cutting down on spending

I've been working on a Mod Podge craft project for the past few weeks, doing one bit at a time while watching True Blood or Grey's Anatomy online in the evenings. It's not the finest craftsmanship, but I'm happy with it all the same.


I bought the drawers second-hand from the Camberwell market ages ago and started painting it red. I wasn't feeling that so I used found papers to decorate the drawers instead. The top left and right are layers of vintage pattern paper. The diamond blue pattern was part of the packaging for something I bought. The blue is from the cover of a vintage book we were going to give away, and the bottom drawer is covered with pages from another vintage book.


It's going to be a totally new thing for me to actually have desk storage. Not sure how I'll best use it yet.

I've just realised how much I've bought online in the past couple of months. Books and stationery and tape and things.

mouse pad from My Favorite Mirror

tape from Nothing Elegant

Pricing Your Craftwork from Fishpond

lacy bird bowl by Prince Design UK

And that's only a portion of my purchases. I thought I was doing well because I carefully considered each purchase, and nothing I bought was a waste, but that's not good enough for me. In the interest of saving money and reducing environmental impact, I want to do better. I've been reading a book called Budget Wise, Dollar Rich, borrowed from the libary like a good little saver.


Looks a bit spammy, doesn't it? Despite that, it's really helpful. Now that Tim isn't working (for money, anyway) I'm paying the large bills, so I've made a budget for Heidi & Seek and for home. It's all well and good to make a spreadsheet with the best of intentions, but although I've done that in the past, I haven't enforced what I've written down or monitored how I was doing. I've never been in much debt, and I always pay off my credit card during the interest-free period, but I've never consistently put money aside for savings either. Except when I was saving for a holiday, but that was different. Single life living at home with your parents is so different.

Anyway, my plan of attack now is this:

• I withdraw in cash a certain amount at the start of every week, and must only use this to pay for things. Just before I withdraw the next week's allowance, I put the leftovers of the previous week in a jar. Any additional money I get, like gifts or random cash goes in this jar too. My motivation for keeping my spending within my allowance is seeing this jar's contents grow. It'll pay for extra more expensive things, or is there if I feel I deserve a treat. I might allocate 20% of the jar to 'treats' and the rest to savings, and then deposit it at my bank when it gets big.
  
• I've made my allowance quite low because I want to try to make do. Since we're vegetarian our meals don't have to cost much. Our pantry is full of things we keep accumulating but don't seem to use, so I want to see how far I can take what we already have and only buy the basics week to week. They will easily fit within my allowance.
  
• I'm doing a similar thing with Heidi & Seek, because sometimes I can get carried away with buying supplies or whatnot. Some months my expenses are sky-high and some months it's very little. I'm setting a monthly allowance for Heidi & Seek, except at the end of the month, the money left will be topped up instead of taken out, saved and completely replaced.
  
• For Heidi & Seek purchases that I don't need immediately, like certain books and equipment, I'm putting aside some money each month into a linked online account, and I can only buy them when I have enough in that account.
• Then of course I've made the standard annual tables of bills and other required expenses, but there's not much I can do about most of those. I cut my mobile phone plan from $50 to $20, and I'll see if there are cheaper options for the rest, too.
  

The good thing about this cash system is that I can see how much I've spent that week without having to keep a tally (although I'm being anal so I'm doing the tally anyway). And I can still buy the things that mean a lot to me, but not just 'when I feel like it' and not all at once. I have to save up and to really consider where I want to spend my money.

Do you budget or have system that works for you?

dealing with periods, eco style

This is a post I've been meaning to make for ages, a follow-up to my post about cloth menstrual pads, which included an interview with the owner of Naturally Hip, a handmade cloth pad seller. If you don't know much about cloth pads I recommend you give the post a read because going cloth has both environmental and health benefits. (Disclaimer: If you are a boy, and/or squirmish about such things, this may be the point where you should click away.)


I bought pads from the lovely Lindsay of Naturally Hip several months ago. These are my thoughts:

• I was quite flawed by how much they absorb. They're like Mary Poppins' bag. I have no fears of leakage overnight, or any other time.
• They're made from a really soft flannel on the outside. Regular pads aren't uncomfortable, but you can generally feel them being all plasticky down there. These cloth pads are much nicer to wear.
• They're easy to wash. I'm a bit crap at getting housework done, and if I can manage, so can you. I mostly only use them when I'm at home, so I rinse them well as soon as I change them, then either put them straight into the wash (with other laundry), or put them in a bucket filled with some water until I put the next load on. There's also wet bags you can buy for storing used ones that have been changed while you're out.
• The only problem I had was that the liners without wings ended up where they shouldn't be. They don't have a sticky section like store bought ones and the listing says that they should stay in place with snug-fitting undies. A lot of my undies were one or two sizes too big (in terms of dress size), so I actually went out and bought more of my size undies, and the wingless liners still moved around as I walked. I'm not sure if it's because I'm small or something else, but I recommend you get the liners with wings. Trying to figure out how best to sew in wings so the ones I have don't go to waste.

Overall, totally star quality from Naturally Hip. Lindsay is easily contactable and more than happy to answer questions or make custom ones. Plus she's passionate about being eco-friendly - a total plus in my book.

After I made the initial blog post about cloth pads, I started a thread on the Etsy forums about it which got a lot more attention than I was expecting. Lots of responses were about the Diva Cup, an alternative to tampons and a new idea to me. At first I thought it was a gross idea: basically it's a reusable little cup that 'catches' your blood, and then you empty it periodically. As I read on further, I realised it's not much more gross than tampons and, really, that perspective was just because I wasn't used to the idea yet. If everybody was doing it I wouldn't give it a second thought.

Here are the benefits:

• You can leave it in for up 12 hours, so you can change it twice a day and not have to think about your period the rest of the time, because if it's in properly you can't feel it.
  
• It's reusable so you don't need to send tampons to landfill all the time.
• None of this toxic shock syndrome stuff to worry about.
• It makes activities like hiking, swimming, yoga or whatever else easy while you're perioding.
  

So I bought one. I've tried to use it a few times. More often than not, unsuccessfully. It's apparently something you need to get the hang of doing, and also, some people find certain brands don't work for them - everybody's shape is a bit different. I'm not sure what the others are called, but the Diva is the original, I believe. I know it does work for some, because of all the raving testimonials on the Etsy forum. I suppose I will keep trying, because if it works it would be an ideal option for me, combined with cloth liners and overnight pads.

organisation & clearance sale

I just reduced the price of a bunch of stuff in my Etsy shop, check it out here. I'm feeling a change is in order (yes yes, I know I always say that).


The trouble with working from home is that if your house is cluttered or untidy, or if there's dishes that need doing in the sink, those unfinished businesses can distract you from work. Until we can afford a bigger place, my studio takes over half our living room. I think that makes the whole 'separating work from home' thing more difficult.

I'm the kind of person that will let those things get to me, because I was brought up in an unrealistically tidy and clean home (kudos to mum for keeping it that way). With everything else that's on my plate, I find it really difficult to keep organised. Dishes and washing and papers pile up, and I often find it difficult to prioritise.

I came across this article that talks about how pysical clutter can clutter up your mind and I really related to it. I sometimes put jobs off because they seem too large and I don't know where to start. And I'm sure that has something to do with my organisation.

So. I wanted to have a week set aside for just organising everything. Mostly Heidi & Seek related things, but the home-life things that affect my productivity, too. I'm seem to always be working on the next job, concentrating on making and listing and everything that comes with them, that I put off everything else and get kind of burnt out.

I want to find a second-hand filing cabinet to organise my papers, get rid of fabric I know I'm never going to use, find an easier way to manage my finances, clean out my wardrobe, and mostly, work out my storage so that everything has a home, and things I use regularly are easy to find. And this might be too much to ask for a week's work, but I want things to be pretty. I've been eyeing off Etsy home decor finds over the past few weeks. Like these:

recycled wooden sign by WilliamDohman

cobalt blue suitcase by jessjamesjake

snip snip ironing board cover by CityChicCountryMouse

I'm going to try to make do before buying anything, though. The plan is that after that week I can return to my regular work refreshed and best able to be productive. I think my schedule right now won't allow me to block out a complete week, but maybe I can do a day here and a day there..

ethical style feature: rejenerate handbags

My ethical style feature has been MIA for a while on my blog, but it's back! If you have no idea what feature I'm on about, it involves me handpicking and interviewing entrepreneurial ladies and lasses with gorgeous products and responsible business practices. This means fair trade, handmade, recycled, organic, second-hand, and vintage galore!

I've chosen reJenerate for this one, which is a handmade handbag label run by Jennie Smith - a fellow Aussie! Each gorgeous piece of hers is made from recycled materials and she's passionate about sustainable fashion.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you make.

Well I'm a self-confessed recycling junkie. I have this uncontrollable need to save things from landfill. I used to love things that were shiny and new, things that had a blank slate but the more I became aware of environmental issues the more I started to lean towards using things that were pre-loved. Now I find these things to be so much more charming, they have a personality and a history of their own that you just don't get with new stuff.

This recycling obsession quickly developed into my label, 'ReJenerate: Vintage & Recycled Creations by Jennie Smith'. Now I spend most of my time saving unloved curtains, clothing, fabrics and linens from their one way trip to landfill and turning them into pretty new things that are handmade and usually one of a kind.

How did you start making bags?

I was inspired by delicate vintage doilies and napkins and was captivated by the thought of transforming them into quirky, girlie clutches. From there I was hooked and handbags became my world! I have lots of different styles now and my bridal clutches, made from divine vintage fabrics, are my most popular items. I've also started moving into homewares lately which I'm finding really fun. Interior design is my latest obsession!

little splash of vintage clutch

Tell us about your materials. What new supplies do you use? What recycled?

I aim to keep things entirely recycled. I do use new cotton thread to make sure that I have a really sturdy, quality product and sometimes I will use new magnetic snaps, rings and zips but often these are recycled too. Absolutely all of my fabrics are vintage, recycled or salvaged.

Why do you use recycled materials?

Well, like I said before...I'm a recycling junkie! Thinking about the amount of waste every human goes through in their lifetime completely freaks me out. My aim in starting ReJenerate was to provide an alternative to fashion accessories that were made off shore from chemically laden fabrics under horrendous conditions. I try to keep my prices accessible to the average Aussie gal...so she has no excuse for not buying sustainable!! ;)

slouchy samara oversized handbag

Which item of yours is your favourite?

My favourite item is always the one I created last! I tend to get a little attached and get a bit sad when I send my creations off to their new home. Crazy I know! But the lovely thing about selling online is that I get to have contact with my customers and many of them keep in touch, updating me on all the fabulous things my handbags have been up to! I have had handbags go to Paris for a holiday, get sent to Iceland as a gift, attend A-list events and lots of other crazy adventures! One of the best things about my job is emailing with all of my gorgeous customers.

But in answer to the original question (!) right now I'm having so much fun working on my bridal range. It makes me so happy seeing so many brides working towards a sustainable wedding.

bridal betty eco-clutch

What advice would you give to designers who want to start working for themselves?

Do it! I have never been happier than I am now. If you really want something then don't give up. Just make sure that you're really self-motivated because you don't have a boss looking over your shoulder making sure you're getting things done! And don't expect to be an overnight success, it takes time for customers to find you. Just make sure you do something every day to get your work out there.

What's your best eco-tip?

Everytime you are tempted by something shiny and new, ask yourself if you could find something similar that is pre-loved. Usually you can find something even better with lots of character and individuality and people will admire your unique style. Pay attention to everything that goes into your bin and assess what you can do next time to avoid creating that waste. No one's perfect, certainly not me, but that doesn't mean you can't try!

What a great response. Thanks Jennie!

Visit rejenerate.com.au to shop (Etsy & Made It) and for more info.

cosa verde

I just found out about a newish online shopping site for eco-friendly handmade goods. It's called cosa verde (meaning 'green thing' in Spanish) and it's clean, easily browsable and filled with items that are all gorgeous because they're approved by the site's admin first. It's a great way to look for earth-friendly handmade products online because they intentionally keep their site small and easily browsable.

Another great thing about it is that you can search by your values, such as organic, repurposed, recyclable or cruelty-free. There's a daily front page curation, plus a number of gift guides to look through. It's not an e-commerce site, so the items you see in any shopfront there will probably only be a selection of what the sellers have available online, and clicking through will take you to their Etsy shop or other selling website.

I love this realistic and down-to-earth point of view from cosa verde's 'About Us' page:

"First, who we're not. We're not radicals. We're not preachy. We don't always seek out organic products, and we (gasp!) still have a few non-CFL bulbs at home and drive our fossil-fuel burning (high mpg, but still...) cars to work each day. But, when it comes right down to it, we're two kids who like the Earth. We think it's a nice place. We'd like it to be a nice place for our (future) kids. And we believe that while big changes happen slowly, it's the small changes that pave the way."

I just opened up a page at cosa verde, which you can check out here. If you sell eco-friendly handmade wares, I really suggest you check it out and open a shopfront. It's free for 3 items at a time in your shop, and there's a fee for more than that, but to begin with they give you free credit. Plus you can find an extra coupon code online if you look hard enough (*hintetsyforumshint*). Tell them I sent you and I'll love you forever! (Just put 'heidiandseek' in the referrer text box when you sign up.)

Happy browsing!

a to z on my browser

From Nikki-Shell, Veronica Darling, Crafty Librarian and Meet Me at Mikes, that order.

"So what you have to do is type each letter of the alphabet one by one into the URL line of your browser. This will bring up your most visited site of this letter, or the letter being used within the address. Use the first site that comes up, or the second if you have privacy/security issues. It's like a little outline of your favourite web sites!"

A - Armour sans Anguish on Etsy. A very talented eco-fashion designer who I interviewed a while back.
B - Big Cartel Dashboard. Apparently I don't visit B sites much, because I stopped using Big Cartel a while ago! (I opened one up then changed my mind, if you're curious.)
C - Craftcult. Yes, I check this everyday with the excuse that I'm doing 'market research' by seeing which items get hearted the most (it doesn't actually help).
D - Design Sponge. I spent an entire evening last week looking through every DIY home decor project there and marking my favourites to try. I'm on a 'making my house pretty' kick at the moment (but haven't gotten very far yet). Will post progress!
E - eBay.com.au. I don't really use eBay that much, but I've been checking it a lot lately to find a good second-hand Bernina sewing machine.
F - Frankie Magazine forum. I used to post there regularly but I don't seem to visit much anymore. There are lovely people there though, it's where I met my penpal, Stepstotheleft. Letters in the mail are the best.
G - Goodlife Health Clubs. My gym, which I have been very bad at attending lately. I check the site to see what the class schedule is.
H - Heidi & Seek and Ethical Fashion - Yep, my own blog.
I - I'm Your Present on Etsy. I don't mind her work, though it's often too girly for my taste, but mostly I have a look every now and again because I just can't believe how many sales she makes and processes. It's a good kick-up-the-butt for me to work harder.
J - Jenny Vella on Etsy. Apparently J is a little-used letter, too. I've visited this shop for its cute backpacks a few times recently. Still deciding about them.
K - Kara Smith handbags. So I know Kara's bags are a bit out of my price range, but I still love looking at them! They're made from vintage and reclaimed fabrics and she's a fellow Australian, so I've been following her work and her blog since I started this biz.
L - Monash library. Monash is the university I attend.
M - Madeit.com.au
N - Nikki-shell's blog. You may know this is one of my favourite blogs from the link list on the left. A lovely local crafty lady.
O - OzBushfireAppeal on Etsy. Another little used letter, because this shop has been closed for a while. 900 donation sales to a great cause is such a great achievement.
P - Paypal
Q - Call My Agent Query letter post. Firefox just pulled up the Q in the title because apparently I don't visit any sites beginning with Q. Still, I love this blog for an insiders look into the publishing industry.
R - Replicca on Etsy. I'm quite in awe of what Rebecca has achieved with her label, plus I love her designs.
S - Supayana on Etsy. Same as above!
T - Twitter
U - Urban Outfitters. I visited a couple of times to check out their bag selection for backpack inspiration for making my own. I found a cool design of theirs via Google image search (see below) and followed it up but it's been discontinued. Not digging the pink, but I like the design.

Urban Outfitters

V - Vogue Australia forums. I'm not actually a member because they have this newbie censorship thing going on and my account for some reason got suspended before even having my posts appear anywhere. I tried finding out why but got no reply. However, the forums do have some great content.
W - Project Wonderful. An online advertising website, if you haven't heard of it before.
Y - YumiYumi on Etsy. A cute shop for art, but not one I regularly visit.
Z - Zingaling on Etsy. Cute upcycled bags. Again, I've only visited once or twice, but Z isn't very popular in my browser!

Feel free to do this on your own blogs, it's fun!

Upcycled clock purchase

I had to share with you something on Etsy I've been eyeing off with lust for the past few weeks. I finally bought it!

La Mode Wall Clock by pretty green

I just love it. It's an upcycled clock decorated with vintage paper - in other words, right up my alley. And I have that nice feeling because it was Clare's first sale. Here's to many more! And hopefully, many more listings, because I'm looking forward to seeing what else she comes up with (especially of the decoupage variety).

a little update in the midst of chaos

Hello ladies, sorry for the infrequent posts lately, but it's crunch time at uni! I'm stealing a procrastinatey break right now, but I have an assignment due tomorrow (it's about the Melbourne-based zine called YOU, anyone heard of it?). My computer has also been infected with a sneaky, pesky virus so I'm in the process of backing up all my stuff so I can reformat. Fun times!

Anyway, I was delighted to find my Georgia dress in an Etsy Finds article about repurposing used items into fashion goodness. You can check it out here because there are some delightful finds included. I particularly loved the Wooly Baby shop - cosy woollen slippers and shoes for little ones! They are adorable, made from preloved materials and very reasonably priced.

Mountain Laurel slippers by wooly baby

Purple mist baby slippers by wooly baby

Since it has been a month, here's a little hair update, following my shampoo-free post:

• My hair still feels and looks much better than before.
  
• On the second day after washing, my hair still looks clean, but gets flat after I brush it. I suppose that's a little inevitable and something that I could address with some hair product if I could be bothered, but I don't think it's worth the trouble. So I just tie it up in a ponytail, as I often do anyway, and it looks good as new.
• On the third day after washing, my hair kind of does the sticky-together thing in the fringe, which I don't like, so I wash it. It's still not as bad as the second day after washing with shampoo.
  
• It doesn't make a difference to my hair cleanliness if I use as little baking soda as possible to cover my scalp. Same with the apple cider vinegar - I just pour a little in the cup and then add water. I found that I was getting through my supplies too quickly and it was unnecessary. Less is more!
• I am enjoying making use of my shower cap.

If you've tried it too, do let us know how it's going and leave a comment!

Work smarter, not harder

I've been terribly inundated with life, hence my absence recently. I have an assignment due tomorrow (now completed, thankfully), the weekend was jam-packed, and last week I had a badly placed day off and familial obligations on my usual Heidi & Seek days. I do, however, have a bunch of new items to list when I have a minute.

I've decided that to ease the anxiety of my busy-ness, I will back off from projects that aren't necessary or important. I'm cutting out internet dawdling, like reading 100 blogs when I only care about 15, and looking far-and-wide for advice on expanding Heidi & Seek when, really, I'm okay with the current state of the business. I'm just going to stick with creating, blogging and listing. And customer service and order handling, of course. And I'm going to take weekends off (unless absolutely necessary or I find myself twiddling thumbs). I'm hoping this will mean that instead of cutting down my creating to make way for 'me time', I'm cutting the excess so that I'll still be able to create the same amount and have time for myself. What's it they say: work smarter, not harder? Well, it's all good in theory but we'll see how it goes.

I just got home from uni and it's 10pm. I'm ready to shower and pack it in.

Oh but before I go! There's an online trunk show sale happening online at Olio United for ethically made, recycled designer wares. Favourite labels of mine Armour sans Anguish and Supayana are features. I'm also really liking the jewellery by AK Vintage and particularly Frocky Jack Morgan, made from vintage and antique materials. In order of mention:




Pretty!

Recycled fabric eco-friendly trunk show

A bouquet of butterflies

butterfly bouquet by whichgoose

This is the kind of amazing idea that makes me utterly overjoyed to have found Etsy.

P.S. I was interviewed over at the gorgeous blog, Etsy Item of the Day. Check it out here.

Green indie wedding

Tim and I have been engaged for over a year now. We didn't set a date because a) we are naturally procastinate-y people and b) we didn't have enough spare cash to fund the event. Tim just got a raise so we're starting to plan the thing (by 'starting to plan', I mean we had a conversation that went, "We should start planning," and, "Yes. Yes we should.")

I really don't have much direction at the moment. I've only been to two weddings before, and I was a kid then. At age 22, I don't have the benefit of seeing what my friends have done first because none of them are married. I know that we don't want a traditional wedding. It won't be in a church, things won't necessarily be white, I won't necessarily have bridesmaids. It'll be small, green, indie. I don't want to buy new things that will just be thrown away afterwards, so we'll look for eco-friendly alternatives, or skip unimportant traditions altogether.

I'm starting with the dress, because it's probably the easiest. It doesn't necessarily have to be white (I mean, with a daughter I'm obviously not exactly 'pure'). Actually, I don't particularly like wearing white, anyway. I'd like it to be unusual, and preferably not exclusively for wear as a wedding dress. I'm thinking something with lots of layers and textures.

I'm inexperienced at making intricate, delicate dresses, but I might give it a try. I'll try to use reclaimed materials so I'm not impacting the environment so much. I've been looking for inspiration.

The doily dress by Armour sans Anguish

A new piece from the lovely Tawny (who I interviewed here). I love this. I haven't seen anything quite like it before. Loving the textures and the flattering fit, though I think it's too short for a wedding dress.

Grey sparrow dress by Makool

I love the pop of colour in this, and the asymmetry. It's gorgeous and unique. I'm stuck between whether I want a floor length or knee-length dress.

Vintage grecian gown from designarchives

This is much simpler than I'd like, but I'm liking the idea of the big bow and the asymmetry.

Antique lace pouf sleeve shrug by hollystalder

I put the white one there to show what the whole garment looked like, but I like the dusky purple one much more. Who would have thought a giant shoulder pouf would look so amazing?

Too many ideas, not enough time to test them all. I'm sure I'll be making a few trials. I'll keep you updated. I have yet to shop for materials.

Eco-style find: Armour sans Anguish women's dresses

This week's eco-find is Tawny Holt's Armour sans Anguish, gorgeous garments made completely from recycled and reclaimed materials. Such lush colours! Such romantic designs! I would totally want this to wear to my wedding if I didn't want to try making the dress myself first.

The over the moon dress

I had the privilege of interviewing the brains behind this operation.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you make.
My name is Tawny Holt and I'm 26 years old. I make one of a kind clothing for women from recycled materials under the label Armour sans Anguish. I work from my home in lovely Modesto, CA and can be found dancing with my Go-Go troupe, The Radiowaves when I'm not knee-deep in fabric and pretty bits. I also enjoy thrifting, bike riding, and cooking up unique foods.

How did you start making clothing?
I literally got a sewing machine for Christmas 5 years ago and started selling clothing 4 and a half years ago. I sauntered into a local boutique, Queen Mab's, and they asked me where I got the clothes I was wearing. When I sheepishly announced that I had made them they asked if I would consider selling other pieces through their shop. After a couple of successful mini-collections of one-of-a-kinds in Queen Mab's, I started to expand Armour sans Anguish by selling through other shops and online.

The aquamarine dress

What kind of person shops Armour sans Anguish?
I would like to think it's the hopeless romantic; the eccentric girl who wants to wear the dresses she dreamed up as a little girl, but with a refined and adult twist.

Tell us about your materials. What new supplies do you use? What recycled?
Literally all of the supplies I use are recycled, save for my sewing machines and scissors! I even get thread, zippers, buttons, and needles at second hand stores. I become a bit obsessed, as I try to make sure that even my hang tags are printed on papers I've found at garage sales or thrift stores. It is always my intention to use what is already out in the world.

The pistachio dress

Why do you use recycled materials?
Not only do I want to contribute to the sustainability of our world, but I am also simply drawn to vintage materials--I think they tell better stories and lend themselves to the kind of romanticism I want to create.

Which item of yours is your favourite?
My items are always revolving and coming in and out of my life, so my "favorites" are constantly changing. Right now I'm in giddy love with The Blue Lagoon Dress because it all came together using colors I don't normally use. I was delighted with the result.


What advice would you give to designers who want to start working for themselves?
I would encourage an attentiveness to a sustainable rate of growth. Only take on what you're comfortable with as there is a desire from the eco community to do business with folks who keep their operations intentionally small.

What's your best eco-tip?
Networking with other eco-crafters and designers! Folks who are interested in sustainability are eager to find out how they can pass on their production "waste" to other folks who could use them. Don't be afraid to ask!

Thanks, Tawny!

Check out the Armour sans Anguish Etsy store.

I love the increasing variety of recycled handmade clothing online. Some might say it's counter-productive of me to feature the 'competition' here, but I really want to get these labels out there and show you that there are plenty of ethical eye-candy options. If you know of a recycled label for a future eco-find feature, please comment below!

Splurge

Ahh, I just splurged on this top and will henceforth blame it on being an early birthday present (my birthday is two months away).

Emerald Grey Blue by Replicca

I'm starting to wonder if signing up to her mailing list was such a good idea after all.

I'm aware of the fact that this is not, as far as I can tell, made using eco-friendly or recycled fabrics. But I guess the most important thing to me with fashion is that I'm not rewarding (paying) a company to keep exploiting garment workers. This hoodie does not. I think that ethical fashion is about having the knowledge to choose what issues important for you, and then reducing what you buy to select pieces that you will treasure and adore for a long time to come.

I'm quite unhappy with the extent of my wardrobe at the moment (although that may have something to do with the washing that's been piling up since before the fashion show). I guess everybody goes through that stage once in a while, where our wardrobe just feels old and a rejuvination is desired. I'll be reconstructing my own things when I have spare time, and largely keep my clothing to second-hand or self-made. This 'spare time' does not seem promising, as I just started back at uni, but we'll see how I go.

If you're interested in peeking at others' refashioned clothing, check out this inventive blog: Wardrobe Refashion.

"Participants of the blog pledge to abstain from the purchase of new manufactured clothing for the period of 2, 4, 6 months or LIFE. They pledge to refashion, renovate, and recycle preloved items with their own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium or make their own from scratch."

I really appreciate the values behind this idea. Huge props to Nichola for creating and maintaining this.

Also! I was interviewed in depth over at the modernemotive blog. I think that this is my favourite interview so far, the questions were fun to answer and the post ended up so pretty!

Eco-find: Greenbelts, recycled belt accessories

This week's eco-find is Greenbelts - funky one-of-a-kind accessories made from post-consumer recycled belts, by Shannon Ritscher. I had the pleasure of interviewing Shannon about her label and recycling ethic.

Before that, though, I have to say that there's such a variety of cool things at Greenbelts, I can hardly decide which to include in this post. Like, I have to admit that I've never had a pet, but I can still appreciate this great idea:

Dog collar and owner cuff set

For dog owners, there's also the stylish Eco leash and cuff set. Anyway, to the interview.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you make.

My name is Shannon Ritscher. I made a living as a corporate graphic designer for many years before having a child and becoming a stay-at-home mom. I am now a full time mom, part-time freelance graphic designer and creator of Greenbelts. I create my Greenbelts out of recycled materials (mainly belts). They are dog collars, leashes and human accessories such as cuffs (both wrist and ankle), collar/cuff sets, belts, boot chains and rings.

Red leather Eco Cuff

How did you start making accessories?

I always enjoyed design but yearned for something a bit more "creative". I decided that it might be fun to spin my passion for recycling into something that could help our household make ends meet. I found a leather collar one day that I thought was beautiful and I knew I could make it's equal (or better) out of recycled materials.

Eco Cuff connected to button ring

How did you go about starting your business?

I try my best to make most of my Christmas presents by hand each year so, the year after my son was born, I decided that I would make dog collars and cuffs for my friends and family. I bought a leather-workers starter kit from my local Tandy leather store and some recycled belts from several second hand stores. My house is teeny-tiny so I asked my neighbors if I could borrow their workbench in their basement for a while so I could make my gifts.

The cuffs and collars were a hit! One of my other neighbors saw some of the collars that I was making and told me about Etsy. I fell in love with the site, opened a shop right away, and continued to borrow the workbench to create my Greenbelts for a year after that. My husband, Chris, finally built me a little shed/studio on our back porch so I could give the neighbors a break.

What kind of person shops at Greenbelts?

Eco-friendly, unique, funky, practical types.

His and hers leather cuffs

Tell us about your materials. What new supplies do you use? What recycled?

All of my belts are 100% post consumer materials. I hand cut thousands of flowers out of recycled scrap leather, reuse chain from old necklaces, cut the pin backs off of vintage brooches, reuse vintage buttons and anything else that looks like it can be attached to a cuff or collar. I also recycle buckles, rings, and any embellishments when I can. I add new items like rhinestones, rivets, metal spots, snaps, buckles and D-rings when needed.

Why do you use recycled materials?

Because that's what makes each item unique. There are tons of people out there who make cuffs and collars but when you recycle materials, you know that it's going to be one-of-a-kind. And I love that whole idea.

Which item of yours is your favourite?

Right now, I'm totally digging these ankle cuffs:

Ankle corset cuffs

Thanks so much Shannon!

Visit the Greenbelts shop

Eco-find: Naturally Hip cloth menstrual pads

Most people know about the cloth versus disposable nappy debate. But how many of you have thought about cloth menstrual pads? Not me, I have to admit. But now that I've looked into it a little, I'm going to give it a try. Here's why:

• In the US alone, 7 million tampons and 12 billion pads are sent to landfill every year - not to mention the packaging each disposable comes in. If I never buy disposables again for the rest of my life, that's going to make a significant waste reduction.
  
• It's cheaper
• No nasty, chemical-laden plastics against your skin. I imagine it just feels nicer, and you're less likely to have irritation issues 'down there'. Some women's privates react to the chemicals and they mistake the problem for 'just that time of the month'.
  
• It can help reduce period pain, and it commonly makes periods shorter and lighter.
• Support the little (and eco-friendly) guys - most cloth pads are made by self-employed, work-from-home women.
  
• Many cloth pads are made from natural materials, which means you won't be supporting the production of plastics and chemicals, which adds to pollution.
  

I spoke to the lovely Lindsay of Naturally Hip, who makes cloth pads both gorgeous and functional.


Tell us about yourself and what you make.

My name is Lindsay. I live in Burlington, Ontario, in Canada, with my wonderful husband and two adorable children ages 6 months and 2 and a half years. Naturally Hip is my line of handmade cloth menstrual pads and wet bags. I am a one-woman show. Everything I create is made by me from start to finish (right up to dropping it in the mailbox)! Down the road I would love to expand my business to include nursing pads and cloth baby items as well.

Tell us a bit about the cloth versus disposable pad debate.

Disposable hygiene products have become so mainstream in the last few decades that we forget they haven’t existed for long! Cloth pads have come a long way, but have been around for ages. There are lots of opinions but the key issues of the debate are health benefits, cost, environmental impact, and comfort.

The absorbent material in disposable pads and tampons is bleached with the chemical dioxin, a known carcinogen. Research suggests that continuous exposure to this chemical can lead to increased chance of cervical and ovarian cancer. Unbleached pads are available, but are more expensive and still end up in the landfill. Many women report irritation caused by disposable products which disappears after making the switch to cloth (I hear this over and over). Some even experience shorter and less painful periods!

There is definitely an initial investment with cloth pads. However, since they’re made to last several years, the cost is quite a bit lower in the long run. I calculated it out a little while back and the savings were close to 50%!

Every disposable product ends up in a landfill – and women go through thousands in a lifetime – while cloth pads can be washed and used over and over. There is a small increase in water consumption for washing cloth pads, but the environmental impact is less overall. Sanitary waste in landfill sites is also a valid concern.

Cloth pads are wonderfully soft and comfortable - like your favorite flannel pajamas! There is just no comparison with the sticky, plasticky feeling of disposable ones.


What's the difference between cloth and disposable pads in terms of absorption, convenience and ease of use?

Like disposable pads, cloth pads are available in all different levels of absorbency. They typically have an absorbent core of natural fibers such as cotton or bamboo with a soft fabric top layer. Disposable products have a combination of cotton batting and absorbent gel inside and often have a perforated plastic top sheet.

Although the convenience of disposable products seems hard to beat, using cloth pads is pretty simple too! Away from home they can be carried in a wet bag (a washable pouch with waterproof lining) or zipper-seal plastic bag. They are easy to wash and dry, and - maybe the best part - they’re always there when you need them!

Cloth and disposable pads are worn the same way. While disposable pads have a sticky plastic backing, cloth pads with wings fasten with a simple snap or other closure (wingless pads stay in place nicely when worn with close-fitting cotton underwear). After use, cloth pads are rinsed or soaked until wash day. From there, they go right in the washing machine and usually through the dryer too. The process takes no longer than wrapping and throwing away each disposable pad and taking out the garbage.

How many pads do you recommend to start?

This is a tough question since everyone’s body is different. I usually suggest starting with a couple of pantyliners, some daytime pads and a couple of larger pads for overnight, and go from there. The ideal collection for you depends on how frequently you do laundry, the length of your period, absorbency needs, your body size, etc.


How did you start making cloth pads?

I discovered cloth pads while researching cloth diapering options for my first child. It was intriguing to me (though of course not a new idea by any means!) and curiosity took over. I drafted some patterns and started trying out various designs and materials. A few months later I started selling them online and Naturally Hip was born.

What aspects of your business are eco-friendly, other than the obvious?

Behind the scenes I try to be as green as possible. I reduce waste by using every last scrap of fabric – my 2-year old crafts beside me gluing teeny fabric scraps to paper - and by using recyclable and reusable packaging materials. I buy fabric locally and in bulk, walk to the mailbox whenever possible, and compost dryer lint from pre-washing fabrics. Being a stay-at-home mom saves a lot in gas consumption too - I commute on foot to my downstairs studio!


What's your best eco-tip (besides switching to cloth)?

Reduce! In everything I do or buy, I first try to think “how can this be more earth friendly?” For example, cutting down on the amount of plastic we use and throw away, buying products with less packaging, purchasing used items at second-hand stores, conserving energy, composting. In addition to helping the earth, we’re often saving money too!

Thanks so much, Lindsay, for the informative and thought-provoking responses. I really love finding people running businesses who have the same concern for the environment that I do. I love that her first eco-tip was 'reduce!' because I really think that's the key. We can recycle absolutely everything and still be doing bad things for the environment because the initial high consumption is still there. I won't be buying my cloth pads from anywhere else, because I think it's important to support like-minded people. Plus, after reading my previous blog posts about the Bushfire Appeal, Lindsay has decided to donate some of her items to the Oz Bushfire Appeal shop. So kind of her.

Visit the Naturally Hip online shop

Fashion show - La Dolce Vita and Handmade Help

I'm participating in a fashion show at the end of the month! ALL profits from the show are going to the Bushfire Appeal, so it's a very good cause. If you are in Melbourne and would like to attend, here are the details:

La Dolce Vita - young designers fashion show
'Enjoy the sweet life with the excitement of fashion. Featuring 8 young designers showing their unique collections.'

Saturday 28 February
2-5pm Eltham Community & Reception Centre

$25 inc. champagne and finger food
Contact Georgia to book and for ticket and event info: 0425 806 039

Style Melbourne are covering it and their post about the show here lists the other designers involved.

The Handmade Help blog lists items for sale (and sold) where all or a percentage of the sale price will be donated to the appeal as well. Also check out the Etsy shop OzBushfireAppeal.

My favourites:

Blue Lagoon Earrings by Michvanetta from the OzBushfireAppeal shop

Lambie by Lark


Courtyard garden by Gretchenmist

I heart teapots brooch by SophieIsobelDesigns

I bought this dress for my little one:

Blossom sun dress by SparklyGreenKnickers

I know Ellie is a bit young for this (fits 3-4 and she is 1 and a half) but she will grow into it and it is gorgeous. All proceeds from the SparklyGreenKnickers shop goes to the Bushfire Appeal.

We donated as much money as we could last night - to the Red Cross, Wildlife Victoria and the RSPCA - and put together toys, clothes and children's and adult's books to donate for the drive they are doing at Tim's work. I put my copy of Twilight in - hope it finds someone who really wanted to read it.