Satch & Sol Blog

Sharing a Great Opportunity

2010-04-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

I recently learned about Yurtcozy and love it! Yurtcozy gives the gift of warmth, energy savings and clean air to Mongolian families. Help a mom improve her family’s life.

Satch & Sol has no affiliation with Yurtcozy, but we share common goals regarding helping Mongolian families, entrepreneurs, and our earth. Thus, I wanted to share it with you!

For the love of family and earth, Satch & Sol partners with fair trade artisan cooperatives worldwide. Satch & Sol is an approved member of Green America.

Here is the link to learn more about Yurtcozy.org and support a lovely effort.

Mother's Day savings & hand knit sweater sale

2010-04-21T13:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring! Knit sweaters are currently on sale for a limited time. All the sweaters have been hand knit in Mongolia by a very small artist cooperative working with cotton blend materials. See the new colors! See the new hair band selection, too.

Mother's Day is May 9th. Newsletter subscribers will receive a further savings code in honor of Mother's Day. Please consider the slipper collection for grown-ups for Mom this year. Perhaps flowers for her feet!

Sign up for the newsletter here, to receive the savings code. There are 4+ newsletters annually and each contains a members only savings code.

I have not been blogging for a very long time...since December! Wow. I had planned to take only a little time away from the blog following the holiday rush. Then, the new adult slippers arrived and, well, where did my vacation time go?

It's great to be back online! Thank you for reading.

December 10 is shop for Anissa Day

2009-12-09T14:29:00.000-08:00

Satch & Sol joins over 60 online businesses in Aim Low’s Shop for Anissa tomorrow, December 10^th. Anissa Mayhew, a popular mom blogger, suffered a severe stroke a few weeks ago. Anissa is mom to three, including one daughter with leukemia. This fund will help her family deal with mounting bills.

Twenty percent of December 10^th sales revenue will go directly to the fund created for Anissa and her family. Here is more information, posted by Cool Mom's Picks, about the one day shopping event.

Hence, 20% of every online order you place on December 10th will go to the fund for Anissa. Shop for the holidays and help Anissa Mayhew.

Busy Busy...Waldorf Faires this weekend

2009-12-03T21:56:00.000-08:00

December swept upon me. My birthday is the last day of November, yet December always takes me by surprise. Satch & Sol has been happily busy. Tonight, I am preparing for two wonderful local Faires. There will be many beautiful handmade items at both Faires. Come see Satch & Sol for great sample sale prices.

Dec 5 - Bright Water School, Sugar Plum Faire, 11am-3pm, 1501 10th Ave E Seattle, WA 98102
Dec 6 - Seattle Waldorf School, Winter Faire, 10am-3pm, 2728 NE 100th St, Seattle, WA 98125

Seriously, I think I bought all my family's holiday gifts at these two events last year.

Enjoy the weekend!

Felt again for Halloween

2009-11-01T21:59:00.000-08:00

This might be the last year for Halloween costumes made by Mom. Solomon (6) made his own adorable tree costume and Satchel (4) made an awesome super Satchel costume, but they BOTH insisted on specific super heroes this year for trick-or-treat.

Thank goodness for the library and a sticker book. I had no idea what Iron Man and Blue Power Ranger look like. I'm not sure how my boys know so much about these heroes since we lack a television and their schools don't have commercial action figures lying around. I think super hero knowledge must travel from kids-to-kids wherever they play! (I think Solomon really wanted an LED light shining from his chest.)

I hope they will get a lot of wear our of their costume PJs. (Thanks for the hand-me-downs Aunt Jody!)

Happy Halloween!

Local Shows

2009-11-01T19:23:00.000-08:00

I love to support local schools and fundraisers. Satch & Sol will be selling certain styles at upcoming shows listed below. Check back because I will add more events as they are confirmed.

November 7 and 8 - St. Brendan's Craft Fair. There will be over 100 crafters at this annual event. Saturday 9am-5pm and Sunday noon - 4pm. 10049 - 195th Avenue NE in Bothell, WA 98011

December 6 - Waldorf Winter Faire at the Seattle Waldorf School, 10am - 3pm, 2728 NE 100th Street in Seattle, WA 98125

Local sales include sample items not shown on the website, as well as many items from the website, and all prices are reduced. If you would like to see a specific size and style at one of these shows, please email me (handmade@satchsol.com) with the specifics. I'll bring the item to the show for you to see and try.

If you would like to recommend another local Faire or show for Satch & Sol to attend, please email me at handmade@satchsol.com. Thank you!

Halloween reminiscing

2009-10-29T21:22:00.000-07:00

As we completed Halloween costumes tonight, Solomon asked what his costume was when he was a baby. The truth is that he was brand new and tiny at his first Halloween, lying in a little light-up bed fighting jaundice and the billirubin count. I don't think that counts as a costume, but we have a photo of him in a bear hat next to a jack-o-lantern. He is yellow. The pumpkin is orange.

I love making costumes for my kids. I love that they make costumes themselves now, too. And, of course, we use a lot of felt.

Here are a few of my favorites from over the years, in no particular order.

Video from Mongolia

2009-10-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

I wish I had video to share of the artists creating Satch & Sol slippers. I do not. However, I found this video of the making of felted ger walls on youtube. The heavy felted walls are MUCH bigger than slippers, so they are beaten down by dragging on horse back. Horses are not used in the felting of Satch & Sol slippers, hats and mittens, all of which are felted around a mold to be seamless. The similarities in the processes are the lack of electricity to beat the wool into felt, the small group work, and the fact that many of the artists live in gers themselves.

Someday, I'll record a video, if the artists will allow me to. Until then, I noticed several youtube videos about felting process and found them all to be very informative, espcially the ones showing Mongolia specifically.

Ebjoy!

Seattle sample sales upcoming

2009-09-23T12:45:00.001-07:00

Satch & Sol will be selling samples of infant, child and adult slippers, as well as hand-knit sweaters, felted purses, felted animal ornaments and several other items locally this year. If you are local, please visit Satch & Sol at the following events to save on gifts:

* Wallingford Wurst Festival, September 25 & 26 - Please come for the bounce houses, rides, live music and the amazing bake sale. And, stop by the many craft vendors inside and outside at the fair. This event is fantastic for the whole family and benefits the St. Benedicts School which is located in my neighborhood. This festival has been going on for 27 years and is really wonderful.

* The Fun Fair to benefit Northwest Center Child Development Center, October 3, 2-6pm. Live music, Soundbridge story telling, kids drum circle, face painting, craft vendors, BBQ dinner, bake sale and more. This 2nd annual event is very fun. I have a child currently attending this school and LOVE it. It's located on Queen Anne, not far from the Fremont Bridge.

I enjoy participating in local fundraising events and fairs. Check the blog later this month for a list of more events for October through December.

International Coastal Cleanup

2009-09-20T09:58:00.000-07:00

Satchel and I had a great time at the ocean clean-up yesterday. We spent a few hours with our neighbors and friends at a beach in Seattle, called Alki Beach. The beaches closer to us had an overwhelming volunteer turnout, so we went across town to a beautiful area (of many beautiful coastal areas here in Seattle) to help out.

The photos are of Satchel and Solomon playing at the Golden Gardens beach and Deception Pass beach two and four weeks ago. Yesterday, it was a bit colder with light rain, but with a lovely rainbow rewarding us at the end of the clean-up. And, Solomon was at his soggy soccer game, with Coach Dad.

Satchel, our neighbors and I enjoyed the soggy beach air and foggy views while we picked up a sadly unbelievable amount of cigarette butts (at least 75% of the garbage!), band-aids, bottle tops, plastic and styrofoam bits with our gloved hands. My conclusion from the day was to wish that tobacco manufacturers could at least make rapidly biodegradable cigarette butts, if not be responsible for funding beach cleanups. I left filled with a subtle satisfaction of helping our ocean habitat, but feel scarred by the highly selfish practice of smokers who think it's OK to treat sidewalks, planters, roadways and beaches like their personal ashtray.

Thanks to Stefany for letting us know about the cleanup and including us in her travel group to and from the site.

Back to sewing today!

Mittens, hats and gloves have arrived!

2009-09-18T21:40:00.000-07:00

Hats, mittens and gloves are here in plenty of time. Sizes and quantities are a bit limited, but that makes the handmade quality all the more special.

My favorite are the mushroom mittens. I already sent my new niece this two-piece set and the matching blossom slippers (the matching slippers will be on the site soon!).

Mongolia on NPR this week

2009-09-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

The photography is beautiful. However, the story is about serious struggle in Mongolia. The NPR week long series is titled Global Financial Crisis Hits Mongolia and tells the story of sheep herders. It is more important than ever to support fair trade practices and the entrepreneurs in Mongolia. Listening to today's story has further deepened my commitment to supporting fair trade and earth-friendly practices in Mongolia.

The artists who create felted wool slippers and other items for Satch & Sol include those who herd their own sheep and those who buy wool locally from their neighbors and herders within Mongolia.

The NPR piece today also touches on environmental concerns and the situation caused by overgrazing of cashmere goats. I had heard of this issue, but had not understood its significance until now. I had associated cashmere goats as "bad" and sheep and other types of goats as "good", but now know why. Cashmere goats eat the grass from the root, which contributes to the decline of grasslands to desert. Sheep and non-cashmere goats eat the grass without destroying the roots, thus allowing for sustainable re-growth. Demand for cashmere by Chinese factories has caused many herders to unnaturally offset their herd balance in favor of non-sustainable cashmere goats.

At Satch & Sol, we love felted wool - that's sheep's wool. Occasionally, felted wool includes wool from non-cashmere goats and from camels. Satch & Sol will continue to support sustainable herding in Mongolia through demand for non-cashmere, luxurious, soft felted wool slippers.

Thank you NPR for this great series. Thank you Seattle neighbor Joanne for telling me about the NPR series!

Weekend = Sewing

2009-09-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

Weekends are a great time to catch up on sewing. Labor Day weekend is no exception, especially with our very winter-like chilly rainy weather today. I am sewing tags, sewing slipper embellishments, sewing unique adult size slippers for local fundraiser sales...and, recently, sewing buttons and thread felted wool animals to make ornaments.

Made from slipper scraps, the lovely felted wool creatures have arrived! Here in Seattle, I sew a unique button and thread to each animal so it is tree-ready. Of course, the thread and button can be easily removed and the creature can stand on its own.

My new favorite is the elephant, but it's hard to steer away from the woolly grey billy goat. The recent arrival of the felted wool animals from Mongolia inspired my family to go to the Woodland Park Zoo this afternoon. The snow leopards (native to Mongolia) were our favorites today.

Eco Fashion Show

2009-09-02T20:18:00.000-07:00

Last month, Satch & Sol participated in an eco-fashion show with other members of Green America.

The show took place in Deer Lodge, Montana and was accomplished by Anna Hermann of Herman's ECO Inc.

Thank you for including Satch & Sol, Anna!

Felted Purses Return

2009-08-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

Back by popular demand, Satch & Sol is offering a limited supply of lovely hand-felted purses in soft pink, deep blue and light burnt orange. All felted purses are handmade in Mongolia by one artist who is located close to the slipper artists.

I am so happy to be able to offer three colors in one style for 2009.

Reminder: Slippers for School Program

2009-08-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

Solomon begins Kindergarten in 13 days. He is keeping a calendar in his bedroom and marks off the days at bedtime. Solomon is excited and nervous, and, well, so am I. Solomon is ready with school supplies, including his "indoor shoes" to keep in his cubby at school. He selected the blue mocs that he decorated for himself a few months ago.

All this preparation reminded me of the Slippers for School savings program that was a success during our online launch last year. A few schools have already taken advantage of the 25% savings for their group this year.

If your group can commit to purchasing at least six pairs of slippers, Satch & Sol will send you a savings code for your group to use for anything in the online boutique. You select the dates for the savings code to be in effect and the ship date. Satch & Sol ships all the items to one location for you to distribute. Shipping is free. If interested, please email me at handmade@satchsol.com. Thank you!

Artisans receive a well-earned grant

2009-08-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

I cannot say enough wonderful things about the talented artists who create slippers for Satch & Sol. I love love love their traditional wool felting craft. Even more, I appreciate their willingness to hone their skills to innovate for Satch & Sol and their willingness to incorporate my design input.

Of course, I am certainly not the only person to be so impressed by these fair trade micro and small businesses sprouting successfully in Mongolia. Congratulations to one of the largest felting cooperatives upon receiving a modest funding grant from EBRD (a European Bank) to finance their continued growth through training and innovation.

I am honored to have been asked for input regarding innovation. I am confident that they will surpass even their own expectations as they take on this new challenge. And, I am eager to see their future work.

Happy Birthday to the online boutique

2009-08-25T21:09:00.000-07:00

Our online boutique celebrated its one year anniversary several days ago, and I forgot to celebrate until this evening. Happy 1st Birthday!

I will now celebrate by wrapping gifts, writing cards, and printing shipping labels for today's orders. Although first, I need to go put my four year old back to bed, for the third time tonight. This small business owner really knows how to throw a party!

Although we opted for homemade popsicles rather than cake tonight, we selected zucchini from our tiny garden and made a special zucchini pancake dinner. And, there was face paint (applied by the kids). My children loved it, although neither seemed to understand what aspect of our family business we were celebrating.

I am so thankful for this past year of learning, community, successes and trials. I am especially grateful to the artists in Mongolia who have been a pleasure to work with (since long before the online boutique began) and to the customers who have visited us online. For a birthday present, I will send a savings code out to the newsletter list sometime soon. If you want to receive it, please sign up by creating an account and checking the newsletter option.

I look forward to Year Two!

Satch & Sol Approved by Green America. Yippee!

2009-08-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

I have been striving to emulate the values of Green America since the very early stages of Satch & Sol. Green America (formerly called Coop America) exudes the eco-friendly and fair trade values that are core to Satch & Sol's vision. Thus, I am jump-up-and-down excited to see Satch & Sol be approved as a member of this wonderful organization. And wow (!), that was quite an application process of in depth questions.

For anyone thinking Green Entrepreneurship, I recommend joining the Green America Business Network (GABN). GABN is an email list that you can join prior to being approved by Green America. Learn how to join by visiting the Green Business network. I asked a lot of questions of established Green Business leaders and received many helpful answers to keep my business growing. Finding Green America early in my business development was a great discovery for me.

For anyone looking to GREEN there lives and business in anyway, bookmark the GreenPages.org. This reference provides a list of all Green America approved members.

I look forward to updating my website soon to show the official Green America Seal of Approval (tm) and to reflect membership.

New New New

2009-08-23T21:46:00.000-07:00

I am excited to add new colors, styles and products for Fall and Winter. You will see them appear gradually in the online boutique by September 1.

Some of the lovely new items the artists made have yet to arrive...and perhaps are lost in their travels forever. I hope someone, somewhere will enjoy them and appreciate the handcrafted beauty of each piece. Ahhhhhhh, but I am so happy to have the ones that arrived! My favorite are the natural flowers with their muted burnt orange pedals. They make me pine for toddler feet in our household again. I will happily gift a pair to my newborn niece.

Watch for new felted wool mittens, hats and gloves in baby and toddler sizes!

Calling all Local Crafters

2009-06-24T14:47:00.000-07:00

The 2nd annual Fun Fair for Northwest Center Child Development Program (NWC) will be Saturday, October 3, 2009, 2-6pm. If you live in the Seattle area, please join us and definitely bring the kids! This event is for the community. There will be a bake sale, fun for the kids, live music, a silent auction and local craft vendors. Please see the website for directions to the Queen Anne school at 2919 1st Ave N, Seattle, WA 98118.

Satch & Sol will be offering a sample sale, as one of the vendors, with very low prices for discontinued colors and styles of slippers, apparel and animal ornaments.

If you are a crafter or small business looking for a family-focused audience, please email me for a vendor application at susan@satchsol.com. NWC has a modest fundraising goal for the event, so all vendors will be asked to donate a flat dollar amount or a percent of sales made at the event - you decide.

I have been involved with NWC for a few years and absolutely love the place! We all enjoyed attending the inaugural Fun Fair last year. My kids are so excited to go again this year.

eco summer fun

2009-06-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

The boys are getting increasingly crafty this summer. Suddenly, I am not allowed to put anything into the recycle bin...at least not until it has been made into a boat, a bridge, or something else and repetitively played with.

I am overjoyed that my thriftiness and desire to leave a small footprint is rubbing off on our sons. Their efforts (even beyond the consistent art projects) have inspired me to look for more eco-friendly products and business practices for Satch & Sol. Here are a few of our recent efforts below.

Recently, we decreased the size of our Seattle city garbage can to the smallest available, about 2 cubic feet. We (work and home combined) still don't fill it. Affording ourselves less weekly garbage space has made us even more cognizant of our purchases at the grocery store and elsewhere, i.e., to purchase less and to search out items with very little packaging.

Although some boutiques still require a paper catalog to make their purchase consideration, I have narrowed it down to just one simple page (from three previously) and I continue to print on recyclable, high PCW content paper. More and more, boutiques are happy with web images and emailed paperless brochures to view on their screens.

I applied to Green America for certification of Satch & Sol! I hear that it is a long application process, so I will provide an update on the blog when I hear about acceptance or suggested improvements to be made. I am looking forward to this process.

summer helpers

2009-06-22T15:55:00.000-07:00

Having a family business means a lot to me. I enjoy the flexibility to participate in my sons' events. I like working in my home office. I don't think twice about evening and weekend work. Everything weaves nicely into our family schedule somehow, although not without lots of planning.

During a mini (unprofessional) photoshoot a few days ago, I had an unexpected helper, age 5, who was eager to play the part of the photographer. Once I completed the images a buyer needed for her boutique, my oldest son and I had a great time playing photographer.

I can't wait to show him his photos on the blog later. Enjoy.

Fundraising with Satch & Sol

2009-06-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

It's a win-win opportunity. Savings for you, friends, and family when you shop online. A check to your school or non-profit organization for a percent of total revenue.

In a nutshell, you can raise funds for your school or organization by spreading the word about Satch & Sol. Anyone who uses your group's savings code online will be saving a little from their purchase. And, a percent of total sales revenue generated by the savings code users will go to your organization by check at the end of the designtated time period.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please email me at handmade@satchsol.com.

At Satch & Sol, we love to support schools and family-oriented nonprofit organizations. We want to help you grow!

many thanks to the bloggers

2009-05-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

I am very thankful to the bloggers out there who have helped spread the word about Satch & Sol and the amazing artists of Mongolia. Most recently, it was lovely to see a post on Natural Mommie. Thank you! I love this small business and it is so rewarding to hear what other people have to say about it.

Like my children's artwork hanging ceiling to floor in our kitchen, I proudly display Satch & Sol's reviews and press here.