On February 10th any handmade children's toys, clothes, etc. that you have bought or are considering to buy will be considered hazardous substances thanks to the ill conceived Consumer Protection Safety Improvement Act. In a reaction to discovering that toys were contaminated with lead in violation to existing laws, Congress has enacted an additional law requiring anything that can be perceived to be sold to a child 12 and under to be tested for lead and phtalates. That includes organic cottons, untreated wood, paper, etc. Selecta Toys from Germany is already considering pulling out of the U.S. market.

My understanding is that the CPSIA threatens small craftspeople because they are required to test the unit that they make instead of being able to rely on component testing. In other words, instead of being able to rely on a manufacturer's certification that the organic cotton used in a dress is indeed lead free they have to re-test that cotton and the zipper, and the buttons, and the thread. There was an example on http://www.boutiquecafe.com/home/2008/12/17/1943/ of a girl's shirt with an original price tag of $40 that would incur testing costs of $1,025-$1,425. That little waldorf doll I bought last year won't be on the market any longer because the manufacturer will have closed up shop. No worries, I'll just get one of those mass-manufactured Ugly Dolls instead.