By Stancie Wilson •
October 8, 2008
It seems to me there is an abundance of cozy sustainable T-shirts, sweat pants/shirts and general weekend lounge wear out there, but where does that leave the nine-to-fivers, cubicle and corner office dwellers; those of us who need to look crisp & collected during a presentation in the board room, court room or at that power lunch?
Discover some great looks below made of sustainable fibers that will help you look pulled together, while also satisfying your desire to tread a little (or a lot) lighter:
By Skye Kilaen •
October 7, 2008
GreenFibres is a UK based online “eco goods and garments” shop which sells a number of hemp, linen, silk, and organic cotton fabrics by the yard. Their cottons and linens are certified organic, and two of their fabrics are certified fair trade - others “are made under fair and safe working conditions.” The fabrics they offer are the usual natural, unbleached fabrics with a couple of colorgrown patterns thrown in.
They offer two items that really caught my attention, though, because I hadn’t seen them anywhere else: organic cotton gauze, and organic cotton / nettle blend fabric.
The first is organic cotton gauze, a.k.a. netting. They say that it’s great for gardening, with an almost throwaway comment that it’s “great as a craft material or dressing up prop!” Indeed, I’ve always associated gauze with doctoring more than with sewing, but since they’re selling it in the fabric section instead of bath and body, I thought I’d figure out what crafters could use it for.
By Skye Kilaen •
September 2, 2008
Don’t forget! The next Carnival of Green Crafts is Thursday at Whip Up. Sneak your entry in just under the deadline now!
I started writing the Fabulous Fabrics series here in March, and I thought the six month mark would be a good time for a retrospective.
What I’ve liked best about doing this series is seeing the combination of creativity and passion that goes into what these fabric designers and manufacturers do. If someone’s making organic fabric, it’s because they believe in it. It’s not just because a market analysis told them they would make some money. (In fact, I sometimes worry if they’re even making enough to live on, given the extra work they’re doing to source and use eco-friendly materials and fair trade practices.) These folks really want to make a difference.
So here are the fabrics and shops I’ve covered so far in the Fabulous Fabrics series here on Crafting A Green World. At one point I was afraid I would run out, but more and more come to my attention all the time. So here’s the past, and I’ll see you next Tuesday to start in on the next six months!
By Skye Kilaen •
August 5, 2008
Thea and Sami is based in Brisbane, Australia, creating fashions and accessories out of natural materials and earth-friendly inks. They have begun adding some certified organic fabrics to their collection, including this handprinted “Iron Flowers” design in turquoise on white or grey on black on organic linen. The fabric is 142 cm wide (56″) and costs $A38.50 per metre.
By Kelly Rand •
July 3, 2008
My pick for a sustainable, green, yearn worthy-ness yarn for this week is a plant fiber. Yup plant, not animal like yak or quivit or just plain old sheep.
This week I’ve been hunting down linen.
Linen is that elusive fiber that I sometimes come across in interesting summertime knitting patterns for open weave shirts, tunics and shawls. I always make a mental note of it, thinking, huh linen. But I’ve never actually made anything with it.
Linen itself is harvested from the flax plant which produces long and strong fibers known as linen. It has a natural luster and is found in creamy white to tan and can easily be dyed other colors. It is mostly known for bedding and towels made from the strong fabric that is created when the linen is woven.
By Skye Kilaen •
April 8, 2008
Please don’t make the hemp jokes. Please. I live in Austin, Texas, which is full of hemp enthusiasts of all types, so I promise that I have heard them all. And truth be told, I didn’t think I would be that impressed by a web page full of hemp fabric.
Yes, I was one of those ignoramuses who envisioned only scratchy off-white canvas when I thought of hemp fabric. Victoria has profiled hemp yarns from Lanaknits, Autumn has opened my eyes to the beauty of macrame, and I even profiled a fabric that’s a blend of cotton and hemp. But 100% hemp? I clung to my preconceptions.
The hemp linen and twill at Earth Friendly Goods has won me over, though. How?It’s in multiple colors.
Itchy, formless, paired with tie dye shirts - hemp isn't known for being comfortable or stylish. Durable and versatile, industrial hemp used to be the first choice for many productions from canvas (derived from the word cannabis) and carpet to paper and rope.
Though still illegal to grow in the United States, we are the purchaser of over 60% of the internationally available industrial hemp, mostly for grown in Europe and recently Canada. Based on
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