miYim is a collection of cuddleable critters made with organic cotton outers, and given shape with an organic cotton filling. Their soft colouring is achieved via a dyeing process, tagged PureWaterWash, which uses plants and minerals, rather than synthetic chemicals. Twelve different characters are available, through four themes. Here we meet Annabelle the lamb, Hugo the dog, and Chester the bear from the “Peaceful Dreams” collection. The toys have a child’s safety in mind too, as parts like facial features and buttons are embroided, so as not to be chewed off and accidently swallowed. All of which is lovely. Yet at one of my workplaces we have a MaudnLil teddy perched on a bookshelf. He has the above noted features, but is over ten years old. And we previously noted an ark’s worth of organic soft animals. So while cute and commendable, such toys don't seem to warrant the moniker‘ of "world’s first line of colorful organic children’s toys". ::miYim, roaming wild at 3R Living (and due to escape into Europe and the UK during 2006.)

Hopefully miYim have resolved the issue, but most water-based ‘natural’ dyeing has colourfast limitations. The colours often fade either from sunlight, or leaching through laundering. The latter means dyestuff can be released each time the item is washed, because it is not bound or ‘fixed’ to the cloth. Sometimes careful selection of synthetic dyes can be the better option.

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