Green Options » linen

Fab Fabrics: Repeat’s Hand Printed Textiles

Becky Striepe — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:30:40 +0000

I’m pretty much in love with these hand-printed fabrics from Canadian crafty duo Repeat!

Roisin Fagan lives in London and her partner Arounna Khounnoraj is from Toronto. The pair met when they were neighbors at a craft show in Toronto almost three years ago, and they hit it off immediately. After running into each other at several other Toronto shows over the years, where folks kept asking them if they sold their fabrics, they decided to do just that and to do it together!

Read more of this story »

Fab Fabrics: LIVE Textiles

Jackie Hernandez — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:32:32 +0000

I cannot believe we haven’t covered LIVE Textiles yet in our Fab Fabric series. I found them a while ago, but my interest was reignited when I saw some of their new prints for sale at Near Sea Naturals.

Read more of this story »

Fab Fabrics: Jenny Lee-Katz Designs

Jackie Hernandez — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:33:48 +0000

I fell in love with these eco-friendly fabrics by Jenny Lee-Katz the moment I saw them (thanks Design*Sponge). With nearly 50 designs to choose from each available on three eco-friendly base cloths, I am sure you can understand my excitement. The designs feature vibrant colors and a contemporary seaside vibe.

Read more of this story »

Tutorial: Linen Canister Cozy

Jackie Hernandez — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 22:20:59 +0000

Remember this fabulous Forsythia linen swatch I ordered from Cicada Studio? Well,
thanks to Ohdeedoh’s post about de-branding the kitchen counter with pretty canisters, I was inspired to make over my stainless steel canisters. I love stainless steel, but it can seem very clinical. I decided to warm up my canisters with linen cozies. Read on for the complete how-to…

Read more of this story »

Just In for Spring: Forsythia Linen

Jackie Hernandez — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:40:37 +0000

Just in for spring Cicada Studio has added a new linen swatch to the shop. The cheerful Forsythia swatch is printed on a generous 13 x 17 inch swatch of 100% Belgium Linen. I first featured designer Michelle Engel Bencsko in the Top 10 Modern, Eco-freindly, Printed Fabrics on Etsy. One thing I love about indie fabric designers is there ability to come out with new patterns more frequently and Michelle never disappoints.

Her fabulous linen swatches are the perfect size for a multitude of craft projects. Read on for some great ideas.

Read more of this story »

New Fabric Prints from Aunty Cookie

Jackie Hernandez — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:48:22 +0000

I originally featured Shannon Lamden’s work in the Top 10 Modern, Eco-friendly Printed Fabrics on Etsy. Since then the endlessly creative woman behind Aunty Cookie, has released a few new fabric prints inspired by the intricate art of paper cutting.

Read more of this story »

Top 10 Modern, Eco-friendly, Printed Fabrics on Etsy

Jackie Hernandez — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 04:35:09 +0000

The task of finding modern, eco-friendly fabrics is daunting. Etsy is a fabulous resource of sprouting designers, but can be difficult to search. My original post on the Top 10 Modern, Eco-friendly Fabric Sources on Etsy was the top post on the Tiny Décor Blog in 2008 and continues to be in the top 3 posts so far in 2009. I have decided to again do all the research for you to create an updated list for 2009. There are some oldies, but goodies that remain on the list, but I have also found a few new gems.

Determining what is eco-friendly and what is not is often very subjective. At a minimum all the fabrics on this list are made of natural fibers with the least amount of conventional cotton as possible. Some of these fabrics are a linen/cotton blend that is more eco-friendly than a 100% conventional cotton fabric or a synthetic fabric. All of these fabrics are printed with non-toxic, water-based inks. Most of these fabrics are screen printed by hand by the designers themselves.

Read more of this story »

Lotta Fabrics, Inspiration, and Surface Printing Workshops

Jackie Hernandez — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:31:55 +0000

Lotta Jansdotter is the label for Lotta Anderson’s amazing fabric designs and creations. ”Dotter” means daughter and “Jan” is the name of Lotta’s father. Lotta grew up in Åland, an island between Sweden and Finland, which has been a great source of inspiration for her Scandanavian designs.

Lotta Fabrics

There is a small selection of wonderful, modern fabrics at Lotta Jansdotter. The fabrics are screen-printed on 100% linen. Linen fabric is made from flax fiber which is naturally grown without the use of harmful pesticides. Fabrics are sold by the half yard for $22. There are also linen remnant bags available with 4-5 remnant pieces each featuring a different design. Both the fabric yardage and remnant bags would be prefect for small sewing projects (try making your own fabric cuffs). Just look at Lotta’s bags and home accessories for inspiration.

Read more of this story »

Fabulous Fabrics: Marina Cavalieri (Australia)

Kelly Rand — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:30:21 +0000

Check out these amazing and bright fabrics by Marina Cavalieri. These wonderfully designed textiles are hand-printed onto certified organic and natural fibers.

The textiles designed by Marina Cavalieri are perfect for home accents, soft furnishing, upholstery and fashion clothing and accessories.

On top of their small production company and printing in small batches onto organic and natural fibers, the company is also working towards Fair Trade certification, to ensure that communities receive a fair wage and adhere to ethical practices.

Read more of this story »

Fabulous Fabrics: greenSTYLE by Robert Kaufman

Kelly Rand — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:30:24 +0000

It’s great to see that more and more textile companies are coming around to the term green. For some, they dip their toe in the water, for others it’s complete immersion. GreenSTYLE by Robert Kaufman is a nice wade into environmental waters with the green shore on the horizon.

This line of green fabric is organic, sustainable and uses low-impact dyes. The company recognizes that it is just the beginning of their journey into eco-friendly but their commitment to greener fabrics extends beyond production and procurement and into the office itself. The company is taking steps “to reduce paper waste, recycle and conserve energy.”

The GreenSTYLE line offers up many different fabrics including a nice selection of canvas, Linen and organic cotton.

Read more of this story »

11 Great Green Looks For Your White Collar Job

Stancie Wilson — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:02:04 +0000

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:

Read more of this story »

Fabulous Fabrics: GreenFibres (UK) Organic Cotton Gauze and Nettle / Cotton Blend

Skye Kilaen — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:12:38 +0000

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.

Read more of this story »

More Eco-Friendly And Organic Fabric Than You Can Shake A Stick At

Skye Kilaen — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:54:59 +0000

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!

Read more of this story »

Fabulous Fabrics: Organic Linen from Thea and Sami (Australia)

Skye Kilaen — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:25:40 +0000

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.

Read more of this story »

Yearn Worthy Yarn: Linen

Kelly Rand — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:55:36 +0000

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.

Read more of this story »

Fabulous Fabrics: Hemp Linen And Twill From Earth Friendly Goods

Skye Kilaen — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:56:23 +0000

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.

Read more of this story »

Green Style Spotlight: Rawganique

Victoria Everman — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 12:57:59 +0000

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 a quiet island in British Columbia, Rawganique is one of the most diverse online stores featuring hemp products.

We are 100% committed to the environment. We believe that hemp clothes & footwear, and other hemp products, raw veganism, sunshine, pure air, pure water, positive thoughts, and ahimsa awareness can transform the world and make it a safer, happier, and better place for us and our children to live in. We aim to do all we can to help make hemp and raw veganism mainstream, so that the world's economy thrives on sustainability and renewal rather than terrorism, fear, and depletion. Rawganique.com was created with love to make sure we're doing the best we can to stop disintegration and to build trust, peace, love, and health for all, one ever-widening circle at a time.

Starting in 2000, the company opened a traditional store on their home island in British Columbia, Denman Island, in May 2006. Not only do they sell environmentally sustainable hemp, organic cotton, and linen items, the folks behind the online store live simplified lives off the grid. Recycling, composting, using solar and wind power, and growing their own food are just a few ways Rawganique extends their ecological values into their daily lives.

Featuring a beautiful home and accessories collection, the website is well-known for its diverse clothing offerings for men, women, and children. Most recently, they added unisex organic jeans and a small selection of hemp wedding dresses. Shirts, tops, pants, shorts, underwear, socks, and more come in a wide range of styles, colors, and prices. Prices for men and women range from $16-96 for everyday items that can be worn at the office, special events, and casual weekends. Boys and girls clothing are quite affordable as well, not to mention durable.

Editor's note: We also feature Rawganique in the Green Life Guide.