Photo courtesy of Q collection
In my previous article, Eco-friendly Fabrics are no longer Shrinking Violets, Part I, I listed eleven different fabric companies making sustainable fabrics for sewing, drapes, upholstery, and other home decor accessories. Shouldn’t your home scream, “I am fabulous and green!” Just in case those eleven companies were not enough for you, here is an additional fifteen other sources to obtain that one of kind textile treasure for your home.
O Eco Textiles: Two sisters that set out to prove that you could have sensual fabrics that were environmental friendly every step of the way from harvest to end product. All of the fabric collections specify why the products are environmentally friendly from their certifications to even how they are dyed. They even found a company who could produce their bamboo and denaturalize the harmful waste water used to produce it. Tremendous thought and research has been put into their collection of organic hemp, cotton, linen, bamboo and other assorted fibers.
I urge you to read their Our Green is True Blue statement as well as their Ecofacts about Fabrics. You will never look at fabric the same way after reading these two articles.
Sina Pearson: Siesta and Bounce are the company’s sustainable lines. The Siesta line is an indoor/outdoor product which is made out of polypropylene which is solution dyed. According to the company, solution dying eliminates higher energy and water waste costs of the yarn dyeing process. The fiber and yarn can be recycled. The Bounce striped collection is made out of 91% wool and 9% ramie and can be used for heavy upholstery needs. This fabric line features the Climatex Lifecycle logo and the MBDC’s Gold Cradle to Cradle certification.
Live Textile: The Company offers organic cotton, organic linen, hemp linen and bamboo fabrics for drapes, light upholstery, duvet covers, bedspreads, and bed skirts in traditional and contemporary designs. The organic cottons are certified by Control World Union Certification, which use to be SKAL and by EKO Sustainable Textile standards, which is a part of the CWUC. The organic linen and hemp is certified by Ecocert International. The Company is comprised of a group of women with diverse backgrounds in design, biology and the arts committed to producing beautiful environmentally friendly fabrics.
Ambatalia: A green fabric boutique in San Francisco Bay area with an online store offering hemp, organic planted dyed wools, vintage lace, buttons among other fabrics. In addition, the store offers custom sewing. Click on the buttons on the website to move around the site. Update: The store has been closed; however, Molly, the owner, now creates textiles as alternatives to plastic bags and packaging.
Twill Textile: A collection of textiles inspired by traditional hand weaving. Climatex Lifecycle Home collection is made of a combination of pesticide free wool and organically grown ramie, which are dyed and processed without any toxic chemicals. There is no waste associated with the production of these textiles since all by-products from the weaving can be safely returned to the earth as mulch or ground cover.
Aurora Silk: Offers undyed and naturally dyed shiny and matted silks, organic cotton certified SKAL, organic hemp, and yarns. Aurora Silks offer Peace silk, a cruelty free silk, in which is silkworms are ethically cultivated and not killed in order to obtain the silk.
Lulan Artist: The Company prides itself on its fair trade and sustainable business practices, which includes creating sustainable livelihoods for their weavers. 
The fabrics are described as a fusion of contemporary design with age old techniques and traditions of Southeast Asia. The materials used in their fabrics include cruelty free and regular processed silks, organic cotton, and other natural materials which are dyed with natural or low/impact dyes that are hand spun, woven, and finished. Their online catalog featuring yardage is for the trade only. However, the Company makes home décor accessories such as pillows, duvet covers, and throws that are available through their Charleston retail store or ABC Carpet and Home. Brochures are available upon request.
Q collection: Based in New York City, this Company carries an assortment of eco-friendly fabrics made out of natural materials including abaca, alpaca, bamboo, hemp, linen, leather, organic cotton, and wool. The fabrics are custom colored with low impact, heavy metal free dyes and are free of toxic finishers or treatments. Contract fabricsare available. The Company also carries eco-friendly furniture and accessories. See the directory of showrooms for the collection.
PM organics: assortment of organic fabrics from woven, jersey, knit, and wool fabrics and sewing notions.
Organic cotton Plus: sells organic fabric including Harmony’s collection.
NearSea Natural : sells assorted organic cotton, organic wool, hemp, blends, yarn, and notions as well as fabric from some of the manufacturers listed above.
Furnature: The Company sells its fabrics ,such as organic cotton, hemp, and natural blends, and 100% Oeko-texCertified Eco Wool to the public. Note, not all the fabrics are organic so read the descriptions. The Company is known for the manufacturing of eco-friendly furniture for healthy minded and chemically sensitive people. See my story about this company.
Hemp Traders: sells hemp, hemp/cotton blends, bamboo, and other types of hemp blends. (The patterned one to the right.)
Envirotextiles: manufacturer and importer of quality hemp products including hemp and hemp blend fabrics.
F. Schumacher: The Company’s sustainable fabrics must meet at least two criteriain order to receive a green leaf designation. These criteria include products being certified by Oeko-Tex, USDA certified organic, mill producing the product have received ISO 14001 or ISO 9001/SA 8000 Certification, among other criteria. The collectioncontains stripes, solids, checks and herringbone, velvets and microfibers. The Company also sells eco-friendly wallpapers as well.
Please add to this list. I have given you a very brief overview of the companies. I urge you to check them out to make sure they comply with your definitions of being green. Gorgeous can be green!
Phil the Plumbing Course Expert says
Thanks for sharing this great companies. It’s nice to use eco-friendly fabrics in our homes.
Compost Guy says
Oh my goodness, my mom is going to love this. She’s buying fabric all the time, and I know she’ll want to try this out. Thanks!
Lance T says
Speaking of moms, my mom is a seasoned seamstress, and after the last few months of my encouragement, she is thrilled to explore the use of eco-friendly fabrics.
I sent her this post and she absolutely loved it. Thanks for the superb collection of links.
Lance T’s last blog post..Feeling Inspired By An Eco-Newb: Bring Your Own Bag To My Market!
Suresh says
There is no escaping that our health – both individually and as a society – is directly linked to the health of our environment. So at Bluehouse, we passionately believe that what surrounds your body is just as important to your well-being as what you put into it. We offer you the confidence that the things we bring into your life are good for you, good for your family, good for your home, and good for the planet.
Our store offers home furnishings, accessories, and decorating elements such as flooring, rugs, and paint; each product we carry meets at least one of the following criteria, and most meet more than one.
1. Reclaimed, recycled, and/or recyclable materials
2. Alternative or managed resources
3. Conserves natural resources
4. Locally made
5. Made by hand
6. Organic, natural, or chemical-free
7. Contributed to healthier interior air quality
8. Durable, long-lasting, or collectable
9. Energy efficient solutions
10. Company demonstrates overall sustainable practices
Fred says
An ISO Textile Mill… mfter and supplier to many of the astute green and sustainables … check out our web site above.
Freds last blog post..irresistible… SHE … a must have.
Susie - Fair Trade says
Great article on sustainable fabrics. As an owner of a Fair Trade business in Charleston, SC it is encouraging to see markets for sustainable textiles expand. We carry a line of Fair Trade Bags that are batiked in Ghana but find it difficult to source organic cloth. Lets hope this trend of the availability of sustainable textiles makes it’s way to Africa.
LinenKids.com says
Nice article, thanks. We are using sustainable linen to put soul back into kids clothes http://www.linenkids.com
AJ says
Any word on the development of a bamboo alternative that meets NFPA 701 fire codes? The commercial textile industry desperately needs one!
sherri regalbuto says
Hi; I am designing a line of fanny pack type bags for dog lovers. I’d like to have them made out of eco friendly fabric and made in a fair trade shop. Any guidance you can give me?
Anna@Green Talk says
Sherri, you could make them out of recycled polyester, organic cotton, or hemp. I don’t know if you want them to be made so they don’t leak? If you do go with RP, ask if antimony is used in making the product. Usually soda bottles themselves have antimony in them but ask about the process too. Check out Eco-Intelligent® Polyester.
Also, try and use post consumer RP as well but again, I don’t know your price point either. As a side note, if you do go with RP, consider having a take back program like Patagonia’s (See http://www.patagonia.com/us/pa.....setid=2791)
A good place to start is to talk to the founder of Reuse it Bag. He might be able to direct you to a shop that makes recycled poly products. Also, another place is to talk to the owner of Justice Clothing. He has one of his hemp products made in a NJ factory.
http://www.justiceclothing.com.....20478.html.
Also, another great source is the ladies at Oecotextile. These women know everything about green fabrics. http://www.oecotextiles.com/
Let me know how you fare. Readers, any other suggestions. Anna
Anna@Green Talk says
Sherri, I forgot also recycled cotton, which is being made in the US. See http://www.enviro-tote.com/rec....._bags.html. They are making bags made out of this material. Anna
Flooring Chicago says
Siena Pearsons Siesta is just delightful. The colors would suit many different home themes and remain a firm favorite for many years.
Mary says
Hello, I am looking for peace silk and organic cotton to purchase. We are looking for a store that sells items made of such fabric, or the fabric itself. Do you have any names/addresses of stores in the San Francisco area where we can visit to purchase these fabric, either wholesale or retail?
Thank you so much for making this world a better place for all!
Anna@Green Talk says
Mary,
You should call the people at Aurora Silk. They can tell you who supplies their fabric in the SF area. http://www.aurorasilk.com/ Anna