postcard, Gracia Haby, 2007.

In lieu of any green photos, I have littered this post with several of my recent collages... collages of animals seeking new homes in a changing environment. I hope you like them.


They are discussing environmental policies. Collage on postcard, Gracia Haby, 2007.

happy earth day

the image above is by vik muniz for the new york times.

it seems as though everywhere i turned this last week or so i heard and saw talk about ecological changes/needs. earth day segments were the rage on local and national TV.

on the one hand i'm glad that environmentalism is a current trend. it's nice to see people paying attention and trying to make a difference. i sincerely hope that this line of thinking becomes more than a trend. that it becomes something that sticks and permeates our EVERYDAY culture and consumer choices. bill maher suggested on friday that it's time we make every day earth day. i couldn't agree more.

here are some links to green happenings all around.

reader lisa d. suggested this video/pledge for one planet life

the sundance channel offers a greener living guide. [thanks wendy for the tip]

thomas friedman went into a lengthly discussion in last week's NYT magazine about how green should be the new political interest. there's a great link to a video on that page - as well as a link to friedman's discovery channel special that aired last night.

also in today's NYT was a story on eco-cleaning products that some socialites were getting into. i provide this as a tease for gwen's impending post on this subject.

finally - science friday was at it again. hour one discussed ethanol fuel, solar technology and battery challenges. hour two talked about parks and climate change.

hope you are out and about enjoying this day. i plan to take a moment to see if there is a small thing i can change in my life to make a difference.

links of interest?

i was driving to the studio this morning listening to science friday on npr . steven jackson was on talking about climate change... it was really interesting especially when they started talking about the nations that are currently growing industrially [china and india] and how we can attempt to balance changing emission standards while considering the wealth of nations. the audio will be posted by 6pm eastern time today. hopefully here

a while back my dad sent me a link to this editorial by thomas friedman of the new york times . it's a really interesting read. the idea of environmentalists beating corporations at their own game - by using high power investment bank consultants - is an intriguing one.

sew green calendar