This last Saturday my family and I visited the wonderful fair in downtown Ashfield, Massachusetts. The Ashfiled fair is basically a gathering of local farmers and artists. There are no carousels, ferris wheels, or roller coasters. You just walk from tent to tent, table to table, from building to building on the roughly half mile long main street of Ashfield. It’s a typical New England setting during the India Summer.

My wife had insisted on looking for the table of one of our friends, Lisa Gancy. Lisa and her partner Andy live in Shelburne Falls. They have a beautiful daughter, Stella. Lisa runs the Smarty Pants Project and she sells her smarty pants at events like the Ashfield fair. Parts of the profits are donated towards the cure of breast cancer.

According to Lisa’s web site:
“The Smarty Pants Project is an endeavor to create funky, affordable children’s pants using a combination of recycled, vintage, new, and donated fabrics.

Each pair of pants is a one of a kind combination made from local sources. What also makes these pants dance is that a portion of our proceeds is donated to Rays of Hope, a rock-your-socks organization that gives so much to the families of the Pioneer Valley who are coping with breast cancer.

SmartyPants started out as a design specifically for the cloth-diapered babe, but now we have designed pants for children up to age 5, too. The baby/toddler pants have a “butt-panel” that provides extra room for a diaper (cloth or paper), yet equally important, it creates a look that is so fun. The waist is a simple elastic band for easy on/off action and comfort. And, all our seams are serged for durability.”

Lisa also shares her own story on the web site:
“The idea for this project was born at the time my daughter Stella was 21 months old, and I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Cancer turned my world upside-down as well as inspired me to launch this dual-purpose mission, on that, already at such an early stage, has brought me great joy and a sense of purpose. I turned to the sewing machine for comfort and have become a wild sewing-mama ever since! As part of deepening my commitment to live more green, SmartyPants and my love of sewing are traveling down a unique path, one even richer in color and texture than I previously imagined. My goal is to succeed at operating a local endeavor that is steadfast in its social and environmental initiatives while having fun!”

You can order Smarty Pants through Lisa’s web site at http://www.smartypantsproject.org.