Fair pay for a fair days work

I was intending on writing a blog post today about a lovely Shabby chic shop that I found locally...however that will have to wait as a new topic has been brought to my attention today and I felt the overwhelming need to share my views on the subject.  I am not normally one for this kind of post, I tend to lean towards the light and easy to read but when I feel strongly about something it has to be said.   Many of the people that are likely to read this are in the handmade industry and others are small holders and those trying to tread a little lighter on the earth.  I will be the first to admit that I have had my time of being consumer driven and a bit of a spend thrift, in my youth I rarely cared about where my clothes were made as long as they were the right price. The concept of sweat shops was foreign to me, I just wanted clothes, shoes and plenty of them.   I don't even want to contemplate the amount of clothes and 'things' that I really wanted and have ended up at the charity shop or worse in the bin. 

Over the years I have by necessity become very thrifty and in turn very conscious of the items I do buy and their origin.  I make what I can and use recycled items to do it where possible.  When I purchase something I take into account where the item is made, what it is made of and how long it will last.  Price although a factor is last on the list and I will save for something that I
 really need and occasionally want.  I have a small wardrobe in terms of clothes and I tend to lean towards good quality, British made items that are durable...and before you say it, most of them are from charity shops with a few key pieces purchased new and made to last.  But we are not here to discuss my wardrobe!  In my crafting I use recycled fabric, locally produced wools and the occasional piece of new fabric although this is mainly for clothing.  It is a bit of a bug bear that the origin of new fabric and where it is made is not easy to find out.
When I make handmade items to sell I try and price them to include all my costs and to give me something approaching minimum wage.  I know this is often not the case for many crafters, they may only be making to fund their hobby and can therefore price lower than someone who is trying to make a living.   I suppose I could use cheaper wool in my knitted items possibly acrylic but I want to support local business and for that matter British wools.  The wool I use is certainly not the cheapest but it comes from farmers who share a sustainable ethos and farm rare breed sheep which produce fantastic thick wool perfect for those of us who often work outside in cold months.   Knitting is difficult to price realistically because a handmade item takes time which can never be truly reflected in the final cost to the consumer.   I often hear people saying that handmade knitted items are too expensive.  Take gloves for instance,  I have seen some from high street chains for £35 and some for £6 and many priced in between.  I doubt the high street gloves are made in this country and very much doubt from British wool.  Knitting for me is more a hobby than some of my other making and it will never make me rich but it is not made in a sweat shop.  There are many people that will pay a fair price for an item such as this and if all of the handmade industry work together to price accurately and raise awareness of handmade we can change peoples thinking.   This all comes from the perspective of someone who does not have much money to play with and would prefer now to have less and make every purchase count both financially and ethically.   In recent decades we have become a throw away society where it is easier to buy something again than look after it properly and repair it, I repair things and those that are beyond repair find themselves made into something else.  I am noticing recently on my courses that there is a greater interest in recycling clothes into new ones and am trying to do my bit when teaching sewing to encourage people to find fabric in more unusual places and to think differently about old clothes.    I don't imagine for a moment that we can turn around the fortunes of companies like Primark by purchasing ethically and with thought, but maybe we can help those working in the handmade industry in this country.  Excuse the length of this post and if you have made to here I am very appreciative!  I would love any comments on this topic.