Many of the most revered Japanese arts have emerged from a need for practical solutions to everyday problems. Furoshiki, the art of gift wrapping using cloth, is no different. The term, which literally translates to “bath (furo) spread (shiki)” was first used during the Nara period (710-794) as a means to protect valuable goods. Furoshiki has since evolved into a popular practice around the world, with people using the cloths to not only wrap gifts but also to carry bottles, hold vegetables and even as table settings. I was first introduced to the art of cloth wrapping last year while researching how to limit waste during Christmas celebrations. The thought of giving someone a gift in reusable fabric captured my...
Having a minimalist Christmas has become a goal of many parents worldwide, especially following the Covid-19 pandemic. And for parents who are not quite ready to take minimalism to the extreme this festive season, there still seems to be an interest in downsizing the overall experience of giving gifts and celebrating with family. But why would someone want to go the minimalist route? The reasons are plenty. For many families, they want to take away the materialistic focus of the festive season and try to redirect attention to themes such as generosity, kindness, peace and joy. A minimalist approach also helps to limit waste during this special time of the year, which typically involves large amounts of disposable plastic and...
I am so exciting to start introducing our new colors and prints that will carry through for the next year or so. As the current stocks run out they will be replaced with the new series. I’ll be sure to announce and post pictures on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter as the new designs come available. Here is a sneak preview of our Protea Printed Dish Cover Set. Follow along: Instagram Facebook Twitter Price Increases I really strive to keep our prices affordable so I have looked carefully at each product and made adjustments where needed, avoiding the traditional 10% increase across the board. My belief is that consuming responsibly shouldn’t be an elitist movement and with a bit of innovative...
It was a good kitchen cloth I was after. I thought about it many times a day. In fact, every time I reached for a cloth to wipe something up. I wanted an alternative to the non-biodegradable micro-fiber cloth made from petroleum based products and shipped in from China. Something natural that worked well - how hard could it be? Then in 2009, on a visit home to Canada I was reminded that the cloths we used growing up had been hand-knit either by my grandmother, or my mom or picked up at the flee market. This is the story of The Posh South African Kitchen Lappie. Hand-Knit Production Creates Home-Based Employment My grandmother knit a prototype that I brought back...
