Goodbye Sage and Olivia!

Thanks to a large wholesale order headed to England, the Sage and Olivia Hoodies are SOLD OUT!!


As soon as I find a moment to catch my breath I'll get two new hoodies posted (well, after I sew them and get photos of them that is!).

A Trip to the Beach...

...and a chance to try out the new organic cotton and bamboo Eco-CoverUp.

And mama is very pleased with the results! Turns out, this Eco-CoverUp is just as practical as I had hoped. The smaller armholes keep it down over the shoulders for maximum sun protection, and the fabric is so so soft and light.

Actually, I only have limited yardage of both of the bamboo and organic cotton fabrics, so don't delay!

With special appreciation for my customers, I've priced these hoodies very low--only $30 and $32 (pictured is the longer version). Check them out here in my shop!

GEMINI SALE!!

We are having a GEMINI SALE!!!!

Buy Two Custom Hoodies and Get $20 Back!

Also, all our in-stock and ready to ship hoodies are 20% Off!!

Head over to our shop and check it out:
www.KayaNowClothing.com

NOTE: All discounts will be refunded via paypal. (Etsy does not offer coupon code capabilities yet!)

On Mindful Consumption

For me and my family, deciding where to spend our money is just as important as assessing the health risks of a product before buying it. So when we made the choice to use organic cotton and hemp for our hoodies and toys, we were considering much more than just the immediate health risks of so-called "conventional" fibers.

We considered many other things as well, like the way the fibers are grown, and the way they are processed into fabric. These processes have a huge impact on us, whether we are consciously aware of it or not. We are not separable from "the environment."

We are very proud to be using fabrics made from organically grown fibers. Most of our chosen fabrics are processed into fabric in the US, using US-grown cotton whenever possible. Recently, however, we chose to include two new fabrics of non-US origin: "Summer Solstice" and "Surrender," both of which are designed by Harmony Susalla of Harmony Art.

These two fabrics are grown and made in India. India has been a key supplier of cotton for ages, but has recently been plagued by treacherous results of growing bt cotton (see my previous post for more info on bt cotton). Tragically, numerous Indian farmers have committed suicide due to insurmountable debts incurred from growing bt cotton.

We believe that supporting those Indian farmers who have continued, or returned to growing organic cotton is important for all of us, and are proud to offer these fabrics as well!

If you're still undecided about which hoodie to purchase, then we have the perfect solution for you! We've just listed a fabric swatches sampler here: KayaNow Fabric Swatches

Our new Harmony Art Hoodies are available in our shop (which by the way is having a SALE!!)
The Summer Leaves Hoodie
and
The Summer Sunshine Hoodie

Why Organic Cotton?

There is much information to be found on the benefits of organically-grown cotton. I used to think of cotton as a good, natural alternative to synthetic fabrics like polyester--but I knew very little about the processes undergone by "conventionally-grown" cotton.

Did you know that 70% of the cotton grown in the US is genetically-modified (GMO)? And in 2007, 43% of the world's cotton crop was GM. Not exactly natural in my opinion. "Bt Cotton" is Monsanto's bio-engineered cotton and is developed by inserting a gene from soil bacteria to produce a toxin that kills certain types of pests. They call it "Bt toxin" and their GM cotton produces this "Bt toxin" as it grows. Bt toxin destroys the guts of insects that ingest it, though Monsanto claims it is harmless to humans.
Another selling point for Monsanto is that Bt is resistant to herbicides. Meaning, farmers can spray herbicides directly on the cotton plants in an effort to kill weeds.
There is of course a wide range of issues associated with all of this. There is the possibility of adversely affecting "non-targeted" insects and other animals; and experience has shown that yields are not higher, most noteably in India, where there has been a plague of farmer suicides due to GM crop failures. And what about potential contamination of soil, water, air, and food supply? And what about the textiles made from these plants being in direct contact with our skin? and our babies' skin?
Of course some of the answers to these questions are yet unknown...but I can't help but think of Mary Shelley's story of a man who got too carried away with his own power. Perhaps we should practice a bit more restraint. Just because we can does not necessarily mean we should.

Organic Cotton is never grown from GMO seeds.

But that's not the only reason to choose organic cotton!
Here are a few more:

• Organic seeds are not treated with fungicides or insecticides commonly used to treat non-organic cotton seeds
• Organic cotton builds strong soil through crop rotation rather than using synthetic fertilizers and requires less irrigation because the increased organic matter in the soil retains water better
• Weeds are physically removed from organic cotton crop sites rather than being killed with herbicides
• Organic cotton farmers may use beneficial insects or trap crops to maintain healthy soil and a balance between pests and their natural predators--all in place of chemical insecticides
• Organic standards continue, beyond cultivation and harvest, into the milling of the raw cotton to textile, insuring a less-toxic process than that of non-organic cotton milling.
  

And here are a few quick facts you may have heard before:

1. About 1/3 pound of chemicals is used just to grow enough cotton to make one non-organic cotton t-shirt.
2. Cotton crops occupy about 3% of the world's cultivated land, yet they account for 25% of annual pesticide production and 10% of herbicide production (note to self: all that GM insecticidal cotton must not be working!)
3. All of the nine most common cotton pesticides carry the EPAs two most dangerous ratings for chemicals, and five of them are known to cause cancer.
   

Want to know more?
Google your questions!
And here are some sites I've found helpful:
www.aboutorganiccotton.org
www.accesseco.com
Organic Consumers Association
www.gmo-compass.org
Sustainable Cotton Project
Harmony Art Design

Don't know much about Monsanto? (The makers of Agent Orange)
www.monsanto.com
Millions Against Monsanto Campaign

NEW Design!! Summer Eco-Cover Up Beachwear!

This is the shorter version in a waffle weave textured bamboo and organic cotton blend.





And here is the longer version in a honeycomb textured bamboo and organic cotton blend.

These fabrics are 80% bamboo and 20% organic cotton, and oh my are they soft! So very soft and lightweight. They move and stretch with your little one while keeping their head and shoulders covered without extra bulk and heat! (I can also add long sleeves if you prefer their arms be covered as well.)

Both the longer and shorter Eco-Covers are a straight cut--there is no flare or A-line shape--making them great for boys and girls this summer!!

Plus, I've sized them so they are a truer fit than our other organic hoodies, and they are available from 6-12 mos up to 5T.

Check them out here, and while you're there be sure to look at the other new summer hoodies!

Birthday Celebrations :)

Just a couple pics from our recent birthday celebrations! Complete with mama-made crown and organic cotton dress (and cake too!). Butterflies were the theme for the day, and what a special day it was :)

Summer Collection is on the Way

We're back from vacation and big birthday celebrations! The Kaya Now Summer Collection is coming soon. I will be adding the pieces one by one over the next few weeks, so check back often!
Here's a sneak peek at just a few :)

Kaya Now Giveaway on Modish!!!

Visit Modishblog.com for a chance to win a Sage Sleeveless Hoodie!!!
There are 45 items up for grabs to FOUR lucky winners...

We're on the cosaverde blog this weekend too :)

The New Kaya Now Floppy Bunnies Are Here!

Check them out here in my shop! I've got another toy in the works too :) Plus some new summer fabrics and beachwear, so keep checking back!
www.KayaNowClothing.com

Something Fun is Coming to Kaya Now!

Here's a peek:



That's a bunny I made for Kaya last year....a box of vintage buttons....and a huge collection of organic cotton and hemp fabric scraps.........

More to come!

Spring is Here!

And so are KayaNow's new sleeveless hoodies :) Here is the Spring 2009 Collection...

The New Face of Kaya Now...

You may have noticed I've made some changes recently at Kaya Now... During the last few weeks, I've made a new banner, avatar, and I've named the hoodies to avoid any mix-ups. So I guess it is only natural that the lovely, adorable namesake would need a makeover too, right?

I've been super busy preparing for the 1st Annual Eco~Wellness Bazaar, so last week when Kaya was "sewing" contently at the unplugged sewing machine, I went to finish something up in the kitchen. Just a few minutes later I heard "I cut some of Kaya's hair mama" and of course thoughts of my own childhood self-haircut flashed through my mind--I cut a nice square chunk out of the middle of my bangs when I was 4. So I rushed, albeit reluctantly, to see what the damage was.

Um, well turns out, there wasn't really any damage! Her hair had been in a ponytail and she just cut herself a perfect set of bangs. Quite unbelievable really...her bangs had been around chin length and could finally tuck behind her ears. But now they are short and sweet--and very French :) Et voila, the new face of Kaya Now...!!



And a sneak peak at a new spring hoodie...The Chat Noir Hoodie

Shop of the Week !

Kaya Now was featured as the Shop of the Week back in February! Thanks for the nice compliments :)

Check it out here

New Online Eco-Boutique Features Kaya Now Hoodies

"cosa verde is a new marketplace
connecting independent and emerging artists
with environmentally-conscious consumers"
~from www.cosaverde.com

Cosa Verde is also a juried site, and they have accepted my application for a store on their site! This looks like a wonderful new opportunity for eco-crafters and buyers to find each other.
This site features a wide variety of handmade green and organic products, including clothing, accessories, bath and body products, and more! I'm very excited to be a part of it :)
Check it out here.

Molasses....

That's about my speed these days...here is the hoodie I've been working on, albeit VERY slowly!



Look familiar? This is the hoodie that Kaya snipped way back when...I finally got around to patching up the hole with this cute little mama and baby elephant applique!


Kaya was very excited that her elephant hoodie was ready to wear :) I'll have to see how the applique holds up on the chest before I can offer these for sale. But I could definitely put this sweet little elephant pair on the pocket!

Back in Business This New Year

Yes, we are still in business! My goodness it was a crazy holiday season for us; Kaya and I were so sick for about three weeks. KayaNow has not been abandoned!
I'm working on a little something new this week, so hopefully I'll have some pictures to post soon.
Thanks for stopping by!