Hey, there! In case you were wondering...

All right, for those who were wondering why the felt flowers advertized in my previous post have not yet shown up on Etsy, here's the answer:

The flowers you anticipated so eagerly--and rightly so!--are about to get even better. After making a few prototypes (above are the first two), I began exploring material options to ensure that I was offering the best product possible. During my price-comparison process between wool felt distributors (the prototypes were acrylic), I found two types of wool felt: a 100% wool felt, and a 35% wool, 65% rayon blend. I contacted a manufacturer of 100% merino wool felt for information to make an informed decision, and here is what I learned!

As far as the consumer goes, products made with 100% wool felt are less bound to shed, fray, and lose their shape. Definitely a plus. From the artist's point of view, working with 100% wool means easier cutting and shaping without the hassle of that same shedding and fraying.

Merino wool is wool that is sheared close to the sheep's skin, making it the softest wool available. The manufacturer I spoke to also promised that there was no sheen or stiffness, as one would find in typical craft felts--and his felts are Oeko Tex-certified, meaning that the lack of flammability and the limited use of dyes make the wool safe for products that will be used by children.

But the real selling point for me? If I purchase from this particular manufacturer, the felt comes from Europe. I don't have to worry about answering to my customers (or, really, my own conscience) about materials made in China.

I even followed up my purchase with the merino wool manufacturer by purchasing a variety of decorative buttons from Italy and Spain so that this element of the product is also slave-free. These flower pins (which are also going to appear on hats!--but more on that in my next post) are not only going to be of excellent quality; they are also going to be perfectly affordable, and guiltless.

I will post a link the minute they go up!

Thanks for shopping! Stay creative,

Wanita