Hi Reader,

The Saturday of Mother's Day weekend in most countries, (I see you UK 😘) is marked as World Fair Trade Day. And I'm convinced that's intentional. It's a great chance to share beautiful fair trade gifts with mamas of every kind, whilst also encouraging the many mothers around the world, creating them. Affirming skills and dedication for both makers and receivers at once is a rare gift in itself!

Disruptive or constructive?

Sometimes, when I’m in the weaving workshops in Bangladesh, I'm guilty of disrupting production ... but no-one seems to mind. 🫣 It's just such a precious time to chat, connect and catch up on what's happening in each others' lives. I get to hear first hand the impact of regular orders as proud mamas show pics of their children in smart school uniforms holding certificates. For some it's a thing they never got to do.

They gather, we chat, and all of us know this counts just as much as getting the work done, actually more on some levels. We smile, joke, maybe share a sadness, and return to work with a confident, deeper connection.

And every time I’m there, I’m reminded that handmade fabric feels different because it is different. Not only in texture or appearance, but in the way it comes into being.

Sitting beside a weaver, watching a fabric slowly grow inch by inch is mesmerising. Every so often she'll pause to adjust a thread with incredible care, tiny little corrections I honestly would never notice myself, but she does. Because after years at the loom, her hands understand things most of us never even think about.

That’s the part I wish more people could see.

Fair trade for all!

Fair trade isn’t just a label stitched onto a garment somewhere at the end, it’s relationship. It’s years of working together, shared problem solving, building trust, resolving conflicts, and showing up again and again.

I’ve now worked alongside artisan communities in Bangladesh for more than 30 years, and I'm still amazed by the knowledge and skill held inside these handmade processes.

Every fabric carries many people within it. And perhaps that’s why handmade cloth has a kind of warmth to it that mass production struggles to imitate. Not because it’s flawless, but because it is human.

If you’d like to see or try some of these fabrics, beautiful at so many levels, head over to our Etsy Shop. Lots of choice from just 1/2 yard, free US shipping, and a special 20% discount for World Fair Trade Day with this code:

Valid all of May '26, feel free to use yourself, and share with someone special for you!

Here's to making things, all things, better together! 🙌🫶🙌