Fabulous Fabrics: A Year in Review

It’s been quite a year here on Crafting a Green World. We’ve learned so much about crafting, reuse, upcycling and how and where to find environmentally friendly supplies. In this column we’ve highlighted some of the leaders in the organic textile movement and found a myriad of fabric options for your eco-friendly crafting needs.

I’d thought I would take a look back over the past year and round up all the great fabric finds for your easy reading pleasure. We discussed why there aren’t more men in organic and sustainable fibers, pondered why bamboo, isn’t so fabulous, and jumped up and down over the prospect that Spoonflower was considering offering organic cotton.

We also reviewed what mainstream stores offer in the way of organic and earth friendly textiles, swore that fabric made from cassette tapes, was not an April fools joke, and learned how to dye fabric with a recipe for natural, non-toxic dye.

We plan to continue to dig up the best in fabulous eco-fabrics for you in 2009, so stay tuned in the new year. Now, on to our textile discoveries from 2008!

Cotton

We’ve found a plethora of organic cottons for you to choose from:

• Mod Green Pod, now with updates
• Plover Organic Cotton
• GreenFibres (UK) Organic Cotton Gauze and Nettle / Cotton Blend
• Organic Cotton Flannel From Hemp Traders
• Marcus Fabrics
• greenSTYLE
• Andover Vegetable Dye Cottons
• Gossypium Organic Cotton (UK)
• Cotton By Tenfold Organic Textiles

Hemp:

Need to break out of a cotton rut? Hemp’s got you covered:

• Pippijoe Hemp (Australia)
• GreenSage Store
• Hemp Linen And Twill From Earth Friendly Goods

Prints

Perfect for when your crafting needs a little spice:

• Umbrella Prints (Australia)
• Marina Cavalieri (Australia)
• Rubie Green Organic Cotton Prints
• Fabulous New Cotton Prints From Harmony Art Organics
• Wildrose Farm Organics
• Kirin & Co (Australia)
• Amenity

Not quite Fabric

It might not be the pure definition of fabric but it can act like it:

• Loop
• Fabulous Recycled Fabric Paper from Soolip
• Recycled Felt (And More) From Hart’s Fabric

Miscellaneous fibers

Can’t choose organic cotton over linen over a silk blend? You don’t have to!

• Loop Fabrics (U.K.)
• Indika Organics
• Denise Bird, Silk (U.K.)
• Furnature
• Harmony Art Organic Design
• Organic Linen from Thea and Sami (Australia)
• Fabulous Organic Cotton, Denim, and Calico from Fabrics Ltd (UK)
• PM Organics Fabrics and Lace
• Fabulous Vintage Kimono Fabric at Ah! Kimono
• Michael Miller Organics
• Near Sea Naturals
• Oliveira Textiles