Midwest Made + USA Sourced Products

Last month, I shared some of my background. Today, I want to focus on two values I hold dear. I strive to make products that are Midwest-made and USA-sourced.


Put simply, the materials I use — fabric, ink, paper, thread — come from the U.S. whenever possible. The pieces are assembled and made in the Midwest. I often partner with other talented businesses, many of them family-owned. When Hazelmade grew, I wanted to cultivate strong relationships with the people printing my greeting cards and sewing my tote bags. They are the artists and experts in their fields, after all. My studio, although a charming space where I sketch and package your purchases, is in my home. It’s not a full-blown production with proper ventilation for printing, or a place with the necessary equipment and safety measures to produce on a large scale.


Naturally, when I started to think about partners, it made sense to go with small businesses in close proximity that work one-on-one with creators like me to make magic happen. I enjoy being able to call up my screen printer in Wisconsin, or my seamstress in Michigan, to discuss how a product needs to look and feel. Over the years, I learned stores care a lot about where products originate and where they’re assembled, so Midwest-made and USA-sourced ended up foundations of my brand. For me, it was the thought that I never wanted to call a 1-800 number and press 3 for an operator; I wanted to talk to a real person who understood my vision.


At heart, I am a maker. One of the best parts of my job is collaborating with other passionate makers to bring you Hazelmade. My partners have the expertise, resources and work space for my brand to really grow. I was joking with my screen printer a few weeks ago that I live vicariously through him when he texts me with product updates. I love how the work is so synergetic. We go back and forth, bouncing around ideas and sometimes testing dozens of samples, until the product is just right. Our dynamic is not a click-and-order. It’s a process, and I get to be involved from beginning to end.


Ultimately, I care a whole lot about what I make. That goes for my purchases too; I’m willing to spend extra on quality products. Sometimes people tell me Hazelmade products are too pretty to use. But I want you to use them, and for them to bring you joy, year after year. It may seem silly, but details, such as how a pen glides across paper and how a tea towel absorbs and washes, matter. That’s why I spend so much time experimenting. The idea of ordering from a mystery warehouse doesn’t appeal to me. You get a product and don’t know whose hands were on it, or whether they poured their heart into it. With my partners, I do know, which feels good. 


Thank you for your loyalty, or if you’re new here, thank you for your interest in Hazelmade. This work can be a lot of trial and error, but I’m grateful for every challenge because this company means everything to me. Watching it grow over the years makes the hard work worth it. I hope you enjoy the products as much as I enjoy making them.

 
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Share your thoughts + email me at info@shopHazelmade.com
for feedback, suggestions for future topics or what you'd
like to see / hear more from Hazelmade.

A very special thank you to Valerie Royzman
for her incredible talent in helping me craft this piece.

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