Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Conscious Clothing. In Rose's words:
"Handmade, hand dyed organic clothing for women and children. Specializing in hemp, organic cotton and bamboo, locally made and ethically source.
Visit our shops for adults and children."
SouleMama: Tell us about the beginnings of your business.
Rose: I started Conscious Clothing in 2002 when my second child was born. I had been sewing for years, but the journey into motherhood brought me to the idea of starting a company which offered organic cotton clothing, blankets, and diapering products for a growing group of mothers in my community. It’s amazing that only 12 years ago these baby basics were nearly impossible to find!
These first products were so popular with women that I soon had requests for adult clothing. It was around that time when I started learning about dyes and the dye process and began using hemp fabrics as well.
Since then, I’ve opened 2 Etsy shops as well as a third online store, vended at countless shows across the country, sell my products in nearly 15 stores in 8 states, and ship to customers in countries around the world!
SouleMama: In your mind, what is that one thing which makes your business different?
Rose: I love creating new designs. It’s the sweet part of my job- designing pieces that fit together with your existing wardrobe and make it easy to get dressed every day!
I love being cozy and warm up here in Michigan, so my hemp/organic cotton fleece is a favorite fabric! I enjoy making hoodies and interesting necklines to snuggle into. Pockets are a must! These pieces have longevity in your closet and durability through dozens of washes.
The bamboo basics are perfect under layers this time of year for their insulating properties. Mixing and matching these pieces with the texture and colors of my hemp linen smocks and pants is the basis of my line.
Not many artists on Etsy are utilizing hemp linen with its hard working and long lasting quality. I feel its what people love about Conscious Clothing- wearing that same pair of hemp pants year after year!
SouleMama: What inspires you?
Rose: I’m often surprised at what inspires me! This time of year its all about color and I have been dyeing fabric day and night! Even after years of dyeing, I’m still thrilled when I get beautiful shade of red or pink on my favorite hemp jersey. I’ve been working on new colors for my infinity scarves which will become available again in the next few weeks.
SouleMama: Tell us what you envision and dream for the future of your business.
Rose: As my business grows, I have had the opportunity to hire incredible and inspiring people from my community. I continue to stay true to my ideals of hand made, local, and sustainable products as we meet the growing demand from conscious consumers who really do care where their clothing is coming from and what they choose to support.
As we grow, so do the children! And making space for a gaggle of teens in your home and therefore in your studio/work life is a pretty big challenge!
We are in the planning stage of building a new studio space which will accommodate all of the needs of Conscious Clothing- space to design, cut, print, sew, dye, warehouse, and display our unique clothing!
We hope to break ground in the spring of 2015. It is an exciting project and I will be documenting the process as we go on Instagram and Facebook, so please follow along!
SouleMama: How does the balance of family and work play out for you? if applicable, how has motherhood affected the work you do?
Rose: At Conscious Clothing, we are a family business in all aspects of the term! While working at home has its obvious advantages, it also has its disadvantages.
First of all, you just can’t ever seem to get away from it!
There is no leaving the office at 5:00 and going home to relax. It is always there and there is always something unfinished demanding your attention. And being there for the kids means you are also there for every argument and sword fight that inevitable spills into the studio!
On the other hand, my children are growing up in a very creative environment where they are encouraged to make things, and have a space to do that. They love going to shows with me and putting together outfits. My oldest daughter edits my listings and my middle one always updates my Instagram! The youngest is the one with the big ideas and wonders why I have an XL, and XS, but I don’t have the size “extra medium”?
My partner has recently quit his other job as a furniture maker to be on board full time with Conscious Clothing. He is the mastermind technician, mechanic, screen printer, top-stitcher, and studio builder! Its been a very exciting year for us all!
For today's giveaway, Conscious Clothing is generously offering the following gifts to TWO winners:
To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8:00 am EST on Sunday, and announce the winners, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments Closed! The winners are...
Awesome clothing, and she's just right up the road from me! Small world. :)
Posted by: Mary
I'm feeling so drawn to this beauty..
Posted by: Erin
Thank you, Conscious Clothing!