Back in late 2004 the idea of Harmony Art organic design was just beginning to percolate. Kate Scott of Birdland Ranch told me she bought her organic fabric from a company called Organic Cotton Plus based in Texas. She also told me there was very little in the way of colorful and printed organic fabrics available for small businesses or home sewers. All that was available at that time was left overs from Patagonia production runs. I called Organic Cotton Plus (OCP) a few days after speaking with Kate and asked them this hypothetical question, "If I were to create a line of colorful, printed organic fabrics, would they sell them for me?" Their answer was a resounding, "Yes!". It was this very conversation and their enthusiasm for my vision that gave me the courage I needed to press on. Having a distribution system willing to take on my fabrics made the idea seem doable. They agreed without knowing me and without even seeing my designs. Talk about trust! As our first distributor, Harmony Art's history and OCP's are definitely woven together.

OCP use to be connected to the Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative. OCP is now under new ownership but I am happy to report that the care and commitment to organic fabrics has not wavered. Linda Hayes is the new "woman in charge". She has had several careers in various government, historic, and event planning arenas. Linda is a crafter and sewer so she came to OCP with an understanding of fabrics. Working behind the scenes she has gained even more knowledge about textiles. One of Linda's personal passions is reenactments. She has been involved in many and for the past 2 years she's participated as a Pirate Reenactor at the Norwalk Seaport Oyster Festival Pirate Encampment and hopes to be expanding the pirate reenacting to the Norwalk Seaport Pirate Island event in July 2012.

When you place an order with OCP you are interfacing directly with Linda.  She enjoys getting to know individual customers and helping them fulfill their fabric needs. She prides herself in her customer care and service.

The main things that sets OCP apart from our other fabulous conscientious retailers is the fact that they are GOTS certified! Don't know what GOTS is? Click the logo and find out.

Also, if you are looking for some of the more difficult-to-find Harmony Art organic fabrics like Stumps Speak Denim, OCP is your go-to place! Oh and don't forget they offer FREE shipping within the USA! Have you ordered through OCP?

A couple of weeks ago, we were in southern California. We visited the City of Los Angeles Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant & Japanese Tea Gardens. I kid you not, you look one direction and see this:

You look the other direction and see this:

From their web site: "The Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant (DCTWRP), was designed to produce reclaimed water that will meet the requirements of the California Department of Health Services and the County Health Department for specific uses with the priority to protect public health. The main function of the plant, however, is to relieve the overburdened portions of the wastewater collection system between the San Fernando Valley and the City's main wastewater treatment facility, the Hyperion Treatment Plant, located in Playa Del Rey.

The balance of positive and negative forces, Yin & Yang, are ever present here. Obvious in the skillful blending of traditional Japanese landscaping with modern Occidental architecture, less so in the way the Japanese concept of "WA" or harmony is used to unite the desires of the human spirit with our more mundane requirements—the exquisite beauty of a Japanese garden with the need for an abundant supply of fresh water."

Pretty cool, don't you think?