It’s Earth Day again, but I find myself thinking about the environment all the time lately it seems. I’m working on finding more ways to reuse things, both at home and at the studio.

I think the most important choices we can make right now are about how we live, and with that in mind, I’ve been developing items for Fall that harken back to a simpler time when we actually cared about conservation, because we couldn’t afford not to. During the Depression, things were patched, mended, handed up and down…. things were used until they could do no more. I’m working on this philosophy right now, and it’s really pretty amazing what’s possible….. I know it’s a bit of a tease to talk about things you can’t buy yet, so here are some things we have out right now that promise to tread lightly:

Our  Aprons are made of 100% reclaimed fabric, that either had a previous life as something else, or were roll ends from other creative endeavors. Good for both cooking and eating, these are actually meant to get dirty, thus saving your shirt from inadvertent slops (that may or may not come out…..sigh!) Available at Room 6 and at the Astrosatchel Studio in Vancouver…. more to follow soon!

Our housewares collection continues with our Oven Mitts and Pot Holders. While the interior batting is new, the exterior of both is either reclaimed or found fabric, making these about 50% recycled. Currently available only at the Astrosatchel Studio, I’ll have these with me when I do the Stone Soup Show at Britannia in a couple weeks…. and at some of our retailers soon too! 

Also, did you know:

….that most Astrosatchel bags last their owner about 2+ years of wear, at least? Our bags are made to take a beating, and still look good, so don’t worry, they’ll never know you’re still rockin’ last years model!!

…..that all of our reclaimed textiles are washed with environmentally friendly soap, and we do all our cleaning with eco products as well? 

…..that we use an eco-minded courier company for our local deliveries? Our courier company offsets carbon emissions created–Yay!!

…..that our hats are made with 45-100% recycled textiles (depending on the style) and most of our wallets are between 20-50% reclaimed as well….. if you’ve ever visited the studio, you know we can’t throw anything out until it’s given us all it can.

…..that we are constantly thinking of ways to create new products out of old ones, and to breathe new life into vintage finds? From clothing to housewares and back again, I handpick all our textiles for re-use to ensure good quality as well as a good dose of style….. some things just shouldn’t be re-used!!

…..that we are working on making our shipping packaging easier for you (the consumer) to recycle by using separate components instead of bubble envelopes?

…..that we have biodegradable plastic bags for purchases made at our sales events?

I think as a company of any size, it’s super important to create products with an eye to the environment, but to apply eco-friendly practices as well to anything and everything….. that lets you see both the forest AND the trees.

There’s always more that can be done, but as each year passes, we do more and more. I hope you do too!! Have a good Earth Day, everyday. xo Janna

Thanks to everybody who made it out to our studio this past weekend. It’s always nice to have people visit the studio. A huge thanks to Audra, Laura and Shoko for showing their work as well…. I know we all had fun!!

If you couldn’t make it this time, not to worry, we have lots of events coming up including the Stone Soup festival at Britannia Community Center and Art in the Garden at UBC Botanical Garden….. but more on those later.

Whether you’re in Vancouver or not, please feel free to join our Facebook group and post your picture of your satchel (and yourself if you wish!!)….. I know our products are going across the globe, it would be great to see where they all have gone!!

See you again soon!! XO Janna