Saving the planet one Macrame Knot at a time...

Macrame artist Katie Mitchell is an independent designer based in south London whose colourful plant hangers have been a big hit at Just So Flowers ever since we opened our shop at 71 Beckenham Road. Now Katie has added  some fabulous shoulder bags to her collection that are not only highly wearable but have top sustainability credentials too. I invited Katie to tell us more about her craft and the materials she uses:

We’re all concerned about the planet and I try my best in my everyday life to reduce my impact and I feel the same when it comes to running my business. Sustainability is very much the buzz word of the moment (quite rightly!) and we all want to try and shop without hurting the planet and limit our consumption of well….everything!

Shopping guilt free is very hard nowadays, if you’re not buying too much, you’re buying unsustainable, non-recyclable, unethical, over packaged products. It’s very difficult to get it right. The mind boggles!  Thankfully I can sleep easy knowing my handmade products tick all the eco boxes. Everything is handmade by me, hence the name By-Me-Katie, - no sweat shops here!

100% recycled cords

The cords I use are made from 100% recycled cotton thread which is made from surplus cotton saved from landfill and production waste. No water or toxic chemicals are used in the production process, including dyes. The plethora of lovely colours are made by shredding the cotton and then mixing it in specific proportions in order to receive the desired shade. The fibres are then spun into thread. This means there are often slight variations of colour which adds to the charm. Clever eh? 

The cord has also been awarded the OEKO-TEX Certificate Standard 100 in First Class. This means the cords are tested at every production level and do not contain any substances that are harmful to our health. They may be safely used in products for toddlers and people with allergies. After all this lovely testing, twisting and colour mixing, I use the cord and make it into beautiful plant hangers, wall hangings, dreamcatchers and more recently bags.

Sustainable handmade macrame bags

Yes, you can buy all of these things mass produced but the fact is you don’t know who’s made them, how they're made or under what conditions. but you can be sure that if you buy from a small designer/maker like me, they will have tried their best to ensure the products are ethically sourced and made. Even the smallest purchase makes a big difference to a small business and with each order I do a ‘happy little dance!’ I hope that you love your plant hanger or bag as much as I loved making it and know that you’re not only supporting a small business but also doing your bit to save the planet!

You can buy Katie's plant hangers and bags from our physical shop at 71 Beckenham Road, BR3 4QD and her hangers can also be bought here at our online shop - either would make the perfect eco-friendly Christmas gift.  Follow us on instagram.com/justsoflowers and Katie at instagram.com/by-me-katie