NearSea Naturals: Creating the world around us, one stitch at a time

We're back!

2010-08-26T18:36:28Z

I think it was Winnie who ceremoniously plugged in the last computer at our Asheville location, and we are now open for orders again!

Things are still changing a bit as we work out all the kinks, and we're awaiting some shipments to restock some items we're out of (organic cotton batting is one of the big shipments, both in terms of customer demand and because of the sheer amount of space it takes up), so please bear with us as things straighten out. We're delighted to be back with you, and thank you so much for your patience!

Temporarily closed for regular orders, but still shipping precut and clearance pieces...

2010-08-12T06:01:05Z

I thought it was a big deal and a lot of work when our family moved to the Santa Fe area 6.5 years ago, but little did I know. Compared to moving the order fulfillment part of our business, that was a piece of cake. Or at least toast.

We're temporarily closed for regular orders (though I'm still going to be sending out pre-cut and clearance pieces from our Santa Fe office) while thousands of yards of fabric, scads of buttons, and tons of other wonderful things are packed, loaded on a truck, moved 1500+ miles through parts of seven states, unpacked, and organized. We hope to have the process completed sometime during the week of August 23-27, and will open for regular orders at that point.

I'll post updates about the move's progress on facebook; you can also sign up for an email notification of our grand re-opening. And I'll be holding down the fort in Santa Fe, so don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

~Tara

We're moving!

2010-08-06T23:29:12Z

In our continuing effort to reduce our carbon footprint and provide better service, we're moving our order fulfillment to the vibrant city of Asheville, North Carolina. (We're not hiring a third-party organization; we'll still be doing everything in-house. We're simply adding another "house" from which to work. :) Asheville's close to the majority of US textile production, including wonderful mills in both North and South Carolina; we'll be better able to directly interface with these mills and many of the people working to revive the US fabric industry.

We're really excited about this move and have some wonderful surprises in store for you. In early September we will introduce a wonderful selection of new fabrics and colors designed specifically for your fall sewing. You won't want to miss this amazing line! We're also going to greatly expand our wholesale organic fabric program, which should make a big difference for our business customers.

We encourage you to place any urgent orders before the move, as orders placed between August 12 and August 22 will be sent out starting on the 23rd. (Winnie will be spearheading things on the Asheville front, where she'll fill orders in the order they were received during our mini-closure. Tara will remain in Santa Fe, holding down the fort.)

Back to school, sustainably...

2010-08-04T20:24:10Z

I well remember back-to-school shopping when I was young, trying to get everything I needed on a budget we could afford. School supplies were fairly basic (though picking the right design for my Trapper Keepers was always a big deal), and if we were lucky there was even money left over for a new outfit or two. (Or, more likely, a new-to-us outfit or two. "Brand new" didn't happen very often in those days!)

Friends with kids in school now tell me that things are very different these days. Where we used to need a notebook, paper, pencils, and possibly a calculator for the upper grades, I hear that teachers now send home long lists of supplies that kids will need (20 glue sticks in first grade? really??? wow.), because schools simply can't provide as much as they used to. This proves to be both an opportunity and an irritation for parents, who can use this chance to replace some of the conventional materials asked for with green alternatives. And, thankfully, there are many places to get these more eco-friendly options; if you can't find them locally, check out these and other online shops: Red Apple School Supply (which has a great School Supply Box program in which teachers or schools can specify the items students will need so parents can just pay for the supply box and not have to worry about choosing the appropriate materials), The Ultimate Green Store (what a name, eh?), and The Green Office.

The Center for Environmental Health and Justice offers a yearly Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies, and EcoMall offers a (poorly formatted) list of earth-friendly back-to-school tips. Indeed, even iVillage.com has a pretty picture collection of Earth-friendly school supplies!

And, of course, the conventional school lunch often brings with it ridiculous amounts of trash (Lunchables, anyone?). It doesn't have to be so harmful to the environment, though; there are tons of more eco-friendly options. For example, ReuseIt.com has a wide selection of containers, bags, and bottles to help kids have a waste-free lunch. Other places do too. (My favorite option, though, is to make a reusable bag -- either from fabric or old jeans, whip up a few sandwich and snack bags, and cut a few small napkins from pinking shears (yes, I'm lazy sometimes; if I weren't, I'd actually hem the napkins). Add a water bottle, which we always have around, and you've got a great waste-free lunch option all your own ... and you've saved money, too!)

When I was in school, lo these many years ago, we had the occasional fundraiser; I'm told that they're ubiquitous now. "They're trying to sell us something every month, seems like," said a friend, elaborating that "and it's mostly plastic, made in China, or lousy chocolates. I hate having to choose between supporting my kids' school and saving the earth." Some schools have found a different solution, though -- they choose "green" fundraisers, like those you'll see at Equal Exchange, Mother Earth Fundraising, Koru Fundraising, Go Green Fundraising, Urban Farmer Seeds, and other places.

And as far as those beautiful back-to-school clothes we used to covet? I hear kids want them now, too -- and are more likely to get them, too, perhaps. ("My son will only wear GAP clothes," said the mom of a 7-year-old recently. Ouch!) But there are other choices here, too. We, of course, strongly support making clothes for your kids -- using eco-friendly fabrics, and making them yourself, you can be sure that they'll be as sustainable as possible. Don't forget that we have wonderful patterns, in addition to the 300+ sustainable fabrics and natural notions we offer to make your sewing projects greener and more enjoyable. Shopping at the local secondhand store is another excellent option (that's where we get the "dress-up clothes" we need for our kids' music recitals). And there are, of course, wonderful people and companies making organic kids' clothes -- many of them our customers, even! We strongly recommend buying either US-made or certified Fair Trade organic clothes, as that way you can be more sure that the workers who made them were fairly treated and fairly compensated.

(And yes, we know that not all our customer have young kids, and not all those who have kids have chosen to put their kids in school. Many of these tips may be of interest anyway -- most of us need green office supplies at some point or another -- and if they aren't, perhaps you know someone to whom they will be helpful regardless. And, yes again, we know that the picture chosen for this entry isn't of school supplies; it's actually of my kids and their friends rock clambering at Rocky Mountain National Park last weekend. Because you can learn anywhere, right? :))

Is it hot for you? We're wilting here!

2010-07-06T19:21:36Z

And humid, too -- we were up to 44% humidity the other day! (Yes, I know that's nothing to people who don't live in the Southwest ... but we were melting, I tell you!)

So why does the heat and humidity matter? Because I've been wanting to wear clothing that is as unobtrusive as possible, and thankfully we offer a wide selection of wonderfully light fabric from which to create all sorts of wonderful items. There are so many -- here are just a few: Superfine Crepe, in colors including the vibrant Leaf; Natural Light Lattice, which is like a mesh but not as opaque; Moss and Russet Featherweight Plaid (marvelous for lightweight shirts); the Perfect Paisley Lilac Crinkle Cut, which just begs to be made into a sundress; Medium Summercloth, which is excellent for home dec projects; and the amazing Double-Layer Amity Silk, which I would choose as a veil were I in the getting-married mood. (As is, I'm in the been-married-for-a-while-and-planning-to-stay-that-way,-thanks mood, so I have no need for veils ... but a lovely light shoulder wrap would work quite nicely too!)

We also have patterns that are splendid for summer sewing, ranging from our ever-popular One-Piece Sundress Pattern to Maternity (and non-maternity) Bathing Suits, from Folkwear's Blonde Bombshell to Jalie's always useful Pants & Shorts pattern for men and boys. And, of course, everything in-between!

So get yourself some light-weight fabrics and a pattern or two, and create a whole new wardrobe for the next few months. You'll be so glad you did! (And yes, if you're a well-organized always-prepared sort of person, or simply the sort of person who lives Down Under, we have no end of heavier fabrics too -- they're just what you need for fall and winter outfits, for holiday presents, and just to curl up in during the chilly nights that really will be coming even to New Mexico at some point!)

Oh, and just a couple of reminders:
(1) If you haven't yet "liked" us on Facebook, you're missing out -- not only do we encourage people to post pictures of creations made with our fabrics, but we also offer not-infrequent sales and freebies. So come on over and join the fun!
(2) There are, of course, new Yard Sale items -- we change them out every three or four weeks, so make sure you check back at least that frequently.
(3) We love to see what you've made with our fabrics -- post pictures on our facebook group, send them in an email, turn a snapshot into a postcard and actually mail it to us ... we'll be thrilled!

Stuffing requirements for organic cotton futons and organic pillows

2010-06-02T19:16:05Z

"How much stuffing do I need for a futon?"

That's a question we hear all the time around her, and our typical response is indeed correct, even if it isn't as specific as you might prefer: "It depends on what size of futon, how thick you want it to be, and how tightly packed you want the stuffing to be. You may choose to put natural latex, organic wool stuffing, or another filling material in the futon in addition to the organic cotton stuffing -- these different additions give different properties to the futon and also, of course, reduce the amount of cotton that you need. One option is to find a futon that you like (size, thickness, and overall feel) and weigh it, which should give you a fairly accurate idea of your stuffing needs."

We finally got smart, though, and asked our local organic futon maven, the doyenne of sustainable pillows (including gorgeous organic meditation cushions), Lois Hamamoto of Sachi Organics. Lois generously shared the knowledge she's gained from years of working with organic cotton stuffing, saying:
"we go by height rather than weight. We do, however, have a general and flexible weight for each size, and they are as follows:

twin 38 - 42 lbs
double 55 -57 lbs
queen 60 - 65 lbs
king 110 - 120 lbs

For the pillows, we weigh the cotton batting so this is easier:

standard 2lbs
queen 2.5 lbs
king 3 lbs

I hope this helps!"

Upon further questioning, Lois added:

In addition to the cotton, we add 2 layers of wool (one top and one bottom) to each futon. This adds to the loft and the general height so that the futons come out at 6" in height. Each layer of wool is about 1" thick (will compress to half that height when stuffed) so the total height increases about 1", resulting in 6" overall. The futons will look thicker and will compress down as the casing is put on.

That's a lot of stuffing, isn't it? If the whole project seems a bit overwhelming we do recommend contacting Lois and the rest of the ethical, talented people at Sachi Organics. And if you still want to make your own, you'll need to decide between our Futon-Grade Organic Cotton Stuffing, our more refined Organic Cotton Stuffing/Organic Cotton Batting, and our Organic Wool Stuffing - Bolus. (Yes, you're allowed to use a combination of two or more types; we won't tell on you!)

Check us out in the Summer 2010 Living Crafts Magazine!

2010-06-01T18:32:57Z

The article Craft a Trip: Sewing Projects for Camping Comfort, by Fiona Duthie, shows how to "make your own hammock and other accessories, all with organic fabrics." My favorite project is the Utensil/Tool Roll, which is a much more elegant solution to the perennial problem of utensil storage than my generally-chosen "stick them all in a cloth bag and hope they're all still there when you get home" option. There are also roll-up placemats and a hammock made from Let It Grow Twill and Light Green Wide-Width Twill.

So why am I telling you this? Well, firstly because I love the idea of making a hammock, which for some reason I'd never really considered before. And it looks so easy, too! Secondly, because even though the article recommends using our Thicker Organic Cotton Cording as the hammock cords, we're not convinced it would work well as is. (You might want to consider braiding it, to add strength, or putting the cords much closer together so there are many more cords supporting the hammock, like you'd find in a Mayan-Style Hammock. Except, of course, made with cloth for the body and not as floppy thanks to the dowel. But still...) And thirdly, because we think it's pretty cool that we're the source listed for the various fabrics used throughout the article. That always makes us happy!

(You can find Living Crafts Magazine online, though you need to buy the magazine to get the actual article.)

New goodies on our site, and a coupon code too!

2010-05-27T16:27:20Z

What fun we've been having lately, adding all sorts of new stuff. Check it out:

We now have a different kind of organic wool stuffing -- called bolus stuffing, it's essentially pre-felted which means it's actually washable. It's wonderful for pillows, stuffed animals, and so much more.
We've added two coordinating high-end fabrics -- and they're magenta (or at least have magenta in them). Perfect for so many places, especially teen girls' rooms. GeomeTree and LoveTree were first seen at the Zenergy House in California and can now show up in your house too!
And sustainable lingerie makers can rejoice -- we now offer organic cotton lace thong backs and organic lace collars. Just adding them to the site made me want to start sewing, so if you don't see me around for the next little while you'll know why!

To make it a bit easier to justify buying these new goodies -- or, indeed, anything else from us -- we're offering a discount code. Good through the end of May, use promo102540222 when checking out to get 10% off your pre-shipping total. Please note that the code will expire May 31, and the discount is not retroactive (that is, it won't work for orders you've already placed).

Get your organic wool products while you still can...

2010-05-11T20:41:48Z

Alternate title: one of our favorite suppliers is closing. In business since 2000, Vermont Organic Fiber Company made some of our favorite organic wool items. These include:

Our 2-ply and Classic Organic Wool Yarns

Our "Balance" Organic Wool and Organic Cotton Yarns

The majority of our knit and woven organic wool fabrics

Our wool batting and stuffing, which are already sold out (like my favorite, the Luxurious Wool Pile)

We're working to replace the fabrics and batting, though it may take a while to do so. In the meanwhile, if you've been considering any of our organic wool products you may want to buy it before it's sold out. We do have a fascinating new version of organic wool stuffing that I should be adding to the site next week, so we'll have at least one option available and we'll expand that as possible.

(And yes, we're incredibly sad about Vermont Organic Fiber closing -- we've worked with Matt Mole and the wonderful folks there for years, and have valued that relationship, the products they made, and the ethics they lived by. Their company made a difference in the world of sustainable fabrics, and they will be deeply missed.)

Check out our new tela collection!

2010-04-27T23:21:34Z

After spending far too long admiring and photographing these new fabrics, I've finally added them to the website. The tela collection currently contains four designs, each one printed on both sateen and a hemp/organic cotton blend. Check them out: Inari Sateen and Hemp/Organic Cotton; Honeycomb Sateen and Hemp/Organic Cotton; Prehistory Sateen and Hemp/Organic Cotton; and Stroll Sateen and Hemp/Organic Cotton.

We've also changed out the sale items, albeit two weeks late. Can I blame it on the transition to spring, which has me so confused that I don't know whether I'm coming or going? Nah, somehow I didn't think so. Thanks to everyone who reminded me -- and next time you don't have to wait until I'm quite so late to do so!

Organic sheeting back in stock...

2010-04-20T16:05:50Z

For everyone who's been asking, we're thrilled to announce that we received a delivery of our Natural Softest Wide-Width Sheeting this morning. There's about 50 yards to begin with, and we're expecting more fairly soon ... but last time it was in stock, we sold out within two days. So if you want organic cotton sheeting, you might want to buy it now...

April is National Garden Month...

2010-04-06T16:11:52Z

Check out our Yard Sale -- in celebration of National Garden Month, we've put some splendid plant- and flower-themed fabrics on sale! Our brand new Persimmon/Seed Bloom is one of these fabrics; it's a wonderful upholstery-weight material that is marvelous for home dec, crafts, and even clothing. The ever-popular Criss-Cross Tops pattern is also on sale, along with quite a few other things. Check them out!

Now, back to actually gardening, which you can of course do while wearing wonderful organic clothes that you've made from our fabrics!

Few people deny that homegrown vegetables generally taste better than conventional, store-bought ones; the classic example is that of a fresh, sweet tomato just plucked from the plant compared with a tasteless supermarket one that was picked early and shipped a thousand miles. Indeed, the desire for good tomatoes is often the reason that people start gardening! In recognition of that, the need to have just one good gardening experience, check out the the One Pot Pledge, from the UK's Garden Organic, "the national charity for organic growing." Dedicated to getting people who've never grown their own food to try at least one pot's worth this year, it has all sorts of help and inspiration for these beginning gardeners. KidsGardening.org is, of course, devoted to encouraging kids to garden; teacher resources and more can be found there. It's wonderful for kids to have a real connection to their food, and many children will happily eat vegetables they've helped grow even if they weren't adventurous eaters before.

In both public and private initiatives, cities are encouraging their residents to start Victory Gardens (sometimes called Recession Gardens, in a modern update to the name); one such example is Victory Gardens San Diego. Indeed, an ever-increasing amount of people are learning how to garden, frequently out of financial necessity. (This NYTimes article about Latino gardens in San Jose was fascinating -- and as a side note, I loved learning that an old friend, Poncho Guevara, was instrumental in the program's success!) Even my little neighborhood is forming a community garden -- one family is contributing the land, another loaned us a tractor for rototilling (a necessity in never-before farmed land in New Mexico!), I'll be supplying the seeds (by the way, here's a great page discussing how to get free and low-cost seeds), someone else is fencing it in, etc. With so many people out of work -- and still wanting to eat healthy, fresh food -- the garden will be a true benefit to us all!

So however you want to do it -- a single plant, a schoolyard garden, your entire backyard, or a large farm -- go out and get your hands dirty. The rewards are stupendous, and oh-so-tasty!

Disaster relief, new organic fabrics, and new sale items.

2010-03-03T00:02:04Z

I've mentioned this on our Facebook page multiple times, but in light of Saturday's earthquake in Chile following the devastation in Haiti, I wanted to make a little plug for one of my personal favorite relief groups. Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders is "an international medical humanitarian organization working in more than 60 countries to assist people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe." They were already on the ground in Haiti before the quake; they were in Chile the day after. They have portable field hospitals that they take to some of the most dangerous places in the world, places other organizations are often unwilling to go, and they stay there long-term. So if you're looking for an organization where your donations will really make a difference, I definitely recommend MSF/Doctors Without Borders. I know many of our customers want to create items for people affected by the most recent natural disasters -- I can only encourage you to start crafting now, but to realize that anything you make won't necessarily find a home in Haiti or Chile anytime soon. So make things, with love, and save them until the time is right to send them.

It feels wrong to turn to business after talking about a natural disaster, but I did want to let you know that I added three glorious new fabrics today -- two splendid fleeces, in creme de cassis and fern, and our perennially popular naval stripe -- on a white background. Don't miss any of them. And definitely check out the new yard sale items, good through March 16. There are many green and lavender fabrics -- St Patrick's Day, anyone? -- and some other goodies as well.

Is spring really on the way?

2010-02-02T18:06:25Z

That's what some optimistic people claim, though looking out the window I'm not quite as convinced. (Apparently that apocryphal groundhog agrees with me -- and did you know that in Alaska February 2 is Marmot Day? Stick with me, folks, and you'll learn something new every so often!)

In honor of the warmer weather that has to come someday -- it does, right? -- we've put some marvelous springy fabrics and notions on sale. Ranging from bright colors like our topaz hemp/silk charmeuse and the excellent lime/periwinkle stripe jersey to the wonderful floral Garden Wide-Width Sateen, the fabrics are so much fun ... and the patterns are marvelously inspiring too: have you seen the petal dress and jumper or the pocket pants? (The pocket pants were such a favorite around our house when Theodore was little -- he would fill the pockets to overflowing and pretend to be a peddler, a magician, a traveller, a scholar, and so much more. They're easy to make and so much fun to wear!)

(And hey, for our Southern Hemisphere friends -- and those of you who, like me, are convinced that it will be cold forever and ever -- we have some warmer fabrics on sale as well. I'm still loving our fleecy white knit velour, and our pre-shrunk natural canvas is strong, durable, and wonderfully heavy. Try making a pair of canvas pants lined with flannel for yourself or a kiddo who likes to play outside ... toasty warm!)

This sale is only good through February 23, so don't miss it!

In Praise Of Slowness, and how that applies to organic sewing...

2010-01-05T19:28:54Z

The public radio show To The Best of Our Knowledge interviewed Carl Honore, author of In Praise of Slowness, about the Slow Philosophy and its growth worldwide; you can find the show here. I found his comments about the speed pendulum very interesting, how the world's quest for the future had led us to go faster, faster, faster over the past century and we're now working to reach an equilibrium in which we're valuing the right speed ... what musicians call tempo justo.

Honore spoke about how "slow" isn't just a speed -- that might be obvious, but sometimes what should be obvious isn't -- it's a mindset that can incorporate the entire lifecycle of a product, an action, or an idea. So people aren't simply making something to be thrown away, using slave labor, or flying to another country for a whirlwind weekend trip; they're paying someone fairly to create an heirloom object, or enjoying the journey as well as the destination. The parallels for sewing using organic fabric are obvious, are they not? So very many of our customers, both businesses and home sewists, are involved in the sustainability movement ... which is, I think, another name for the Slow Movement, the Green Movement, the Eco-Friendly Movement, etc. We're all working to end up in the same place, regardless of the name. (Long-time readers of our blog are familiar with our comments about Slow Money and Slow Food, of course, so really this is just more of the same!)

Learn more about slow movements at slowplanet.com. I particularly like the Slow Parenting concept; it resonates with what my children and my family need -- and with our planet's need for less driving, too. Of course, when I was young we just said we were too poor to participate in lots of activities, but I guess everything deserves a fancy name nowadays!

We've swapped out our sale items, by the way; you won't want to miss the goodies we have on sale for you now. Since Valentine's Day is in February, we thought you might want a headstart crafting. We thus chose some popular romantic fabrics and notions ... enjoy them! If you're not celebrating Valentine's Day this year, it's the perfect time to stock up on these fabrics anyway (they're wonderful for other uses -- nobody said they have to be used for holidays!).