Offshored: no lightbulbs or buttons are made in NZ
Home » Blog » Sarah Marquet » Offshored: no lightbulbs or buttons are made in NZLightbulbs and buttons are causing some grief for Sarah's made-in-NZ challenge
Buttons photo above by Laineys Repertoire via Flickr; 'idea bulb' pic below by Qisur via Flickr
Buttons
Buttons are causing me problems. I’m really good at losing them, and I can’t find any New Zealand-made ones. I went to a 21st in the weekend, left my jacket on the floor, as you do, and someone must have stepped on it because when I went to put it on, one of the buttons was missing. I found it but it was broken so I had no chance of sewing it back on. Luckily it came with a spare button so I was able to sew that on the next day, and wear it as though nothing had happened.
I recently acquired a cardy that only had 6 of its 12 buttons. It too came with a spare button—but only one. I raided my collection of single buttons that come with new clothes, but I only had a small handful, and none of the small black ones I needed. In the end, I had to make do with the buttons I had, so the cardy now has a collection of buttons in different sizes and colours!
In last week’s blog I made a resolution to pay someone (like a dressmaker/seamstress) to make or repair clothes for me but on my budget I’m not sure I can justify their fee just to sew a few buttons on. It’s either that or buy second-hand buttons.
Lightbulbs
Another thing I can’t seem to go without is light bulbs. I can’t find anyone that makes them here, but it’s starting to get dark around 4 in the afternoon (in my room at least) and the one light I have left isn’t enough for me to do my homework. When I started this year of living made-in-NZ, I had grand visions of living it out by candle-light, but sadly I now realise it’s not going to happen.
So just like batteries, I am going to have to buy foreign-made lights. I did find a couple of New Zealand companies that import and sell bulbs direct to the public, The Light Bulb Shop, The Light Bulb Man and Lighting Direct. I figure buying from a local business like these is the next best solution.
