FAQ
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY PLANT BASED FABRICS…
Most of our fabrics are cotton, bamboo, or hemp. Our yarn is usually 100% wool. In order for any fabric to have stretch it has to have Lycra or spandex, we only supply fabrics that have <5% spandex or Lycra unless otherwise stated.
VELVET/MINKY FABRICS?…
Are synthetic, they do come from an American based country that prints by order only.
FAUX FUR/LACE?…
Are also synthetic.
HOW ARE THEY ECO-FRIENDLY?…
Besides being natural materials when possible, they are dyed with low-impact dyes, short for low impact on the environment. Less water used to dye them & less leeching into the water, which can occur during manufacturing and during washing. Solid colored fabric dyes are also less toxic as they are dyed with Procion Dyes.
WHAT ABOUT PATTERNED FABRIC?…
Our patterned fabric comes from a company that prints by order only. SSA loves this concept because it means that they’re only producing what they know will be used. No excess fabrics in a warehouse hoping someone will buy them. While they’re practice of printing the designs on the fabric is slightly different than our solid colored fabrics, they do use chemicals that are less harsh & a process that uses less water.
ARE ALL YOUR MATERIALS SOURCED IN USA/CANADA…
FABRICS…
All our fabrics come from countries that pay livable wages and have ethical standards of practice.
FAUX FUR/CHAIN/LACE/HARDWARE…
Most of them are still coming from China & India. While we are still very unhappy with the standards for workers in these countries, we do try to source from India & other countries besides China when we can.
YARN?…
Yes! All our yarn comes from a local yarn store that is woman ran. All the yarn they supply is either indie dyed or from small ethical companies that both our LYS and us have looked into extensively.
WHAT IS AN INDIE DYER…
Someone who dyes yarn themselves as a sole proprietor like SSA. They are usually American based, although sometimes our local yarn store has events where people from Canada and Europe also attend with their special dyed yarns.
HOW DO YOU KNOW THE COMPANIES YOU SOURCE FROM ARE ETHICAL?…
When sourcing from countries that have laws that support workers, we can rest assured that their employees are being paid a standard minimum wage or higher. They source their materials that they use to make fabric from USA/CANADA as well and have certifications of practice and are more transparent in their processing.
WHAT ABOUT YARN?….
Wool that is used to dye from indie dyers and small companies that our local yarn store carry have multiple certifications of standards of practice and are mulesing-free. Wool sourced from these supplies are from America, Britain, Uruguay & Peru. The company based in Uruguay and Peru employees mostly women in royal areas that do not have the same opportunity for work, and they do their own sheering, spinning & dying.
WHAT IS MULESING…
The removal of skin around the back of the sheep to prevent a parasite called flystrike and to keep fecal matter away from the wool. SSA finds this practice to be extremely sickening & therefore only supplies from companies or people we know have higher standards of practice.
HOW LONG DO CUSTOMS TAKE?…
Right now customs usually take 1-3 weeks to complete and ship. If you need your item by a certain date please reach out beforehand to ensure we can get it to you on time.
I HAVE AN IDEA FOR A PIECE I WANT!…
We would love to hear it! Reach out to us through email or IG and we can discuss details.
I WANT A DIFFERENT COLOR THAN WHAT YOU OFFER!…
We will do our very best to accommodate you. Reach out through email or IG and we can go over other color options.