[ This is one in a series of posts by Susan Maphis covering the impact of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). For more information about the CPSIA, read Susan's previous article: The End Of Handmade and sign up for her CPSIA Alerts Mailing List ]

The CPSIA has voted to make fabric and yarn exempt from testing and certification requirements for children’s products under the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). However, because fasteners on children’s clothing, such as snaps, zippers, and buttons, will still need to be tested for lead, which means that the final garment as a whole is still required to be tested under the act.

The CPSIA released a statement about this decision, saying, “After reviewing and verifying this test data, the staff was able to determine that most textile products are manufactured using processes that do not introduce lead or result in an end product that would exceed the CPSIA’s lead limits.”

Some children’s handcrafters are excited about this ruling. Jennifer Cirka of etsy shop Jaybird Designs says she is happy to be able to make children’s products again, “as long as I don’t add zippers, buttons, snaps, and such.” Time will tell if this new ruling will really make a difference for manufacturers of children’s products.

[ For more information about the CPSIA, read Susan's previous article: The End Of Handmade]

[This is another in a series of posts by Susan Maphis covering the impact of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). For more information about the CPSIA, read Susan's previous article: The End Of Handmade and sign up for her CPSIA Alerts Mailing List ]

Jennifer J. Cirka, owner of Jaybird Designs, agrees with her fellow children’s product shop owners that the CPSIA is going to be devastating. However, she has another point of view about the situation.

“Yes, this mess is going to affect my business, but truthfully, I think it will be the best thing for my business,” Cirka says. “I love making my crocheted items, but truthfully, finished and custom-made items do not sell well for me. What sells the best for me are my crochet patterns. This law is going to force me to concentrate more on my patterns, and thus will probably make me more money. I just have no idea what I will do with all the samples from those patterns (since many of them are for children’s items!)”

Cirka knows she’s in the minority when it comes to feelings about the CPSIA. “I have many friends who are being affected worse,” she says. “My close friend is being forced to close down her boutique in Texas and now I won’t have a B&M shop to sell in.”

You can view the children’s products Cirka has left at JaybirdDesigns.com, where items such as the Juicy Watermelon Crochet Layette Set, shown above, are on sale (regularly $150, now selling for $60).

[ For more information about the CPSIA, read Susan's previous article: The End Of Handmade]