I see a lot of handmade goodies listing “ecofelt” as a material, and while I knew ecofelt comes from plastic bottles, I wanted to learn a little bit more. So, using the trusty internet, I did a bit of digging.

Kunin, an eco felt supplier, lists their fabrics as being made of eco-fi (formerly ecospun). Here’s the condensed description of the recycling process, from eco-fi’s website:

Plastic PET containers are picked up at curbside and community recycling centers, and then sorted by type and color. They are stripped of their labels and caps, washed, and crushed, then chopped into flake. These tiny pieces are melted and extruded to create fiber. The fiber produced is crimped, cut, drawn and stretched into desired length for strength, then baled. The baled fiber can be processed into fabric for a variety of textile product end uses.

Eco-fi is, essentially, polyester fiber made from 100% recycled PET plastic bottles. Pretty cool, right? Their fibers go into more than just felt. Other fabrics, batting, even carpeting can all be manufactured from eco-fi. And it can be blended with other fibers to create a wider range of textures. The best part is that eco-fi fibers (so they say) are “chemically and functionally nearly identical to those made from non-recycled fiber.” They just come from bottles that might otherwise be in a landfill, instead of depleting natural resources (and using up a whole bunch of oil) to make new fibers.

Pretty nice. I have a whole new resepct for felt, in all its candy-colored wonder.

AWESOME eco-felt wall art from DashingEtc, bottle photo via wikimedia

With the popularity of Twitter and Facebook over the past few years, there’s plenty of chatter on how social marketing can help your business. For example, Tina’s post outlining the differences to keep in mind when marketing your business on Facebook and/or Twitter.

Photo from Keep Calm Shop Etsy

Recently Twitter has seen an influx in specialized conversations via hashtags, or “online socials” as Craft Social dubs them. It’s quite similar to a chat found in the Etsy Labs or in an old-school chatroom but it’s on Twitter. One benefit is you can take part in one of these hashtag-driven conversations even when away from your computer if you use Twitter on a mobile device. A program like TweetDeck is good for this since you can set up separate columns of your choosing to view.

The Craft Social hashtag is #craftsocial and during that event you’ll find craft advice and topics like the Light-Box-Along occurring throughout the month of March.

For a more business-minded conversation, there’s the weekly conversation via the hashtag #indiebizchat from the independent business-friendly Indie Biz Chicks.

These Twitter conversations are useful for any fledgling business-minded crafter. For one, you can get your questions answered right away. Think of it as free business advice for the instant gratification set. Of course, keep in mind this is still the internet and all advice should be weighed accordingly. Secondly, you can lurk all you want if you’re too shy to partake in the conversation, or just have nothing to add at the moment. And the best part about that? Gain plenty of insight towards forming a business plan with none of the awkward silence that can befall real life conversation.

When I saw the beautiful installation work of artist Jodi Stevens I was inspired by its simplicity in both palette and form.  Her installation impediment reminds me a lot of Ann Hamilton’s performances with her use of the large table, facing chairs, and pile of materials. But with the hand wrapped stones and gray color palette it has its very own unique voice.

It seems obvious that Jodi is inspired by nature and its forms. As seen in her other lovely work Collective where the round forms both seem to reference planetary shapes, eggs, rocks, and sea life.

The repetition and collection of layers in the work is important to Jodi’s process-  she states:

My work and process of making manifests a kind of ritualistic behavior and involves the use of numerous elements and ordinary materials such as yarn, thread, and/or pieces of fabric in an unconventional way. I use the deliberate placement of material to create texture, repetition, and movement usually in an installation format. These installations frequently utilize the gradual build up of material that, to me, can represent emotion. This layering creates a mass or a moment of anticipation.

Jodi’s work can be seen along with mine at Mt. Ida College Gallery in the exhibit Designing Thread. The exhibit has a wonderful collection of diverse artists working in embroidery and if you are anywhere near Boston I highly recomend a visit to the exhibit which opens March 30.

To see more of Jodi’s work visit her site here.

notecards "rescued" from the edges of press sheets, from BlueAlgae

In my “other life” I’m a graphic designer, and that often means I get asked questions about printing, and especially with this crowd, printing sustainably. Whether you’re getting business cards or postcards or something else altogether, a visit to the print shop or an online printing website can be baffling. And even moreso when you’re trying to make the right decisions for both yourself and the Earth.

Here’s a quick primer on what some of the printing terms mean in terms of sustainability…

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Another spring show application is up – BUST Magazine’s annual Spring Craftacular.

The show will take place Sunday, May 23, 2010 in Brooklyn, NY from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. There will be more than 50 vendors and DJs onsite playing music.

BUST Magazine is known for being forward thinking when it comes to handmade, so expect the same from their vendors.

They are looking for “any and all edible/wearable/loveable crafts you’ve got. That includes silk-screened items, cosmetics, knitwear, jewelry, paper goods, handbags, cards, and tons more!” according to their FAQ.

Applications are due April 16 and they are online now. There’s a $10 nonrefundable application fee and a $225 vendor fee if you are chosen.

Jenny Lewis models a tote she decorated. [photo, courtesy of Crafts For A Cause]

Hello Craft recently came across a pretty awesome initiative raising money for Haiti involving crafting and some of our favorite musicians. Titled Crafts For A Cause, an online auction is scheduled to begin 8 a.m. on March 15 here selling handmade items from the likes of Norah Jones, Regina Spektor, Adam Green, Grizzly Bear’s Edward Droste, Kate Nash, Devendra Banhart, Jenny Lewis, Sia and more. All proceeds from the benefit go to Artists for Peace and Justice.

Binki Shapiro, of the band Little Joy, who organized Crafts For A Cause was nice enough to answer some questions for Hello Craft.

How did the idea for Crafts For A Cause come about?
“My sister and I were both going to go volunteer in Haiti shortly after the earthquake struck, but I ended up not being able to go due to logistical reasons, so i decided I would do as much as I could from the states. We were able to raise a bunch money through donations, which she and I used to personally go out and buy medical supplies, food, antibiotics, etc. that she then hand delivered.

After she left, I found myself talking to friends and fellow musicians, who shared a similar feeling of responsibility, but a strong sense of helplessness.

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Despite the recent blasts of cold temperatures, warm weather is on its way which means spring applications are coming too! Handmade Mart recently announced their spring show details as well as debuting a pretty rad new Web site.

Handmade Mart will take place Sunday, May 23 2010 in Downtown Silver Spring, MD. Applications are due April 10 and online applications are already up on the site for all you early birds. For questions like booth specifications check out their FAQ.

The thing I love about Handmade Mart is that even though applicants must go through a jury process, there is no fee to apply. Plus since the location is in the heart of Downtown Silver Spring, there’s a lot of foot traffic going by ensuring a varied crowd to stop by your booth.

The new curated online marketplace Makers Market is now up and running. Still in an early Beta version, the marketplace presented by MAKE and boing boing features worldwide makers and lists them by the categories Tech, Science, Arts + Crafts, Home + Life, Wearables, Music and Services.

Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching, 2009 Summit of Awesome Craftnote Speaker, author of last fall’s Embroidered Effects and one of my favorite makers, was invited to be one of the Beta-version shops currently live on the site. “I was thrilled to be among the first to check it out and play with the site! I really love that it’s a collab between boingboing.net and Make Magazine,” says Hart in an email interview.

Makers Market is now accepting applicants from the general public. According to their FAQ, they are “looking for interesting people who are creating products that are unique and generally inspired by the makers ethos espoused by MAKE and Boing Boing.” Thus non-handmade products can be sold on the site. The FAQ goes on to say, “we’re as fascinated by laser cutters, CNC machines, steam engines, 3D printers and small factories as we are embroidery, woodworking and handmade musical instruments.” Read the rest of this entry »