Ethical Dressing from People Tree

Feel Good Fashion

Way back when I wrote this post, I was already thinking about how to dress more ethically, more rewardingly and more sustainably... or how to dress 'better', if you like. 

Well, I've done ok since then; I've made quite a few items, picked up the odd bit from a charity shop or a boot fair, or second hand on eBay. Of course, I haven't totally stuck to my rule of not buying anything (I'm not that strong willed), but I don't routinely head to the shops either. 

My hand-making has had to take a bit of a back seat for a while now though, so when I discovered that I could order this gorgeous parcel from People Tree, and actually feel like I was doing something positive for the world at large then I was thrilled. Plus, it was in the sale and I had a discount code too- did I need a further excuse...? I thought not.

Ethical Fashion

Judging a Book By Its Cover

The first thing that I loved about this happy package was the brown paper post bag with cute brown paper tape. There was no help for it: I was predisposed to love the contents. 

Fashionable Stripes

Here's a confession: I have no real interest in fashion. As I mentioned above, I don't go shopping, I don't consume the fashion press (or, shockingly, very much press at all), I don't listen to style icons, self-appointed or otherwise, I don't care about 'on trend', and I don't care about the celebrities. 

Don't get me wrong, I have a fashion degree! I love the art that is high-end couture, I'm intrigued by the semiotics of what we wear, I love clothes, I love design, I love colour, I love interestingly-cut patterns, I am intrigued by how things are made, I really enjoy seeing someone with fantastic style, I love feeling that something is a great-quality garment, I love interesting contrasts, and I'm extremely fussy about what I wear... but that's not really fashion is it? 

The reason I mention this is that apparently stripes are fashionable. They must be I guess, as they are everywhere- including People Tree, hurrah! I sense a whole other blog post about stripes coming on at some point, but I'll just mention here that I love them (if you're a regular reader you might even have noticed a few on my blog before), and I feel they are particularly appropriate for my Cornish life. 

People Tree Stripey Dress

A Happy Dress

Needless to say, I love my People Tree stripey dress. It is the perfect weight to wear over tights on a sunny March day, and I anticipate wearing it many times to wander around Cornish harbours and suchlike. 

The dress is beautiful quality, and I am over the moon that is ethically made: fairly traded and made from organic cotton- you can even find out who by on their website.

It is extremely comfortable: the loopback jersey is quite plushy and the fit is great. Two of the key features as far as I am concerned are the pockets (LOVE pockets!), and the full-length sleeves (so much easier to put a jacket over). 

I have long and sloping shoulders so not everything fits over them, but this is just roomy enough to be comfortable without being baggy. My go-to petticoat slip which I wear under most dresses was too long, but that didn't matter as it didn't seem to get caught on my tights like many others do (to my great chagrin). 

The neckline was flattering and neither too high or too revealing, and the sleeves were a great length and diameter. I feel like I could work layers both underneath and over the top if I needed to. I love that being quite snug, this dress will fit well under my longer waterproof parka-type coat for inevitable Cornish rain showers. I also love that it is not encumbered by those annoying back-neck zips which seem to have plagued beautiful clothes like this for a while now.  

Another feature I love is the blue/black colour of the stripes themselves. 

People Tree Organic Cotton Dress 

Accessories

I completed the outfit with my vintage Levi's jacket (from a boot fair many years ago), my Zerelda shawl which I designed and made for 'Knit Now' a couple of years ago, and leggings from GudrunSjoden, plus plenty of Celtic silver.

Stripey dress with Accessories

Crochet Shawls

Cornwall has been bathed in spring-like weather this week. I've really enjoyed going for a less-coat-more-shawl vibe. This one is my Abellona. It's stripey...

Crochet Shawl: Abellona

Lovely Things Linky

Lovely Things!

I've been approaching both of my blogs with fresh interest over the last few weeks, and consequentially I've decided to take part in a couple of 'Linky' events. When selecting which ones to join in with, the fantastic positivity of 'Lovely Things' really appealed to me! so, here are my first three 'Lovely Things', listed with gratitude:

Thing 1: Cornwall

If you have read my blog before you will have seen my snaps of the area I live in. I am so unspeakably grateful to be able to exist in this paradise, that my first 'Lovely Thing' just has to be Cornwall.

Cornish Sunset

Thing 2: My Family

Everyone loves their family. Everyone knows their partners and kids are really something special, there are thousands of blogs devoted to the topic, so I'm well aware of this fact. But these guys, well they really are something!

I never blog about them, or put them on instgram... I figure that their lives and their privacy are their own, and I'd rather tell them in person than over the net how awesome I think they are. But maybe a little public shout out once in a while really won't hurt: these two are the best company imaginable, and they give me so much that is positive. They always, without fail, cheer me up, they make me laugh so so much, they show me that they appreciate me, and they believe in me. I consider myself extremely blessed to have them both, as I am in complete awe of them both. 

The best guys in the world

Thing 3: Paws

This member of my family, on the other hand, is something that I do plaster all over instagram. After 5 years I am still completely besotted with her! Before I had a cat I never knew what funny, charming, entertaining and loving little personalities they have. She definitely enriches my life: having a purring, lolling, and at times demanding little heartbeat for company is another gift. Usually to be found asleep on my work table, she never lets me forget that the purpose of being a crafter is to make cosy beds for her, whether I am in the middle of an urgent project or not. 

So there are my first 'Lovely Things'. I look forward to reading yours, and I promise that next month they will be more frivolous and fun! 

Week in Paradise

This was the view on Tuesday: a rainstorm out to sea. Once again we succumbed to the pull of the shore and headed out to the beach, despite the fact that it was actually pretty cold. We were hoping for interesting debris in the wake of Storm Imogen, but either there was none on this beach, or we were not early enough to find it. 

I was planning to have a jog up and down the beach too (this is my favourite running beach), but the fact that I had just been to the gym, and the freezy temperature both enticed me to stay and consume the hot coffee and picnic thoughtfully brought along in the car instead.

We shared our lunch with some friendly rooks. They might look aggressive, but actually they were pleasant lunch-mates, and highly entertaining. The feeding of seagulls is totally frowned upon here in Cornwall, but these blue-black beauties were very endearing.

The sun did show up for a while this week, and I was grateful to be able to hang my laundry out in the hypnotic Cornish sunlight. I couldn't resist a picture of these beautiful stripy shirts, both from Cornish company Seasalt. I adore stripes, and these tops feel practically like uniform in this part of the world.

The Best Type of Rainy Sunday is a Cornish One

This afternoon we took a trip out on one of our regular quay walks. There was not a soul in sight for most of it (if you don't count the majestic swans, cormorants, seagulls and these brave little chaps in the background).

Some places are depressing in the rain. Cornwall is simply enchanting: a timeless magic seems to descend. 

The boats were soundly moored in preparation for the next storm to crash in off the Atlantic, expected tonight. 

This is another of our favourite haunts: Portmellon. It seems to capture the essence of Cornwall: the sea comes up and laps over the road, washing up sand, seaweed and its secret treasures. The pub is called The Rising Sun, as the bay faces east. Whilst I am not really a pub person, somewhat conversely I love them as landmarks, and I love their history and heritage. I would bet that this one has seen a good amount of smuggling over the centuries. 

Personal Anniversary

I am the first of our little clan to have a birthday in Cornwall, our new-ish part of the world. And what an amazing few days I have been treated to! 

Amongst my many pleasures there was a few sneaky yoga poses on a deserted beach we had walked to. 

This was followed at home by lime cake with clotted cream, and a pot of lapsing souchong- what an indulgence! 

 The weekend also gave me paella, which I would happily bet is the best paella in the UK, cooked by my honorary Spaniard.

There were lovely presents (including an extremely thoughtful 'Running Songs' cd given to me by my nearest and dearest, a fantastic cable cardigan, and a new nightie with proper Victorian-style trimmings- just how I like them!), heartfelt birthday cards which drew the odd sentimental tear, there was coffee from a thermos in a cave watching birds, some great workouts, breakfast in bed... it's embarrassing how spoilt I am! 

But also impossible to describe how lucky I feel and how grateful I am to all the lovely people in my life, as well as to the circumstances that have given me so much in terms of health and good fortune. 

Crafty Cornwall

I'm delighted to be thinking about my blog again!

There are so many hours to be whiled away just looking at the sea (before touching on any of the other wonders of this beautiful place) that having much of an online life has slipped down the list.

I am hoping to bring you news very soon about some craft classes in Cornwall, too.

I have been doing some teaching, but it has been concentrated at the big trade shows. Now that the year has turned, though, I am ready to think about getting back to it. If you have any requests for crochet/knitting/sewing classes, do let me know as I am very open to locations and topics at this stage.

Project-wise I am a little stuck on my Cornish guernsey- it is a much larger project that I had really thought about, and the tiny needles require good daylight. I am almost up to the point where I can join at the shoulders, and then I will consider myself roughly halfway through.  Pictures to follow...