Can using organic cotton really make a difference?Many quilters use only 100% cotton quilt fabric. One way to green up your quilts is to use only organic cotton. More and more of these fabrics are becoming available. By switching the fabric you use, you can greatly lower your impact on the earth. If you want to take my word for it or if you already know how the organic farming industry works, then you can skip the rest of this page. But if you are curious to know exactly how switching to organic cotton for your quilts will impact the earth, please explore below. Much of my formal schooling is in ecology and conservation, so I find this stuff to be really fascinating! It all starts with one tiny chemical-laden seedAll the beautiful fabrics in our local quilt shops started as little seeds in the ground somewhere in the word – and probably not in the US, where I happen to live. To become quilting fabrics, the seeds had to be planted, grown, protected from weeds and bugs, given enough fertilizer and water, harvested, and woven into fabrics. Then the fabrics were dyed and or printed, packed and shipped all over the world.At the links below, I’ll compare conventional manufacturing to the organic process and you can see how using organics will lessen your impact on the planet. From seed to harvest conventional cotton farms use the most pesticides of almost any crop grown anywhere in the world. That is shocking, isn't it? In comparison, organic farming does not use pesticides or herbicides, greatly reducing its negative impact on the environment. Once the cotton is harvested, it is
dyed or printed
with beautiful designs using all sorts of toxic chemicals. Organic quilting cottons are dyed with non-petroleum based, less toxic dyes.
With certain cottons, dye is not needed at all because fabric can be woven with
naturally colored cotton
fibers resulting in beautiful, environmentally-friendly, patterned fabrics.
Many of the fabrics I use are grown on small, family-owned farms, supporting opportunities for economic growth and development in a environmentally sound way. It is a win-win opportunity as far as I’m concerned. Quilting greener allows me – and you, if you choose it – to support family farms and fair trade.
Return from Organic Cotton to Forever Green Quilts
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