cpsia

I've been holding my tongue on this one for well over 2 months now. I hope by now that all of you are aware of the effect a recently amended law will have on handmade goods for children 12 and under.

I was one of those moms who chose wooden and other "all-natural" toys for her toddlers. In fact, I got into sewing & crafting because I was so interested in an alternative to cheap, plastic toys & mass produced clothing & accessories. That was about 15 years ago.

I started crafting wooden toys first, then after I found my love affair with fabric & my sewing machine, I started doing children's clothing.

I was never "big time". I was never highly in demand. But I always sold out.
Even if I couldn't afford handmade items to purchase for my kids (I was a single mother of an infant and toddler by the time I was 27) I could always make the items. And frankly, my crafty imagination has always been one of my better qualities.

People would see the things I made...and want one. Thus started a limited selection of items. I've never made more than 2 of anything.

I started focusing on clothing & accessories after the kids were bigger and no longer interested in wooden toys. My girl was also less interested in handmade clothing (*cries*) yet I still had the urge to create.

That little venture has served me well, when I wanted it to, over the past 5 or 6 years via eBay and more recently Etsy.


I don't do this full time, never have. I was never brave enough to cast all my pebbles in the same basket, to be honest.

But there are plenty of people who DO make beautiful handmade items for children full time. And they are the ones in danger of losing their livelihood on February 10.

The CPSIA's purpose was to protect children from lead and phlalate poisoning, and pushed through Congress in the wake of the many toy recalls in 2007 (nearly all of which were imports from China).


And while I can see & support the good intentions behind this new law...it has far-reaching ramifications that were neither considered nor have they been addressed.


Handmade clothing and toys for children 12 & under WILL be unlawful to sell without expensive 3rd party testing for lead & phlalates after February 10.


I hope you'll join me in the fight to save handmade. For more information click the button below.

I also highly recommend you visit youtube and search CPSIA. There are a wealth of news stories about local crafters and toymakers all over the country who will be affected by this law.

As always, XOXO to my friend Christa for the beautiful photos
of her daughter Bella in jemima*bean.