My business is increasingly planned around local materials and labor whenever possible. This not only minimizes the carbon footprint from global transport, but also makes for a more reliable supply chain in our modern age (unfortunately) of pandemics and trade disputes.
Safe materials, locally sourced.
Some of my fabrics, I confess, are imported: there are items I simply cannot obtain any other way in the small-business-sized amounts I need. (My husband STILL insists that our house isn’t going to accommodate 1000 yard bundles of wholesale fabric in all the colors of the rainbow… can you imagine? Ha!) Each year, however, I find more materials I can buy from producers in the U.S., and–wherever possible–in my home state of Pennsylvania. I like knowing that some of my materials haven’t traveled far to reach me, and have had a smaller impact on the Earth by generating less pollution in their short travels.
All my fabrics meet CSPIA safety requirements for children, which means they don’t contain toxic dyes or heavy metals. Wherever possible, I buy fabrics that are also Oeko-Tex(R) certified.
Local workforce, local jobs.
I’m picky; there’s no other way to put it. To keep a high standard of quality, I simply can’t send my products out to a factory for mass-production.
Instead, I make many of the items myself, and with the help of local part-time labor. Some of my “helpers” are college students; some are stay-at-home moms; a few work full-time in other industries and sew as a hobby. I make sure that each one is paid at a rate above the local minimum wage with flexible hours. (They do, however, have to put up with my geeky sense of humor.) As a micro business, my impact on the local economy is extremely small, but I still like keeping those dollars with my near neighbors in Washington, PA.
All of these efforts to keep things green and local make ME happy, but I hope they’ll also make YOU feel good when you shop with me. Any questions or tips about how I can make The Rowdy Ladybug even better are always welcome– get in touch here!
xoxo,
Jane
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Hi! I’m Jane, owner of The Rowdy Ladybug. I design and produce costumes and playthings for kids. Since I’m a parent like you, I know children’s products need to be FUN, washable, durable, safe, and comfortable. Everything I make is designed to exercise a child’s imagination while getting in their way as little as possible. To that purpose, I don’t use commercial characters or others’ copyrighted designs. I do what I can to keep my business as green and as local as possible.
I live in Washington, PA USA, with my husband and daughter. They tolerate my piles of fabric and occasional excited babbling when I create something new. We are supervised by two cats, who do a better job of holding down the furniture than keeping me out of trouble.
If you have questions about my shop, my blog, or my creative process, I’d love to hear from you!
