I get a lot of questions about our organic fabric, so… I thought I’d take the time to answer them. The main question I get over and over again is:
Where do you get your fabric???
Anyone who has searched for organic fabric knows one thing – it’s hard to find! And if you care about quality and looks, you’re in even bigger trouble. Locally, I have only found one store that carries anything organic, and quite honestly, I wouldn’t use it for myself, let alone for my business. The colors are drab, the prints are uninspiring, and the selection leaves much to be desired. So where does one turn when looking for good organic cotton fabrics? The internet, of course!
One of our most popular fabrics, Whispering Grass in Black & White (from Harmony Art)
Yep, we have found all of our fabric online and online alone. Now, it can still be tricky to find a quality fabric online. You need to request samples first, before ordering multiple yards, to make sure you know what you’re getting. (That was a lesson learned the hard way, unfortunately – fabric colors do not always look the same in person as they did on your computer monitor… duh.) And you will want to make sure the fabric has the correct weight and feel for what you’re using it for. Any place you order from should be willing to send you a swatch of a single fabric or a swatch packet of multiple ones for just a small fee.
We do have multiple online sources for our fabrics, but one in particular remains our favorite, and that is Harmony Art. I feel so lucky to be able to use their beautiful prints and solids. Nearly every one of our products has Harmony Art fabric in it somewhere. Add to that the fact that the owner/designer, Harmony Susalla, is just a fabulous lady herself, and it really is awesome!
A sampling of the fabrics we use (almost everything here is from Harmony Art)
Now, onto some more questions:
Why is organic fabric more expensive than non-organic?
Well, there are several complicated answers to this question, but I’ll try to sum it up. Organic cotton is more expensive to manufacture than conventionally-grown cotton because of things like the fact that no chemicals or pesticides are used on the crops, so many of them fall victim to pests, therefore leaving less usable cotton in each field. Also, there are no chemicals used to alter the speed or size of production, so growing organic cotton takes longer. Then you have to take into account supply and demand. Several years from now, I believe we will see a much larger supply of organic cotton, but right now it’s not that common. Did you know that a field must go through a three-year cleansing period, without the use of any prohibited substances, before planting its first organic crop? They must also be equipped with barriers preventing chemical runoff from nearby fields. It’s a large step to go from conventional farming to organic farming, and we should all be impressed with anyone who takes that step!
Is your fabric machine washable?
Yep, it most certainly is! In fact, we pre-wash all of our fabrics with vegetable-based laundry detergent before sewing begins, so they are definitely good to go. We like having products that are fully machine washable, so we are mindful of that in our design process.
Are your fabrics all organic cotton?
Yes, as of right now, every single fabric we use is 100% certified organic cotton. We do plan on introducing some other eco-friendly fabrics into our product lines in the future, but we will always have certain items that will remain 100% organic.
Thanks for all the questions! I’m glad to know people are interested. If you have any more, I’m all ears!
Thank you Leah. It is a real pleasure to be able to work with so many amazing, thoughtful business owners like yourself.
One comment on the price difference would be — one reason organic is more expensive is that instead of passing off external costs like polluted water and air and nutrient starved soil, organic cotton avoids such things in the first place. This thoughtful production is more expensive in the short term but the true cost of the conventional alternatives will be the burden or all of us…. and our children. Sixteen states have contaminated ground water as the result of conventional pesticide use. If the price tag for that was actually added to the products that were made, the price for organic, I believe, would be much cheaper. In my opinion it’s a pay a little bit more now or be prepared to pay in even bigger ways later.
Thank you for your commitment to being part of the solution.