Green for Halloween!

Not only are our dress-ups beautiful, soft and fun for kids, they are an eco-friendly way to green your Halloween. Made of natural, renewable materials, and non-toxic dyes, our dress-ups are a more responsible way to celebrate Halloween than a plastic store-bought costume.

Take a look at some recent media coverage on Access Hollywood:

http://www.accesshollywood.com/greening-your-halloween-oct-25-2008_video_783281

Happy Halloween!!

New Sea Pets!

Sea Pets! Starfish and seahorse friends for your little ones. These pets come on wrist garlands and go perfectly with our mermaid costumes.
Pink Starfish - #0081, Lavender Seahorse - #0082, Turquoise Starfish - #0083, Green Seahorse - #0084

New Products for Fall!

Magical Pet Wands! These wands are a delight for any boy or girl. The stuffed unicorn, dragon and dragonfly are made with silk and dyed right here in our warehouse by Laila. The kids we have given them to do far love playing with them as magic wands or as little pet friends. I'm always amazed at the imaginations of little ones.

Pink Unicorn Wand - #0071, Lavender Unicorn Wand - #0072, Green Dragon Wand - #0075, Turquoise Dragonfly Wand - #0077

Hot Topic: What is Fair Trade?

In America, it’s easy to forget that there are so many people in the world who are forced to work in unhealthy conditions with poor wages just so they can provide a meal for their family. Fair trade is an organized commitment to eradicate poor working conditions and disproportionate wages around the world. For toy manufacturers and consumers, this means more than just which country your products are made. It means being actively involved in choosing the right manufacturer that holds to higher standards for their employees. We often talk to our customers about fair trade because it is a topic of growing global concern.

At Sarah’s Silks, we are continually working hard to ensure that our products are made responsibly. Mike has personally visited the sewing factory in China and seen first-hand the fair working conditions there. Our playsilks are all hand-hemmed in a village outside of Shanghai. These women work from their homes. Thus, they are able to be with their children and provide income for their families at the same time. While much of the sewing is done in China, we still employ families here in California to sew, package and assemble some of our items. The process to find fair trade cooperatives for silk toys has been quite a challenge. However, it is something that Sarah’s Silks is certainly committed to and constantly working on.

On the horizon, Mike will be making another trip to China with new sets of requirements and questions for our factories, so that we can keep checking the standards and keep our customers informed. Mike has also been tirelessly learning Mandarin Chinese (not an easy feat!) every day, so that he can try to directly communicate better with the employees and supervisors. We are also investigating new certification programs through international inspection companies to try to align with certified textile manufacturers. This is all an ongoing mission for us, and I can assure you that social responsibility is a high priority for Sarah's Silks.

How Silk is Made

Silk is a natural fiber that can be woven into beautiful textiles. There are so many benefits of giving your children something made from silk. It is a natural, renewable material and naturally beautiful, soft and allergen-free. Have you ever thought about how silk is made? It is produced with the cocoons spun by thousands silkworms that are fed with leaves from the mulberry tree. So, next time you see a mulberry leaf, you may look at it in a whole new light!

Horse Play

Some of our local Waldorf school friends got creative with our rainbow silkscapes and their favorite horse! We are constantly coming across new and inventive ways to use the playsilks. I think I would have never thought to dress a horse in one!

Fall 2008 Photo Shoot

We had our semi-annual photo shoot this weekend for the Fall catalog. It went very smoothly and was so much fun! It is always a joy to see kids getting their hands on the playsilks. Mira loved playing with the streamer. She was 'friends' with 'the wind' and when the wind blew through her fairy skirt and streamer, she would say, "Thank you, Wind!". Mason loved dressing up as a pirate in the playsilks, and Isabella was a regal princess in our pink princess dress and hat. And at the beach, all the girls had so much fun with our new product, the Sea Pets! Avonlea had hers dancing at a 'disco' while some of the others were chatting with each other or getting buried in the sand. Even though many of the kids didn't know each other, their common bond was our silks, and they all became instant friends!

It was a pleasure to work with Sarah Lane for the first time. She was great with the kids, and we can't wait to see all the great photos! Thanks so much Sarah, the Summerfield Waldorf School, all the great kids, and moms and dads that helped out!