I consider this a piece of cloth that was made before the madness of manufactured fabric….before the burden of pesticides, insecticides and the waste from the run-off into our soils and water supplies. I consider it a guilt-free cloth. It is old, shows wear, but also has that attribute called soul. I have been trying to live an ethical life in terms of choices and how it effects the environment. How I choose is related to balance, but it also impacts decisions that are not always black and white. I want to support my local, small business, but I also do not want to engage in purchases that are detrimental to the environment. This really reminds me of my consciousness of food and the choices I make every time I prepare a meal. In terms of food production, once you develop an awareness of the pollution as well as the cruelty to animals, how do you go back to the old way of eating? For me it is impossible. But for now, I have been thinking about what I will do with my choices in terms of new fabric.
I have been playing with a design today that I used earlier with a sample book, but decided to substitute all old fabrics. I consider them guilt-free. If I were to add some of the newer pieces from my collection, would I be able to justify a philosophy that encompasses the use of both with a clear conscience? I am not trying to belabor this subject, but I am a little confused and perplexed about the choices I feel are good ones. Do I stop buying any new fabric and use what I have, and then go back to using all older and recycled cloth? It really is a “can of worms”. Once you become aware of the cost, the bleeding cost of a thing, how does one make decisions based on this ethic?
What prompted this post was my research on the growing of cotton and the detrimental costs to the environment. That research was prompted by a book I discovered over here. See “more art less garbage”.
Of course there are no easy, simple answers, but I do think discussing or thinking or being aware is an important thing. I guess once I become aware, I will usually find myself shifting over time, and eventually what needs to fall into place usually does. I think self-education and buying with consciousness is the best place to start.
I haven’t bought new traditionally grown cotton in over three years. Just working through the stash, buying used/vintage, and a bit of organic. I also buy hemp for a cotton replacement. I’m not buying new clothes made of traditionally grown cotton either-mostly thrift or making for myself with more sustainable fabrics. I haven’t written about it much recently, but this is a huge issue for me.
Regarding supporting local fabric stores, ask them to carry hemp or organic cotton or if they’ll order it for you. I also consider that I’m supporting other local stores (thrift, the antique mall).
Sometimes I wonder if I’ll weaken when I’ve worked through the stash (pretty close for anything over a quarter of a yard) but I don’t think so. All I have to do is visualize what the pesticides would look like:
Here’s a post I did on it last year: http://beecreative.typepad.com/bee_creative/2008/11/shopping-for-clothing-what-onethird-of-a-pound-of-pesticides-looks-like.html
Oops, I got up on my soap box.
I am glad that you provided me with this information. I did read your post as well as looked at the other sites. From what I can tell, it is a complex issue. However, I do think it warrants consideration and effort. I have collected a lot of new fabrics over the years, so I would guess I have enough to last a lifetime. I guess all the fabric companies generate new designs every six months per designer, so that really adds to the pile of cotton that is being marketed annually. I think you and jude have the right idea about this in terms of living with simplicity, recycling, mending, and finding a balance over all. There is so much to research, and I think staying on top of the findings is probably a good idea.
it is really so difficult to retain a green standard . a lot of the press out there is also hype and the green thing just another business opportunity. i guess it comes down to common sense. at least that is a good start.
there are a lot of people in the world, that is why all this stuff is put into practice. to clothe and feed and employ. so it has to be a balance. still a smaller and slower life seems life sustaining in itself. simply mending can make a difference.
I do think you are right about the media viewing this as another business opportunity to generate a little fear and focus. What we glean from the reports must be balanced by what we know from a practical standpoint. I think we need to be aware and let this awareness guide sensible choices. I do like your idea of “a smaller and slower life”, one that inherently sustains, nurtures, and nourishes. Maybe we all need to teach our children and grandchildren how to mend and repair. We discard way too much that still has value. I think our country is the worst. We have this mentality that newer is always better.
I always enjoy seeing your beautiful patchwork piecing, I am not very skilled at crafts, and admire your eye for colour, rhythm and your use of recycled cloth.
I agree with you, it is really important to be aware of the impact on the environment of buying new fabrics, I suscribe to the ethos of recycling, and always try to buy and use pre-owned fabric. This has been an extremely interesting post, I have enjoyed following up the leads from you and your commenters. Thank you for sharing, both beautiful, challenging and thought-provoking.
As always, your comment conveys much thought and insight. I think you are in the best business one could possibly hope to have. You search for and offer the world the most beautiful and historical textiles. You not only are in the business of recycling, you instill your audience with a sense of tradition, oral history, and preserved beauty all in one package. This is authenticity at its best! Thank you for your research and exploration in this exciting endeavor, Lois.
i find this whole topic confusing – weighing up options – not just with cloth, but everything. i spend a great of deal of time mired in indecision – do i buy the locally grown pesticide laden produce or the organic flown across the world? Do i grow my own veg or support local farmers? Do a pay a premium for organic produce or eat cheaper food, and send the balance of our budget to charity, so a kid in India can eat? and so it goes on. as for fabric – i am using what i have (it has after all already been produced, purchased and stored – what would be the point in NOT using it?) but i am not buying more. i tend now to shop at places which recycle garbage and/or charity shops – but i have a problem chopping up good clothes a poor person could be wearing to make another quilt!
even the issue of organic cotton and other fibres is not clear cut. organic cotton is a better choice than conventional when it comes to pesticide use, but still uses a considerable amount of water – a crucial point in Australia where cotton farming uses water better saved for food production. bamboo is another fibre which has a considerable downside, and may not be as eco-friendly as first thought. my pick would be hemp – and i’m suprised it isn’t in greater use.
What a worthy and deep analysis you have shared. It is all so complex, isn’t it? There is never an easy answer to anything. Nothing is ever black and white. If this were the case, life would be so much simpler. However, I think people as you who learn, think, weigh and balance have a much more complex and difficult time in life. Those who are not aware can have a certain benign happiness. If you comprehend a subject from a deeper standpoint, it creates more anxiety, a few more sleepless nights. You obviously have the mind that wants to know, needs to comprehend all the issues before you weigh and balance what decision might be the best. I have great admiration for your approach. It is immensely responsible and hugely problematic. You must have studied philosophy. How does one come up with all this logic and still find a place to find some harmony? I am a little tormented by it all because it seems sometimes that one solution sets in motion another set of questions and provoking disparities. I am glad you took the time to make this comment. It really covered so many things that we often do not consider. ( I do think hemp is the way to buy with a clearer conscience).