It’s only noticeable upon closer inspection: The pattern of yellow leaves and lilac-colored berries is embroidered. The wool embroidery thread is braided into a fine, long plait and stitched closely together onto the base fabric (cotton). Although this is done with the help of a sewing machine, each cover must still be guided by hand under the needle so that the embroidery pattern can ultimately take shape from the thin wool thread. As a result, no two embroidered pieces are alike; each cover is one-of-a-kind and may differ slightly from the product image. The two sides of the pillowcase also differ: While the colored, embroidered side feels warm and textured due to the wool, the reverse side not only features a slightly lighter, richer shade of blue but also the smooth surface of the cotton fabric woven in a plain weave. The pillowcase is finished with a piping made from the same cotton fabric that runs all the way around, framing the embroidery and ensuring the pillowcase retains its shape.

The pattern was designed by Eri Shimatsuka. The Japanese textile designer has lived in Finland since 2007 and draws inspiration from nature and the small moments of everyday life. This is also reflected in the embroidery on the pillowcase, through which Eri Shimatsuka playfully captures the mystical atmosphere of a Finnish blueberry forest.

Who hasn't heard of the colorful Finnish rag rug - but its inventor Eija Rasinmäki is less well known. Ever since she was given a loom by her mother, herself a weaver, at a young age, she has been enthusiastic about carpet weaving and later turned her passion into a profession. From the very beginning, back in 1970, she used recycled cotton or wove from remnants - long before the term upcycling was coined. Together with her husband, she founded Finarte in 1985 to offer affordable yet high-quality rugs produced in a resource-conserving way. While she initially designed all of her rugs herself, she now works with a range of different designers. The common thread in her designs is the combination of traditional Finnish weaving craftsmanship with modern Finnish design.

Since the 1990s, Finarte has had its carpets manufactured in India, a conscious decision for the production location: where the cotton is grown, processed and upcycled, it should also be woven. The company obtains selvedge remnants, production overhangs and offcuts from the textile industry, recycles them and then weaves them into carpets. This saves around 11,000 liters of water per kilogram of recycled cotton - the amount that would be needed to produce one kilogram of fresh cotton. In upcycling, a wide variety of cotton scraps, mostly from the clothing industry, are shredded into fibers and spun into new yarn. In addition to recycled and upcycled cotton, Finarte uses other natural materials such as virgin wool, jute and leather scraps, and since 2018 has also been producing carpets from PET material obtained from recycled plastic bottles.

Staining of light-coloured clothing, furniture and other objects is possible.