eco-conscious and vegan bags and accesories
Let’s face it we love our funky printed cotton fabrics. We love hitting the remnant sales at quilt stores for fat quarters. Fat quarters, are quarter yard cuts of fabric cut in squares instead of lenghtwise. Quilters use these, but it turns out they are the perfect size for wallets, as well as pockets, and appliqué on our bags. The problem with this quilter’s weight cotton is that it isn’t as water repellent or stain resistant as some coarser weaves like our hemp or canvas fabrics. After a little research we began experimenting with a product called Nikwax and have begun treating all our cotton fabrics with this prior to sewing. Nikwax is an environmentally safe alternative to many other chemically based stain guards out there and we really like how it allows the fabric to retain it’s softness while making it more water repellent and stain resistant.
Nikwax treatments coat fabric and leather fibres with a network of elastic TX.10i water-repellent molecules. They bond to anything that is not water-repellent, but leave the spaces between fibers open and breathable. Nikwax treatments can flex and move with the fabric and leather fibers. That is why Nikwax treatments can withstand several washings and remain whereas the competitors must be re-applied after each wash. -(source: Nikwax)
We are constantly researching eco-friendly methods for making our bags more durable and weatherproof. Recently we have been looking into the original methods of preparing oilcloth and are eager to try this technique for some of our heavier canvas cottons. Today’s oilcloth is actually a vinyl backed or PVC-coated fabric (not an eco friendly option), and thus nothing like the original oilcloth. Traditional oil cloth was a heavy duck or cotton canvas treated with linseed oil. Linseed is a natural product derived from flax, it is not petroleum based, it is biodegradable and non-toxic. We will be sure to write another post with photos about how this technique works out for us and let you know when you can expect to see traditional oilcloth in our product line.
