I think I'm here on this earth to do a small piece of goodness
and hope that it can have some type of collective impact.
​Plain and simple.
~Nia Martin-Robinson in Do It Anyway by Courtney E. Martin

It is a realization that disappoints me. It's embarrassing really. I value clothing less, if I've made it. I realize that this is not the case for all makers. I truly hope it is not the case for anyone other than me, because making things with your hands is important + valuable. This is one of those truths that is easier to tell someone else than it is to believe for myself. 

I look and look at other's creations. I love the look of their architectural linen pants and floaty gauze dresses. I fall in love with the bright white and the earthy natural tones. The shapes are simple and the fit is forgiving. I could make something similar, but...

But...it won't be the same. It won't make me feel the same. I won't be able to find just the right fabric.

But it will probably cost less. I will know whose hands made it and under what conditions. 

Why do I feel that it won't make me feel the same? Is it simply the attractive branding? Am I that shallow and taken by what they are selling...sunshine and smiles and soft shadows and warm breezes and sea spray? It's not just a pair of pants or just a dress, it's a feeling.

All of this makes me feel weak and silly.

Why do I only see art on another's page? Why do I only respect craft from another's hands?

No answers...but I hope recognition is the first step. ​

The best way to combat those feelings...that I can think of...is just to try again. Yesterday's release inspired me to attempt some shorts I'd been considering for a while. That same weird looking vintage Esprit pattern + some tencel bought in January...a muslin and a bunch of adjusting...followed by using the pattern pretty much as it was to begin with...a trip to the fabric store for wider elastic...and I think I might have some shorts that I quite like.

I haven't worn shorts out of the house for a couple years, but I would like a couple more choices for hot weather...whether I wear them out of the house or not.  :) It's 50 degrees F again, so I'll have to wait to see how they really "feel". Fingers crossed that this will be a bit of a turning point in my values.

Pattern :: vintage Simplicity 6487
Fabric :: tencel from Blackbird Fabrics
Shown with :: vintage Flax linen tank found on Ebay + in my wardrobe for years

Love,
Jane

Oh, Elizabeth Suzann. You know how to make simple shapes look not only supremely comfortable, but also quite stylish and timeless. Your business model is the most amazing example of fair labor and low waste. All of your natural fabrics are always machine washable. You design for women of all shapes, sizes, and ages. Tres inspirant!

All images via Elizabeth Suzann (new collection released today!).

Love,
Jane

Four years ago today Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh collapsed and brought into sharp focus the price of making our clothing. One thousand one hundred twenty-nine people were crushed to death and two thousand five hundred more were injured while making clothing for brands we know. The building was known to be unstable, but workers were forced inside under threat of termination. This incident is not an isolated tragedy. Farmers work with dangerous pesticides in order to grow more cotton faster. Hazardous dyes are applied by people working long hours without protection. Garment workers are made to work in unsafe conditions...for long hours...six and seven days per week...for very little pay. 

We can choose to buy less, second hand, and fair. We can choose to make our own clothing and repair what we have. These are great fair choices. The more people make these choices, the greater the effect. But those big brands are still out there making poor choices and exploiting people. We can opt out as much as possible, but we can also urge those big brands to take a stand...to change their practices. Every brands can choose to manufacture their clothing in fair-trade certified factories. We can let them know that this is important to us.

​Take this opportunity to find a garment in your closet and ask the company, "Who made my clothes?" Tag them on instagram. Write them a letter. The more people who ask, the greater the impact.

Fairness is no exploitation of people for clothing. Fairness is every garment worker able to work in safe conditions and fairly compensated.

For more information and inspiration (and print outs) check out Fashion Revolution.

Love,
Jane

​Bees ::

• ​Tell the EPA to stop the use of bee killing pesticides.            
• Plant something for the bees...and butterflies...and hummingbirds.

Trees::

• Encourage your city to become a Tree City USA. Ours is one and plans to plant nearly 1000 trees this year in our city!              
• Take a stroll in the woods or under the trees in your own neighborhood.

Meat ::

• No meat today. Visit the farmer's market + eat your fill of local fruits and vegetables.
• Consider making this a once or twice per week choice...and find grass-fed options for the rest of the week. Or save meat for special occasions only.

Heat ::

• We can add an extra sweater and socks...or turn on a fan...today in order to let heat and air-conditioning remain off today. You too?

Zero-waste ::

• Buy nothing with packaging today. Take reusable cup to the coffee shop. Take a reusable dish along for take-out. Take a reusable plate + fork to the BBQ. Do without a straw.
• Take an extra bag along on that walk and pick up any trash. The rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, possums, and foxes in our neighborhood don't need to ingest it.

Less haste ::

• Take public transportation, walk, or take a bike today. Leave the car at home.
• Consider leaving the car parked at least one whole day per week.

March ::

• Today for Science.
• Next weekend for the climate.

Above all, enjoy this amazing home of ours!! Have an incredible weekend, friends! 

Love, 
Jane

"Whoever really has considered the lilies of the field or the birds of the air and pondered the improbability of their existence in this warm world within the cold and empty stellar distances will hardly balk at the turning of water into wine - which was, after all, a very small miracle. We forget the greater and still continuing miracle by which water (with soil and sunlight) is turned into grapes."  ~Wendell Berry

We set out to buy some seed potatoes, but truth be told...I knew I'd never get out of there with only seed potatoes. That succulent spot has to be one of my favorite places in the place where we live.

So we chose a few of those, because I have some empty pots at home...and...well...

These wooden drawers full of seeds sparked memories that I don't know that I'd be able to pull up on my own...seed shopping as a small girl with my mom...for our two big garden plots.

​Bulk seeds! And three kinds of pink corn!

So we got a few extra bits that weren't on our list...

...and the thing that was. (In bulk!)

Love,
​Jane

My progression toward minimalism, organics, small living, vegetarianism, growing our own food, zero-waste, reduced energy consumption, and ethical clothing involved a heavy dose of desire to have an acre of land to farm...for quite a while. I spent plenty of afternoons searching for houses with a bit of land...and then we spent plenty of Saturdays driving around to take a look at what I'd found.

This was to be predominantly my project. It felt powerful + possible. I wanted to work the soil...use my body...experience life springing from the land...tend abundant harvest...and feed families, including my own. I read about permaculture and crop rotation and no-till raised beds. I went to workshops on keeping chickens and beekeeping and market gardening. My heroes became Joel Salatin and Jean Martin Fortier and Brooke Salvaggio, all of whom we have had the pleasure of hearing speak. I drank in every word that they wrote, tasted the fruits of their labor, and dreamed big.

We don't have our acre of ground, but we do have a patch of yard that receives a healthy dose of sunlight. Our home is not zoned to keep chickens or bees, but there are weeks when we have fresh strawberries for breakfast and months when we can have fresh pickles for lunch. We're still eating our tomato sauce made from the tomatoes we grew last summer. There are bug bites and weeds and plenty of sweat too. I'm not a farmer, but I do grow food.

A big pot with a place in the sun is the perfect spot to grow some tomatoes or pickling cucumbers. A window box would be perfect for some leafy greens. There is always room to experience the miracle! 

Love, 
Jane

Spring is full of new beginnings and fresh starts. Pure white and pale natural tones are what I want right now...in addition to pieces with traceable pasts. I LOVE to catch glimpses of our clothing in early stages of becoming. What a great reminder of all that went into them...and all the value they hold as they make their way through all those hands...and finally into our hands. 

Brooks Boswell's handcrafted honeycomb hat is a work of art made to order in Portland, Oregon. I'd love to have this beauty shading my shoulders as we plant our garden.

Ali Golden's linen/cotton jumpsuit is made in a fair-trade facility in India + looks perfect to wear any day...now with a denim jacket and later with bare feet.

Doen's velvet ballet slippers are sweet, comfy (looking), versatile, and made in California. They'd go with everything in my closet.

Baggu's Earth Day bag will outlast a ton of plastic bags, is ethically made in China, and can be recycled at the end of its life. One of these would be the perfect addition to my little collection.

Heather Lou's Kalle sewing pattern is one I've been hoping she'd make since I saw her in her own version last summer. My copy is in the mail!

Love,
Jane

"Thinking it over, I realize that the most powerful action I can take toward societal improvement will have to start very close to home, arising not from the need to leave a mark on history, but from empathy and sincere understanding of the place in my life where neglect exists."  ~Rachel Corrie in Do It Anyway by Courtney E. Martin