I Dress Myself

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I want to be...

We printed these totes for Jodie Fowler - a volunteer teacher at Adjiringanor Primary School in Ghana, where she teaches the children Art and English. Having been very frustrated with the...

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Posted in Design, Screen Printing, Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Monday 26 July 2010

I want to be...
 

Environmental Justice Foundation

We think that the Environmental Justice Foundation do really good work.

Particularly relevant is their campaign to clean up cotton, in relation to child labour, pesticides and the use of...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment, Thoughts, Other Stuff by Louise on Thursday 17 June 2010

 

Net Neutrality

Many internet users know about net neutrality, but if not then listen up!

Net Neutrality is the idea to keep the net free and open, without restriction from large ISP companies like...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment, Thoughts, Other Stuff by on Friday 30 April 2010

Net Neutrality
 

Rag time

We often get asked for stuff. But it is not often someone calls up and asks us for our old rags. We have donated a load of misprinted tees...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Friday 9 April 2010

 

Ink Shelves

We had an amazing shelving unit for our inks custom built for the studio.

It means that we can store all the inks we mix up for different print jobs and...

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Posted in Screen Printing, Ethics and Environment by Louise on Thursday 14 January 2010

Ink Shelves
 

The Magnificent Revolution

I heard about these guys The Magnificent Revolution when they had a cycle powered cinema here in Nottingham as part of the Hinterland Projects

I...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment, Thoughts, Other Stuff by Louise on Monday 21 December 2009

 

Bring Back British Rail

Bring Back British Rail is a new UK-wide campaign. They are demanding:

- An end to private interest in public transport.

- A fully integrated, publicly-owned rail network, in which the passengers are...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment, Other Stuff by Pete on Tuesday 24 November 2009

Bring Back British Rail
 

Water reclamation and recycling

We have teamed up with the Environmental Technology Centre at Nottingham University to design and build a water reclamation and recycling system for washing the ink off our screens. The ETC...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Thursday 30 July 2009

 

Sustainable print book

We are featured in the new and beautiful Print and Production Finished for Sustainable Design (phew) book written by Edward Denison and published by Rotovision. We would definitely recommend the book...

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Posted in Design, Screen Printing, Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Wednesday 27 May 2009

Sustainable print book
 

This is not for charity

In mid June Julian Emre Sayarer will be departing from Rouen, France, to cycle 18,000 miles in six months. Julian is hoping to make a new world record for the feat...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment, Other Stuff by Hannah on Saturday 23 May 2009

This is not for charity
 

Cotton on

A one-day conference open to everyone with an interest in cotton, from fashion students to ethical consumers, from textile manufacturers to campaigners, from clothing retailers to certifiers, from development students to designers. It...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Tuesday 7 April 2009

Cotton on
 

Your unwanted postcards or photos

If you've got a collection of old post cards or photos or just happen to have some hanging around that you don't want anymore send them to us! We're screen printing...

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Posted in Design, Screen Printing, Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Thursday 19 February 2009

Your unwanted postcards or photos
 

Know your phthalic acids

If you're considering using a plastisol ink that's phthalate-free, look into it a bit more. Some manufacturers get around this by changing the position of the phthalic acid carbon group....

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Posted in Screen Printing, Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Tuesday 10 February 2009

Know your phthalic acids
 

Trans Europe Express

We took the sleeper train from Paris to Berlin and loved it. We got a 4-berth couchette, which was pretty cosy. The 6-berth must’ve been pretty tight as it’s...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment, Other Stuff by Hannah on Tuesday 3 February 2009

 

pesticide poisoning in the UK

We consider the effects of pesticide use in the developing world, which cause 20,000 deaths per year. That's why we only source fabrics that haven't had pesticides used on the crop....

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Posted in Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Wednesday 28 January 2009

pesticide poisoning in the UK
 

Waste not want not

I was bought the book 'Waste not want not' as a Christmas present. This book has 200 quite incredible ideas for recycling and reusing everyday things.

Examples include:

"Dustcover
Simply cut the flaps...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment, Other Stuff by Hannah on Tuesday 27 January 2009

Waste not want not
 

The best packaging

We source tote bags and tea towels from Bristol-based Bishopston Trading. They import organic cotton goods from rural India with the sole aim of fair trading.

AND everything is sent out...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment, Other Stuff by Hannah on Tuesday 2 December 2008

The best packaging
 

In case of emergency

Today the Public Interest Research Centre will present the 'Climate Safety' report in Euston, London.

With Arctic sea ice melting away faster than anyone had predicted, the climate seems more sensitive than...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Thursday 27 November 2008

In case of emergency
 

Hairy Humbug

Its that time of the year when we have to empty the shrapnel out of our pockets and i have to suck on a hairy humbug found at the bottom of...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment, Other Stuff by Emma on Wednesday 26 November 2008

 

Eco-friendly Couriers

We are constantly looking for more ways we can reduce our impact on the environment and today I started looking for an eco-friendly courier company.

After trawling the internet for a while...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment, Other Stuff by Helen on Friday 21 November 2008

Eco-friendly Couriers
 

E-on powerless literally

We've just heard that the E-on offices (just round the corner from our studio) have had a power cut! Now that's karma for you. Apparently their poor call centre operatives are...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment, Other Stuff by Hannah on Friday 21 November 2008

 

You need hands

Hands are important at I Dress Myself. We've resisted the change to automatic printers because we appreciate the craft involved in the screen printing process. It means we are in control...

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Posted in Screen Printing, Ethics and Environment, Thoughts by Hannah on Wednesday 19 November 2008

You need hands
 

Brightly coloured totes

We've just received a sample pack of the new EarthPositive tote bags from Continental and are amazed by the colours. You can get them in black, red, khaki, green, purple, blue...

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Posted in Screen Printing, Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Thursday 13 November 2008

Brightly coloured totes
 

Co-operative living and toasty feet

We've just moved house from a rented house to a (much smaller) detached flat that's part of Ned's housing cooperative in Nottingham. Co-operative life has been great so far and...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment, Other Stuff by Hannah on Tuesday 11 November 2008

 

Permaprint ink tests

We collaborate with Colormaker Industries and recently got a tester pack of their new water based printing inks for paper and have decided to use these Permaprint inks for all...

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Posted in Screen Printing, Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Tuesday 14 October 2008

Permaprint ink tests
 

Great Tape

We get through a lot of tape here as we are constantly rebuilding boxes to package up tee orders that we've printed for people, so it's great to find a tape...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment, Other Stuff by Helen on Friday 10 October 2008

Great Tape
 

Best of a bad situation

Unfortunately our landlord unwittingly signed a long-term energy contract with E-on. E-on are generally considered the worst offenders with plans to open a series of new coal-fired power stations. We were...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Friday 3 October 2008

 

Kingsnorth Activists Not Guilty

On September 10th, 6 activists were found not guilty of commiting the offense of criminal damage at the Kingsnorth Coal Fired power station in Kent owned by the energy company E-On....

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Posted in Ethics and Environment by Pete on Thursday 18 September 2008

Kingsnorth Activists Not Guilty
 

North Pole Island

This month, satellite pictures have confirmed that, due to global warming, the north pole is now officially an island for the first time in it's history since before the last ice...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment by Pete on Thursday 18 September 2008

North Pole Island
 

and fertilize the plants

Disposal instructions for Permaset inks suggest that waste water can be poured onto the garden - apparently the nutrients help fertilize the plants (although not every day). Obviously you have to...

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Posted in Screen Printing, Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Friday 29 August 2008

and fertilize the plants
 

From Heathrow to Kingsnorth

I spent a couple of days this week walking with the climate caravan, a group of people walking and cycling the 60 mile route from Heathrow to Kingsnorth in Kent, calling...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Thursday 31 July 2008

From Heathrow to Kingsnorth
 

How big is yours

I've been looking at my carbon footprint using a really useful calculator at myfootprint.org. Apparently the average person in the UK has a carbon footprint of 48.1 gha (global...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Tuesday 22 July 2008

How big is yours
 

Organic EarthPositive tees cost less

From Monday our supplier is reducing the price of their EarthPositive tees for Men and Women. This is because their production process - from spinning to packing - is powered by...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Saturday 19 July 2008

Organic EarthPositive tees cost less
 

Saving a square mile of sea

The amount of plastic waste in the sea - an average of 46,000 bits of plastic float on or near the surface of every square mile of sea - is enough...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Saturday 5 July 2008

Saving a square mile of sea
 

The wonder of the stapleless stapler

We came across the stapleless stapler about a month ago and it still gets me every day. A stapler...without staples. Brilliant!

You fold the papers over at the...

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Posted in Design, Ethics and Environment, Thoughts by Hannah on Thursday 3 July 2008

The wonder of the stapleless stapler
 

Aldous Huxley and the ecological problem

I found this interview with Aldous Huxley the other day in which he talks about the ecological problem of an accelerating population and a limited environment.

For the relevant part...

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Posted in Ethics and Environment, Thoughts, Other Stuff by Pete on Monday 23 June 2008

Aldous Huxley and the ecological problem
 

Green Innovation Winners

We are joint winners of the BEST Experian Green Innovation Award for East Midlands along with Sherwood Press, also based in Nottingham. We won £2,500 AND Pete got to have...

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Posted in Screen Printing, Ethics and Environment, Other Stuff by Hannah on Wednesday 12 December 2007

Green Innovation Winners
 

On the BBC England homepage

At least for a day.
Have a look at Pete printing some T-shirts in the feature Making an ethical t-shirt in its usual home on the BBC Nottingham website.

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Posted in Screen Printing, Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Friday 23 November 2007

On the BBC England homepage
 

Organic Cotton forever

The World Health Organisation estimates that 20,000 people in the developing world die every year because of pesticide poisoning, much of which is used on cotton crops. Pesticide poisoning is also...

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Posted in Screen Printing, Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Thursday 1 November 2007

Organic Cotton forever
 

An ode to Modbury Town

Our new limited edition of 150 Ode to Modbury tote bags are now available.

1.2 trillion plastic carrier bags are used every year, which equates to 300 carrier bags...

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Posted in Design, Screen Printing, Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Wednesday 10 October 2007

An ode to Modbury Town
 

Nominated for the Nottingham Creative Business Awards 2007

We've been nominated for the Special Award for Innovation at the first ever Nottingham Creative Business Awards 2007. The ceremony will be held on 18th October at the Council House...

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Posted in Design, Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Tuesday 2 October 2007

Nominated for the Nottingham Creative Business Awards 2007
 

Now only using eco-friendly water based inks

We're happy to announce that we’re using only eco-friendly water based inks now. We've been testing Permaset textile inks by Colormaker for the last few months and they've surpassed our...

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Posted in Screen Printing, Ethics and Environment by Hannah on Tuesday 1 May 2007

Now only using eco-friendly water based inks