Going Green

Since I began making softies over three years ago, I have become more selective with the materials I use. While this often means my materials and supplies cost more, I feel that the quality of my items has continued to improve to ensure longevity. I will only use wool felt, 100% cotton quilting fabrics (usually designer names too) as well as good quality threads, ribbons and trims and buttons. When I began making softies I used a polyfill from a large craft store, I soon realised that this was a low quality item, it didn't hold its shape, clumped and even started to 'seep' out of the fabric. I then sourced a better quality polyfill which was nicer to work with and didn't have a mind of its own. However I have now decided to use a 'green' filling, made from recycled bottles, has not been altered by chemicals and is consequently hypoallergenic. The impact of the environment is a definite positive for me too. The only downside to using this type of filling is that a minimum order of 5kgs is difficult to find storage for!