CPSIA News

The CPSIA grants a one year stay for lead testing!!

The Beat

Im going to see the English Beat tomorrow!! Yeah!!!
I spent most of my high school years riding in my boyfriends 1977 Landcrusier going to SKA shows in DC at the old 9:30 Club, The Black Cat ( I played pool with( at the time) an unknown Gwen Stefani), and Club Asylum ( before the 2nd floor fell though the ceiling.

I had a short short bob shaved in the back and wore my fishnets with white bobby socks in my 3 hole Doc Martins,my Fred Perrys were tight and my Bomber jacket was covered with band patches!

I will not be wear that to show tomorrow, but I'll sing every word to every song and remember my youth! Thanks Tom for getting us tickets.

Polaroid Fix

I have a Polaroid film addiction, and it needs to be feed!!


My camera of choice is yes a huge clunky out of date Polaroid.


But I love them so.


Problem is they don't make the film any more.


If any one has film they would like to sell, barter or trade. I can offer a ridiculous discount on fabric, books, pattern supplies, or sewing classes!
Shoot me an email or come by the store

Style in/out box

You are cordially invited to
Unboxed:


Style Weekly’s Arts Party


Please join us for a preview of our special First Fridays exhibit, featuring work by

Christina Stratman
Noah Scalin
Thea Duskin
HOPE
Jenny McGurk
Heide Trepanier
Mickael Broth
Ed Trask
Chris Milk Hulburt
Art 180

They’ve transformed 10 Style Weekly outboxes into public art.

When: Friday, Feb. 6, 2009 · 7-9 p.m.

Where: Ghostprint Gallery, 220 W. Broad St.

For More Information: (804) 358-0825


public exhibit to f from 7 to 10 p.m..


I was so excited when Style asked me to be apart this show. Luckily I didn't know the who the other artist were until I was done!! I would have been so nervous, to be in a show along side these amazing accomplished artist! I think my box turnout really great! I was inspired by the dreary, weather and dreary state of our nation and wanted to something fun, bright, happy and child like!

This will be my 1st official 1st Friday, baby with stay with his grandparents, and Dru will be my date

Space Available

fleur is looking to share its space with a like minded retailer. Someone looking for a space to teach sewing lessons, sewing machine repair,or scissor sharpening. Artist or designers looking for studio space, internet stores looking to expand to a brick and mortar space or any business that would mess well with a fabric store.400 to 500 sq feet is available at 1.50/15 per sq foot. Please email, or come by the store to discuss details.

Bamboo Fleece is here!!

Bamboo fleece just arrived this morning, and what a more perfect day!! Its so cold out ! just want to wrap my self in all 20 yds and call it a day!! Its the most soft, silky, heavy fleece I've ever seen.

Inaddtion to making more cloth diapers I think Im going to make some of these.

I've had several people ask me about them, Ive never made them but Im going to give'm a try! They totally make sense, if any one makes and uses them I'd love to hear some feed back. I am truly on my way to becomimg a total earth momma.

PUL Prints

Pul Prints have arrived!! these are 19x 20 diaper cuts of 2 mil pul 5.75 each.The first shipment includes....

Butterflies and Home Town (my favorite)


Lady Bugs, Frogs and a blue with white stars( no pic yet)
I have an order to make 15 custom diapers so come and get these prints while they last!

Swap Success!

WOW! I was blown away by the turn out at the Fabric Swap this Saturday! Thank you to everyone that came out, I hope you all found some great treasures.


I intended on donating ALL that was left to the Craft Room and the Children's Museum, well when I told them I had 7 bags, they were grateful but only asked for 2. So I sent some with Karen to the Craft Mafia's swap on Sunday. But I still have alot left over.

Instead of dropping it all off at the thrift store I have decided to have bin in the store of the free fabric for any one to dig though. One catch though... take piece leave a piece. This is a great concept, Chop Suey does it and both Nordstrom
( with shoes ) and Urban Outfitters ( with used jeans) were founded on this idea. So starting next week the fabric will be available for "trade" in the store. In addition there will be a small white pail for donations to a group that make bereavement dolls with children. More info about the group will be available in the store or contact ,Suzanne

this is Suzanne's cute shopping basket!

Sorry about the lack of post, the next few weeks might be a bit lean here. I will be wearing my seamstress hat till mid April. I have been commissioned to make, 4 different home decor projects, a mother of the bride dress, and wedding dress for July!! I know its crazy.

44 for Obama

fleur is having a 44% of SALE on all Amy Butler Fabric and Patterns



As well as all Robert Kaufman Fabric in honor of The USA's 44th President


just mention my blog to get the discount

DIAPER COST CORRECTION

upon more cloth diaper making the last few days ( can you tell I want another baby really bad!!) I have discovered that you can actually get 6 diapers out 1 yd of fabric so I have recalculated my costs



ORGANIC BAMBOO FLEECE DIAPERS= 10.77 EACH X 20=215.40

ORGANIC COTTON FLEECE=10.35 EACH x =207.40

NON ORGANIC= 7.37 EACH x 20=147.74

Now thats what Im talkin about !!!

I spend 40 dollars a month on diapers 40x12 = 480.00 dollars a year on diapers my son is 2 1/2 x 480.00=1,200 that a rough estimate because babies use more when they are smaller. But still I could have saved 984.60 dollars or more!!

Letter to my congress man

From: Jenny McGurk
4901 Basset Richmond va 23225

To: Robert C.Scott

Re: Changes needed to the Consumer Product Improvement Act (CPSIA) to Save Handmade Toys in the USA

Dear Mr.Scott,

Like many people, I was deeply concerned by the dangerous and poisonous toys that large Chinese toy manufacturers have been selling to our nations families. And, I was very pleased that Congress acted quickly to protect America's children by enacting the CPSIA.

However, I am very concerned that the CPSIA's mandates for third party testing and labeling will have a dramatic and negative effect on small toymakers and in the USA, Canada, and Europe, whose toy safety record has always been exemplary. It will also devastate small manufacturers of children's clothes and other handmade goods for children.

Because of the fees charged by Third Party testing companies, many manufacturers, especially makers of beautiful wooden toys and unique children's clothes from Maine to Oregon will be driven out of business. Their cottage workshops simply do not make enough money to afford the $4,000 price tag per toy that Third Party testers are charging.

I urge you to quickly request the Consumer Product Safety Commission to make some very reasonable exclusions in their interpretation of the law as they continue their rulemaking process. For example, manufacturers should be able to rely on testing done by their materials suppliers instead of paying for redundant unit-based testing. I would also like to see an exemption to third party testing requirements for micro-businesses similar to the exemptions granted by the FDA for small producers under the food labeling laws.

If you feel that testing should still be required, then the CPSC should be made to offer free testing services for small manufacturers.

These toy makers and crafters have earned and kept the public's trust. They provide jobs for hundreds and quality playthings for thousands. Their unique businesses should be protected. Please visit www.handmadetoyalliance.org to learn more about this issue.

In addition I own a small fabric store in the city of Richmond, many of my customers make and sell baby clothes, and toys as well as my myself. If these laws are passed I will most likely lose many of these customers, including the revenue I earn from making and selling cloth diapers, and children's clothes. With the current state of our nations economy this could be devastating to my business, and potentially cause me to close my doors
Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Jenny McGurk Owner fleur fabrics 119 N Robinson St RVA 23220 612 9198

go to this site. to find your congress man and send your letter TODAY IS THE LAST DAY!!!

Do the Math

So I've spent my morning making cloth diapers, and I can't tell you how quick and easy they are! I wanted to "Do the Math" on the cost of making them. Most of the time it is cost effective to make things your self, but sometimes it is not.

So I wanted to prove to my self and to my customers the price of making your own Cloth Diapers ...here goes

I calculated in terms of 5 diapers because you can get 5 diapers very nicely out 1 1/8 yard of 60 inch wide PUL.
These prices are based on the fabrics and supplies that I carry and average price of non organic fleece and terry so it can vary up or down depending where you purchase, if its on sale etc...
This is for an All in One/ pocket, adjustable diaper YES !! I said adjustable this diaper will go from 7 pounds to 30 pounds( I combined the best parts of 2 diapers styles) similar to the Bum Genius diaper which retails for $24.95


1 1/8 PUL =12.64
1 1/8 organic bamboo fleece= 17.83
3/4 orangic terry cloth=10.13
10 yard FOE elastic= 10.00
90 snap sets =18.00
total= 68.60 X 5 = 13.72 each diaper

if you use organic cotton fleece
1 1/8 = 14.95
total= 65.72x 5= 13.14 each diaper

if you use non organic fleece and terry cloth
1 1/8= 6.90
3/4=5.25
totals= 52.79x5=10.56 each diaper

Experts estimate that one baby needs roughly 20 diapers so times each diaper by 20 and you get...

organic bamboo fleece=274.40 + tax= 288.12
organic cotton fleece= 262.80 + tax= 275.94
reg. fleece= 211.16 + tax=221.71

The average organic cloth diaper ranges in price from $ 18 to $ 36 each, non organics range from $16 to $24. These usually do not come with soaker pads, these range about 3.50 each.Soakers are included in my calculation's ( thats what the terry cloth is for).

I found a great site called Diaper Decisions. That breaks down the cost of disposables and cloth diapers and what people spent on average each year on both.

So by making your own, you will save an average of $10 to $20 each on organic cloth diapers and $9 to $15 each on non organic cloth diapers.WOW!!
Even though my son is 2 1/2 and hopefully will be totally potty trained soon. I am switching over. Because its a one time cost, if I make them now I can use them for my next baby.... and when I done having babies I can give them to a new mom what a great gift to give some one.

black & white

While I was at my parents house in N.C for the holiday , I took some photos of the collections my mom has in her house. She has quite a bit of art, her father was an artist.( I think that little girl in the white dress is my mom) and teacher in New York during theNew Deal and the W.P.A.. And was friends with the likes of Thomas Hart Benton. Who has Jackson Pollack's mentor and teacher.

My grandfather Lawrence Adams or Poppy as I knew him passed away when I was very young 6 or 7. I remember very clearly the day mom got the phone call. It was a sunny day in our kitchen on base in Ft. Benning Georgia. I remember her crying as she slowly slid her back down the wall and I sat with her on kitchen floor not understanding why.

I have only a hand full of memories of Poppy, I used to sit in his lap at his desk and he would draw pictures for me with big a grease pencil, I still love the smell of them and peeling them down is so satisfying. I even have a tattoo on my arm of a secret he told me. Once I showed the smallest spark of creativity my mom, encouraged me, to paint, sculpt, sew, and draw. Though I didn't know him very well, I feel like he has always been along side me.


I took some pictures of his wood block prints, the picture aren't great I need a better camera.




I'm not sure about the titles for these but this one always reminded me of some one swimming in a lake


this is a lino cut I did when I was 12, strange how the compositions are similar



I think we have all felt like this at sometime or another, being stuck in a slump!


These are two Christmas cards that Thomas Hart Benton send my moms family, I believe they are lithograph prints that he did only for his Christmas card, they may be the only one that still exist. I have urged my mom to have the them appraised and insured! She used to keep them in her tee- shirt draw, thankfully a few years ago my dad had them professionally sealed and framed. I wanted to photocopy the hand written note on the inside of the card, but she would not let me break the seal.


This is a self portrait, at age 14. I am wearing my moms wedding veil. I remember the assignment in Mrs. Hammond's 10th grade art class was to do a self portrait showing your heritage. The wedding veil is a traditional Italian wedding veil, similar to what the virgin Mary wears. I made an exact replica of this veil for my sister Meg when she got married.

I'm a quarter Italian on my dad's side. Rocco grew up in the North End of Boston, thats a whole another post, well no thats could be a whole book!