It's Only Fair

My last weekend working in a certain high street handmade cosmetics shop was during Fairtrade Fortnight. It was time to party and I organised an in-store tea party to promote fair trade practices and products.

We were encouraging people to step forward  and to change something they probably use everyday (like tea or lotion) to fair trade products. By us choosing fairly traded products through our consumer choice, we can help offer farmers and workers a better chance to work their way out of poverty, through fairer wages, safer conditions at work and investment in projects to improve life for their whole communities.

So we had fair trade tea, we had fair trade cakes and we even had people powered fair trade smoothies. But it's a party, the shop needed decorating. I have been well and truly bitten by the craftivism bug and made this bunting to help decorate the shop and to also enforce the fair trade message.

This was the first time I have made bunting and it was surprisingly easy. To save time I cut the flag shapes from some vintage fabric (I think it was once bedding) with pinking shears to prevent fraying. The letters are made from felt off cuts (so they also didn't need any additional hemming) and were simply handstitched on to the flag shape. The flags were then attached to some bias binding and machine sewn.

I think it was pretty but with an effective and strong message. Plus the eagle-eyed amongst you will also notice that it is grammatically correct...

I'm already embarking on another 'craftivist' project. It feels good to have found an outlet that meets my desire to be involved in craft and activism. Watch this space...