Why I am Going Green and Using Organic Fabric
Deciding to “go green” with one’s quilting hobby is a very personal choice. I decided to become a green quilter for two main reasons. First, it is challenging me to grow and change in my art form. Second, for me, it is just the right thing to do. Reducing my impact on the planet is a core value of mine and going green in my quilting was next step for me and my family.
Do you feel the same way?
Here's how to do it.
There are a lot of ways to quilt greener. You can pick and choose what works for you.
Organic Quilt Fabric
Many of us quilters use 100% cotton fabrics in our quilted works of art. One way to greatly reduce the environmental impact of quilting is to use only
organic cotton
in your quilts. There are a few obvious disadvantages to this green route. Your color palette will be limited because of limited availability of organic cotton fabrics. Also organic cotton currently costs more than traditional quilting fabric. So switching to organic fabric takes a pretty big commitment. Are you up to it? I chose to think of it as a new and creative challenge to me as a quilter! I like to think that I am working on the cutting edge of the latest trend in the quilting world – organic quilt fabrics! I have found several nice online stores which sell organic fabrics - check here for
reviews of these fabric sources.
Batting
There are several green options for your batting and they are not necessarily more expensive than regular battings. Hobbs now offers an organic batting, made from organically grown cotton. Another option is one of the new bamboo battings. Bamboo is a rapidly growing renewable resource and is more environmentally friendly that conventionally grown cotton. EcoCraft has “Eco-Friendly” batting which is made from a man-made fiber derived from corn. Click here for my review of green battings
my review of green battings.
Organic Thread and Notions
So far, there are only a limited number of organic threads and notions available for quilters. FiberActive makes an organic thread which I like for top stitching because it is fairly heavy weight. I’m still looking for an nice organic thread to use for piecing and quilting.
Recycled Fabric?
Why not? Scraps are Green!
Making quilts out of scrap fabrics is not a new concept and it is a great way to quilt greener. When my great grandmother made quilts, way back when, she didn’t run out to her local quilt shop and buy new color-coordinated fabric. Of course not! She used scraps left over from the clothing she made for her husband and nine children. She probably had more scraps than any of us. This was a practical, frugal way to make beautiful blankets to keep her family warm in the winter.Here is a photo of a double wedding ring quilt made by my great grandmother. I'm guessing that she purchased the lilac fabric that she used for the background or had a huge amount leftover from some other project. For the rings, she used left over scraps from dresses and other projects.
You can see more of Ada's quilts here.
Today, I don’t have left over fabric from sewing clothes for my two kids, but I do have tons of leftover scraps from past quilting projects. And since I announced to my friends and family that I’m going green with my quilting, they have started bringing me old clothes – shirts, dresses, jeans – that I can use for my quilts. I’m going to start hitting the thrift stores for fabrics for my new green stash!
Your Sewing Space
One last place where you can go greener in your quilting is your sewing space. Whether you have an elaborate studio or a little corner of the guest room, consider making some simple changes to reduce your impact on the earth:- switch to fluorescent lighting or LED lights when you are working at night
- use natural light only during the day and position your machine in the room to optimize the natural light
- turn your iron off when you are not using it – you’ll use less energy and your room will stay cooler
- use recycled paper for any printing you do
- put a ceiling fan in the room to lower your heat and AC bills
- think about the destination of everything you use – where did it come from and where will it end up
Return from Quilting Greener to Forever Green Quilts
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