By John Chappell •
May 27, 2009
In news that may make supermarket label readers and organic consumers even more wary, a recent report raised serious questions about many brands of soy products.
The investigation by The Cornucopia Institute included a survey, in person visits to farm and processing facilities, and a review of import data from over 60 soy product companies. The report included a scorecard of each company as well as a comprehensive 54 page report outlining their findings of the overall industry.
Some of their more disturbing findings include:
By Lucille Chi •
February 23, 2009
Did you know that 2009 has been declared the International Year of Natural Fibers by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization?
Why is natural fiber so important?
The natural fiber organizations help the income and the food security of poor farmers such as those working with jute in Bangladesh, cotton in some West African countries and sisal (shown above) making a comeback in Tanzania.
“The main goal of the International Year of Natural Fibers is to raise the profile of these fibers and to emphasize their value to consumers while helping to sustain the incomes of the farmers. ” states the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
30 million tons or more are produced each year and natural fibers form an important component of clothing, upholstery and many textiles. Some also have industrial applications such as “packaging, papermaking and in composite materials with many uses, including as parts in automobiles.”
Some features for 2009 will include:
- The promotion of the efficiency and sustainability of the natural fiber industries.
- The encouragement of appropriate policy responses from governments to the problems faced by natural fiber industries.
- Large international conferences will be held.
- Fostering an effective and enduring international partnership among the various natural fiber industries.
- Displays and fashion shows and many other events in many countries, run by a variety of different national organizations.
By Becky Striepe •
February 17, 2009
I’m totally smitten with these gorgeous vintage kimono fabrics from Shibori! She stocks all sorts of weights, from delicate silk to cotton and wool.
Owner Juliet and her husband Richard are ordained Zen Buddhist priests. She says she’s struck by, “the sense of history and culture when you handle Japanese kimono silk.” I have to say, I can totally see where she’s coming from. On top of being absolutely beautiful, the patterns on her kimono fabrics make you think of a different place and time. Since they’re all vintage, that means they’re eco-friendly to boot!
By Kelly Rand •
February 5, 2009
For those of you out there that want to knit with silk, but the tussah is still beyond your eco-reach, for whatever reason, have I got a silk for you. It is banana silk, made from banana palm fibers. How cool is that?
Australian company, All Eco, carries this fun and luxurious yarn. It is made by soaking the leaves in water and extracting the fibres. “These are hand crushed to make them soft and pliable, ready for weaving into fabrics, or spinning into ropes,” says All Eco. “Any fibres that are unsuitable for fabrics or ropes are pulped and regenerated for hand spinning into gleaming yarns ready for use in your own one-off creation.”
The yarn comes in a range of fun and flirty colors. They are all hand dyed and there are no pattern repeats because of this. Bubble gum Bliss and Lime Zest are the two that caught my eye.
By Gavin Hudson •
November 14, 2008
According to legend, 5,000 years ago Chinese Empress Xi Ling-Shi discovered silk when a silkworm cocoon fell into her hot cup of tea. She unraveled the strange cocoon and, wrapping the thread around her finger, soon realized what an exquisite cloth it would make. Thus the history of one of the world’s most coveted fabrics began.
If this is true, the silkworm that haplessly fell into the empress’ cup on that fateful day met a fate very similar to that of modern day silkworms. When they exit the cocoon after metamorphosis, silkmoths must bore a hole through the cocoon wall, which ruins the precious thread. Therefore, silk factories drop the cocoons in hot water before the moth can leave. This unravels the thread well, but it boils down to bad news for the silkworms.
Still, it’s the fate of almost every silkworm in the world today. Due to thousands of years of selective breeding, the silkworms we know today are no longer suited to survive in the wild. The entire species’ population exists only in silk factories and in the cardboard boxes of school children. So, except for the fortunate few 3rd-grade bookworms, virtually every silkworm will meet the cooking pot. That raises the question: what do you do with so many boiled silkworms?
By Kelly Rand •
November 11, 2008
While this years wedding season is just winding down, it’s not too early to be thinking of next year’s, especially if you are going to make your own dress or one for a friend. Many wedding dresses are made from luxury materials such as silk.
Denise Bird Woven Textiles offers hand loom woven wild and peace silk fabrics. If you recall, peace silk is a silk sourced from the cocoon of silk worms that emerge from their cocoons naturally. It is animal friendly and cruelty free silk.
Denise Bird uses a specific breed of silk worm only found in the state of Assam in India. The cocoons are collected from the forest floor by local communities who wind the fiber by hand and then weave it into cloth.
By Kelly Rand •
November 6, 2008
If you’re a frequent reader of Crafting a Green World, you know that there are several different levels of eco-friendly awareness out in the world. There are companies and individuals that are uber green and then there are those who are just starting to make changes with the environment in mind.
That’s why we like Ceallach Dyes. Committed to reducing their carbon footprint they dye all of their yarns and fibers using solar energy. They use no consumable fuel sources to set the dyes and only dye their yarns at the most sunniest times of the year.
They offer a wide variety of yarn weights from lace to worsted and a range of fiber from wool, cotton and superwash merino. They also solar dye fiber for you spinners out there, from wool to superwash merino, too.
By Delia Montgomery •
October 29, 2008
The Elena Garcia Eco-Couture studio produces creative clothes for women using exquisite fabrics and eco-friendly processes. Designer Elena’s style is feminine, comfortable and elegant. Her garments are made with special care and with materials that change for each collection. Primarily find pesticide-free silks, organic linen and eco bamboo.
By Lucille Chi •
October 16, 2008
Last season I interviewed Leslie Richard and found out all about the Öko Box,
and she shared her love of Enamore lingerie. Now they’re a main feature for fall in the intimate section of the Öko Box!
She explains:
“Enamore sets out to bring classic and vintage styles to her designs, like the classic pin-up, which is a sustainable approach to the usual throw away fashion world.”
Enamore was founded by Jenny Ambrose, after discovering
By Kelly Rand •
October 9, 2008
This week I’ve been in the mood to knit with something simple and sweet, so I was pleasantly surprised when I came across Schulana’s Cotton-Silk Natural. This 80-20 blend is made with organic cotton and silk. And while the blend might not make it a completely simple yarn the gentle colors are quite sweet.
This yarn is also a very elegant and soft fiber. The silk lends its smooth texture to the sometimes rough cotton to create a peaceful yarn. Cotton-Silk Natural comes in relaxing colors created with plant dyes. It is available in five different subtle monotone verigates. These restful colors are created with such things as sandalwood and herbs and flowers.
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.
