Mongolia on NPR this week

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!

Reminder: Slippers for School Program

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!

New New New

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!

Satch & Sol Introduces Fair trade, Eco-friendly Slippers in Adult Sizes

Seattle, WA (April 13, 2009) Satch & Sol announces the addition of adult size slippers to their collection of felted wool slippers handmade by fair trade artisan cooperatives in Mongolia. Using traditional felting skills, artists create eco-friendly Satch & Sol slippers using 100% seamless felted wool, soft suede soles and hand-stitched detail.

The original collection (Fall 2008) includes children’s felted wool slippers, size US 3 infant to 3 youth (EU 18-34), in refreshingly unique and colorful styles, such as ladybugs, puppies, flower petal cuts and moccasins. New adult sizes range upward to US women’s size 11½ (EU 42).

“Mothers of children wearing Satch & Sol slippers contacted us asking for their sizes,“ says Susan Bell, founder of Satch & Sol. “We worked with the Mongolian artists to create a line of felted wool slippers for adults.”

Adult size slippers have an MSRP of $42 - $60. Children’s slippers have an MSRP of $36 - $40. Wholesale information is available upon request. Each pair of slippers ships with an eco-friendly hangtag, attached with repurposed button and thread, stating the fair trade origin of the slippers.

About Satch & Sol

For the love of family and earth, Satch & Sol partners with fair trade artisan cooperatives worldwide to offer a handmade collection. Satch & Sol strives to be eco-friendly through product selection and business practices.

Mom-owned and operated in Seattle, Satch & Sol began business in 2008 with a focus on the family. In addition to slippers, Satch & Sol offers hand knit sweaters, felted wool mittens and hats and a variety of other items handmade by fair trade artisan cooperatives.

Satch & Sol aligns with artisan cooperatives that share their love for fair trade, earth-friendly products and handmade loveliness. Fair trade prohibits child labor and enables adults to live and work in their hometowns, strengthening their families and communities. Following 70+ years of Soviet rule, Mongolian artist entrepreneurs set forth to create their own businesses. Today, Satch & Sol works with artist cooperatives in Mongolia to design and create the Satch & Sol line. In a historically nomadic culture, Mongolian farmers and artists practicing traditional crafts naturally focus on the ethical treatment of animals, natural materials and waste minimization.

Satch & Sol continually works to reduce their environmental footprint and support their local community. The company currently uses only repurposed shipping materials. When shoeboxes are required, Satch & Sol provides recyclable shoeboxes made with 100% recycled materials, including high PCW content. Satch & Sol donates a portion of company profits through monetary and in-kind product donations to local education and family-focused organizations.


CONTACT:
Susan Bell
Satch & Sol LLC
206-232-0999
susan@satchsol.com
www.satchsol.com