Healthy Fabrics

Hemp: A Healthy Home Fabric

If I had to choose my favorite fabric I'd have to say it's hemp of any classic weave: canvas, summercloth, linen, twill and herringbone. New or vintage. Natural colors or dyed. I love them all.

Hemp's inherent beauty is only part of my attraction. This amazing bast fiber boasts a long list of impressive qualities: extremely strong and durable, more absorbent than cotton, insulative and compost pile worthy.

Best of all, when hemp fabric is produced according to sustainable methods --from field to fiber to finished goods -- less water is required than other natural fiber production and little to no chemicals are used. Now that's a healthy home fabric!

The only down side of hemp fabric is it's still grown and produced off-shore. Read why Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed the California Industrial Hemp Farming Act.

Hybrid Quilts

Hybrid Quilts, that’s what I call the patchwork blankets I make from new and old fabrics that are both eco-friendly and home healthy: vintage cotton prints for the top and new wide-width organic cotton or hemp/organic cotton blends for the backing. Sandwiched in between is sustainably produced natural fiber batting such as an alpaca blend, wool or cotton. The fun part about making a hybrid quilt is hunting for the vintage fabrics and creating a color scheme that’s uniquely you. I use a simple square or rectangle layout. I can piece it quickly and then hand everything off to a long arm quilting pro to do the rest. A hard core quilter once called that “lazy”. I call it energy efficient!

Hemp Canvas Fabric

One of my favorite hemp fabrics is the versatile 11 or 12 oz. semi-bleached canvas. It’s the ideal weight and texture for so many home décor applications: pillows, cushion covers, upholstery and shades. Hemp canvas is durable; wear and tear softens the hand over time but the fiber remains strong. The milky natural color has a subtle yellow cast, like pale butter. It's one of those goes-with-everything neutrals. No dyes are used to achieve it, just hydrogen peroxide. And, here’s a tidbit that might surprise you: the color deepens slowly with age and sunlight exposure resembling a tea stain. Get it at Hemp Traders.