New Law

Get ready folks. All you people who make donations of hats and blankets, or sell those cute little bibs at craft sales are about to get bitten. As of Feb. 10, your donation may be thrown out or your little business on Etsy closed. The law goes into effect that requires that you test for lead or phthalates if your product is intended for a child under 12. While a notice has been made that small sellers COULD sell without testing, you are still responsible and can be fined thousands of dollars if your product is found to test above a certain level. The only exemption is for second-hand clothing sold through thrift stores. No exceptions for granny making baby cardigans to sell to supplement her meager Social Security or yarn purchases. My sister, a maker of doll clothing, is selling out her stock but that won't make up for the many dollars currently invested in fabric intended for next year's craft sales. I'm not even going to bother to donate the two baby sweaters I made - I don't want them thrown out. So, I'll save them for a future baby shower. I don't know what I will do with the fabric intended for a child's donation quilt for an auction for our hospital. There is no way I can test each fabric dye to find out if it is lead and phthalates free. Maybe trade it with a mom who is making it for her own kid and isn't picky as the fabrics are too childish for a teenager.