Policies: Our high-quality crafts are handmade by artisans in the developing world. We have partnered with these families for more than 22 years and every item you purchase assists them in building a better life.

Payment Options: You can pay for your order with your PayPal account, credit or debit card.

Guarantee/Returns and Exchanges: We are quite confident that you will love the handcrafted items you purchase from us! However, if you are dissatisfied in any way, you may return or exchange merchandise within 30 days of purchase and we will refund the purchase price or replace the item. Please return the item in its original condition along with a copy of your receipt to Illuminate, 615 High Point Ave. Virginia Beach, VA 23451.

Special Orders: We also make custom orders. Just ask us by emailing Illuminateourworld8@gmail.com. We can also make twin-size of any of our Guatemalan quits and bedspreads. Please just email us if you are interested.

Shipping: We now ship to Canada! Ground shipping for all orders within the United States or Canada is just $3.95. Please note that Canadian customers are responsible to pay any applicable import taxes.

Testimonials: Prior to opening Illuminate, we were Fair Trade Quilts since 2000 and accumulated 100s of wonderful testimonials for our Fair Trade textiles over the years. They are archived on our former site here. Here are a few examples.

It would take 1,000 words to describe my reaction to the beautiful quilt which arrived yesterday! The incredible patchwork of tapestry is an adventure in the spirit, workmanship and culture of the many people who produced it. Bless you for bringing their crafts into the USA. You and others in the Fair Trade Association, enrich our lives with the work of indigenous people, many who continue to struggle for survival in a "modern" homogenized and oppressive world .....I wore the bright and cheerful scarf immediately out to dinner and slept under the Guatemalan treasure you sent.....kindest regards to all...and Peace, Maria Grimaldi

My beautiful quilt has arrived today! I’m over the moon! This is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever purchased. I’m so satisfied with it, and it’s gorgeous. I’m really happy. I’m showing it to everyone and people are stunned. Thank you so very much for this piece of art. And God bless those people who made the effort of making it. Thanks again, Rita Fekete, London, UK

Mr. Lam, This is the first time I have ever decided to provide a testimonial on a product I bought. I have spent many months looking for a unique, handmade quilt that was not "country" and I stumbled across your website after many hours of searching. Short of the picture on your website, I was buying the Guatemalan quilt based on gut instinct that this would be a good decision. When I opened the shipping box, my initial reaction was a gasp. The quilt and pillow shams were spectacular...beyond what I envisioned and the fabrics and colors were simply beautiful! The quilt is very well made, generous in size (I ordered a queen) and it has weight. It will serve its purpose well in the Wisconsin winters! We are exceptionally pleased with the quality of our purchase, and I have passed on your website to many of my friends looking for bedding that truly is beyond expectations. I will definitely look to your website again for other purchases. Martha Audley Sussex, WI

Washing Instructions: Generally we suggest hand washing or dry cleaning the embroidered Guatemalan items on this web site to prevent pulls in the embroidery. However, many of our clients tell us that they wash on delicate/gentle in cold water. The antique Indian items are fragile and should only be spot washed.

Handmade Goods: Please remember that each product we offer is unique, authentic, and individually handcrafted, so no two items are exactly the same.

How do I contact you if I have questions, comments, or want to inquire about the status of an order? If you have questions about our crafts or the status of your order, please email us at Illuminateourworld8@gmail.com or call us at 757-428-7218.

We Pledge:
1. Privacy Policy: Your customer information will never be provided to a third party.
2. Our customers and artisans will be treated ethically and we will strive to exceed their expectations in providing customer service.
3. We will provide a safe and secure shopping experience.
4. Orders will ship within 1 business day unless noted otherwise or an item is out of stock and in that case, we will notify you immediately to give you an expected ship date.

We strive to give each customer the same level of service they would expect at a local shop in their neighborhood. Please just call or email us if you have any questions about our products or the policies outlined below. Thanks for shopping with us and for supporting Fair Trade!

Green Business Practices: As you can see throughout our website, our artisans incorporate recycled materials into many of our products and we only support groups that engage in environmentally sustainable practices in creating their products. We reuse or recycle nearly 100% of all packaging materials that come in to our US facility and have developed energy conservation and energy efficiency plans to reduce our carbon footprint. We are members of Green America.

Our Products in the Media [as Fair Trade Quilts]: Our Patchwork Quilts were featured in "Lucky Magazine". They said, "Their quilts are simply beautiful." Our Quilts & Pillow Covers were also featured in "Bust", "Yoga Journal", "Domino", "People's Style Watch!" and "Latina" magazines, and our Quilts & Ceramics were used to create Guatemalan themed sets on episodes of "Law & Order, Criminal Intent" and "Saving Grace". And our Guatemalan Pillow Covers were featured in "Time Out New York's Holiday Gift Guide.

Illuminate Mission Statement 2023:

• Producers will be paid a fair price for their handmade crafts.
• We will only deal with partners that engage in ethical business practices and pay producers fairly.
• We will build long-term trade relationships, provide start-up and capacity-building loans, pay producers on a timely basis, and provide advance payments to allow our artisans to purchase materials.
• We will only support groups that maintain healthy, safe, working conditions, and engage in environmentally sustainable practices.
• We will provide training and design support to assist our artisans in reaching the N. American Market
• We will honor and encourage our artisans' cultural and artistic heritage
• We will assist artisans in building independent, sustainable businesses, that can successfully compete beyond fair trade networks

Contact Information & Physical Location: Our offices in the United States are located at 615 High Point Ave., Virginia Beach, VA 23451. You can contact us by phone at 757-428-7218 or via email at Illuminateourworld8@gmail.com.