Thoughts on Organic Cotton

Right. This is a post I've been wanting to write for about six years. The reason it has taken me so long to actually get something down in black and white is that my thoughts and feelings have fluctuated a bit and I was never sure exactly what I wanted to say. I'm not sure I've nailed it now exactly, but here goes...

Organic cotton sounds like a great idea, doesn't it? We have all (hopefully) read or heard about the damage done to ecosystems and communities by the pesticides that are used in the production of cotton. Now we can buy clothing and fabric that doesn't contribute to that aspect of pollution and damage? Fabulous! Or is it? Let me tell you my concerns.

Water Footprint:

About six years ago I read 'Confessions of an Eco Sinner: Travels to find where my stuff comes from' by Fred Pearce (pictured above). Mind. Blown. I can't recommend this book enough. Fred Pearce is a journalist who in this book investigates what kind of impact the things he owns has on the world. He takes lots of everyday items and investigates their production, and sometimes also their disposal. It's freaking fascinating, eye-opening and, at times, alarming. But knowledge is power and all that. 

Anyways, one of the chapters is about the environmental and social impact his clothing has, and as part of that he looks into both organic and regular cotton production. He found that organic cotton, although obviously superior to regular cotton in its lack of pesticide usage, actually requires more water than regular cotton to grow and process. Cotton production is responsible for serious drought in various parts of the globe, included the truly frightening shrinkage of the Aral sea to just 10% of its former size (pictured below). So perhaps you could argue that the 'benefits' of organic cotton are somewhat outweighed, and maybe swapping all cotton production to the organic model would have even more dire consequences.

(image source: Wikipedia)

That is the perspective on organic cotton that I have carried with me for a number of years, but it was challenged at the end of last year when I attended a talk by Gina Pantastico, the Director of Operations at Cloud9 fabrics, which took place at the Village Haberdashery. She spoke a lot about the growing and processing of the organic cotton used in their fabric ranges. She assured us that the growing methods used by their suppliers in fact uses less water than conventional, non-organic cotton production. I have no cause to think that either she nor Fred Pearce is lying, so I conclude that either some cotton growers, including Cloud9's, have figured out superior methods, or that organic cotton growing in general has improved is the six+ year period since Fred researched and wrote 'Confessions of an Eco Sinner'. 

Carbon Footprint:

What does still require a large amount of water, however, is the processing and dying of the cotton, even when the dyes that are being used have been certified as safe for local ecosystems and the workers that are exposed to them. As she described the rest of the production process, from raw cotton crop to finished rolls of beautiful printed fabric, I couldn't help but think about all the energy that would also be used to power each stage. And then all the oil used to transport the cotton at its various stages of processing and to distribute the final product. I can't see that the amount of fossil fuels burned would be much, if at all, different from non-organic fabric production. 

(image source: Cloud9 Fabrics)

Conclusion:

I sometimes feel that when the word 'organic' is written on a garment or fabric label, it is perceived by some as a magic word that absolves us from any impact that the production, processing and transportation of it has had at all. I know that not everyone has the time or inclination to really look into what is involved in fabric production (myself included, I've only read a book and a few articles over the years), but it's important not to feel like we are wearing a halo because we bought an organic product. The conclusion I personally drew from having read 'Confessions of an Eco-Sinner' has not changed after the Cloud9 talk: we really need to reduce cotton production of all types because there is no method of cotton production that is environmentally sustainable.

We need to work out how slow down cotton consumption altogether, perhaps in part by focusing on using and reusing the vast quantities of textiles that already exist on our planet. Obviously, mass-produced poor-quality 'disposable' fast fashion is a major culprit, but home-sewers are not exempt from making better choices. I'm not suggesting that everyone who sews should stop buying fabric until their stashes are all used up and their local charity shops are empty, but we sewers definitely need to collectively rein it in a bit and be more mindful in our purchasing. This is a topic that I'm going to re-visit in another post very soon (bet you can't wait hahaha!).

So bringing it back to the topic in hand. Organic cotton is undoubtedly a better choice when buying fabric for lessening pesticide-related damage and, are far as Cloud9 are concerned at least, for reducing water usage in cotton production. If we can't source suitable second-hand, already-in-existence fabric for our projects, maybe organic cotton is the next best thing for home sewers? 

Sourcing Organic Cotton:

As I say, I've been thinking about this topic on and off for six years, so why am I'm finally writing about it now? Well, I got offered some free stuff. Within a short space of time, three businesses offered me some free organic cotton to sew with and review on my blog. Now, as committed as I am to sewing with existing textiles where possible, I'm not a crazy person. I'm not going to say no to some lovely fabric that I can make a cute garment for my daughter out of. Plus, more broadly, if I/we do need to source new fabric from time to time, we need to know what's available and what it's like to make garments from.  

The three businesses that have given me fabric recently are Only Organic Fabric Shop (who gave me the maroon jersey used to make the garments in these photos which I'll blog about separately very soon),  myfabrics.co.uk (who gave me some printed jersey for a garment that is currently on the sewing table, which will be blogged about in the next few weeks) and The Village Haberdashery (who gave me some of this Small World by Cloud9 needle cord, which I have great plans for...). 

I've also seen that Offset Warehouse has some excellent organic garment fabrics and Kitschy Coo seem to be the place to go for fun printed and plain organic jersey. Any other sources that you can recommend?

So, what about you? What are your thoughts on organic cotton? What is your thought processes behind making fabric purchases? Do you think the extra expense for organic cotton is worth it? Does anyone exclusively sew with the organic stuff? Jump into the discussion, I'd love to know what you think...

Perfect Pattern Parcel #2: Girl's Wear for a Good Cause

Have you heard of Perfect Pattern Parcels? Well I must admit that I hadn't until a couple of months ago, and it is a very cool thing indeed. The organisers put together a package of PDF sewing patterns along a theme which have been created by indie designers. You can then purchase the pattern parcel for a price of your choice for a limited time only, and then ALL the profits go to supporting a charity called Donors Choose which funds and supports educational projects in the US.

The current pattern parcel (#2) comprises of patterns for little girl's clothing (pictured above) and there's some real beauts in there. I chose to make the September dress/tunic pattern (the turquoise garment on the left), designed by Too Sweets Patterns. I wanted to make a simple, unfussy interpretation that clearly showed the bones of the design. However, I think this pattern would also make a very good canvas for all sorts of interpretations (applied pockets, bib or ruffle details, contrast yokes, omit the sleeve sections, braid or ribbon applied in various ways etc. etc.). It's also a pretty simple make, therefore a nice project for a beginner, or a pleasingly quick make if you are a fairly experienced seamster. Either way, it's a perfect project if you are making this as a fun gift or for your own little handful.

This pattern ranges in sizes from 12 months to 10/12 years. I made the size for 2 years and will be keeping it safe for the next year and a half for a certain little missy. I made it in some lovely, good quality striped shirting that's been lurking in my stash for a couple of years. I used the stripes in different directions as the only real design addition of my own. This was also a great project to give me the kick up the bum I needed to figure out how to make buttonholes on my new (to me) sewing machine. I used 6 greyish mother of pearl buttons as the fastening up the back.

I'd definitely recommend making this pattern, such a fast and fun project. Plus I'll be making some of the other patterns for sure. If you wish to see what the other styles look like made up, check out Shawnta Sew's version of the Hosh trousers and Hanami blouse, plus she helpfully links to a whole load of the other sewing bloggers who have been making their own versions of the various patterns.

I'm totally behind this project for a number of reasons. I love that it supports and promotes independent sewing pattern designers: that is allows them an interesting, imaginative and unusual platform for us sewers to discover and use their products. The charitable element is also fantastic and I wish the whole endeavour lots of success going forwards. Remember that there is a very limited window of opportunity to purchase these super cute patterns, so if you are interested, don't delay!

Big Spring Contest: Last Few Days to Enter...

**THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS SO MUCH TO THOSE WHO ENTERED**

This is a reminder that there is less a week left to enter the Big Spring Contest to come up with something to sew using Offset Warehouse fabric for the chance to win that fabric and much, much more. The closing date is 16th March, AKA this Sunday, so you still have time to concoct an 'Everyday Awesome' garment, and/or something that fits with the other three themes that have been conjured up by the other blogger judges. You can enter once for each of the themes, so that's four chances to win the fabric of your choice and have a chance to go on to win a whole heap of amazing prizes. 

Earlier today I was having a think about what my entry would consist of, if I were allowed to enter (which as one of the judges, I'm pretty sure I'm not!). I decided on using some of this lush looking Indigo organic chambray (pictured above) to make an Everyday Awesome dress. I'm a bit late to the Chambray Party, I've only just begun to realise just how casually versatile it is. With the Indigo chambray, I'd use a vintage pattern that has been lurking in my stash for a couple of years, Simplicity 6795 (pictured below) that was published in 1974. I'd probably use a contrast red binding and red buttons to make the whole thing pop. 

I always feel really put-together and special in a dress but I so rarely wear them, particularly during the day. They look like you've made lots of effort, even though to create an outfit with a dress involves much less mix-and-matching than with separates. I'd spend quite a bit of time toiling and fitting the bodice to get a really comfortable and flattering fit so I'd never be put off from wearing it. Plus, I think this dress would span quite a range of temperatures and weather conditions depending how you wore it: just with flip flops and sunglasses in the Summer, or layered with a vest, cardigan, opaque tights and boots for colder months. That's a whole load of potential Awesome I'd be injecting into my Everyday wear.....

So if you haven't already entered, what would your Everyday Awesomeness garment/outfit consist of? Why not email me your entry before Sunday to sozoblog (at) gmail (dot) com?

The Tova Top Disappointment

So here's the thing. I made this top perhaps only three weeks after using the same pattern to make my grey Tova dress. What I didn't bank on was the rapid and unpredictable growth spurt my boobs were about to embark on. Damn. And whilst the grey dress inexplicably manages to just about fit several weeks after that (and still just about fits ok), this cotton top was too tight from the very first try-on. 

I'm pretty gutted because I really took time and care over making this top. I used some lovely cotton ikat fabric that had been lurking in my stash for the best part of a year, pre-washing it to avoid heart-breaking shrinkages. I figured out the (not automatic) button hole function of my new-to-me sewing machine and made a functioning button stand on this version when I felt after the last one that it would have been a beneficial addition. There was a small sleeve-based trauma when it turned out I didn't have sufficient fabric to accommodate my initial plans, resulting in a disappointing mid-way version and then lots of unpicking and re-working of the sleeves into what you see now. In short, I poured a whole heap of love into this make.  

Anyways, enough moaning. It's not warm enough to wear such a light weight garment here in the UK anyway (at least not for a chilly-boned person like me). I misjudged my changing pregnant body and learnt a lesson: jersey or some element of stretch from now on! Plus who is not to say that one day my boobs will return to something approaching their original dimensions and I'll be able to get some use from it. If not, expect another giveaway round these parts!

African Wax Fabric Washi Dress

Round these parts the mild-maternity sewing is rapidly turning into mid-maternity sewing as I have now been growing a human inside me for 18 weeks (18 weeks as in 2 weeks away from half way!). 

Pattern, Sizing and Changes: 

One of the patterns I included in the mild-maternity sewing post that I knew I would definitely have a go at was the Washi Dress pattern by Made By Rae (pictured below). 

Source: made-by-rae.com via Zoe on Pinterest

I used a straight-up size M as the bottom area where I'd potentially widen a pattern is already very loose on this style. The only change I made to the pattern was to adjust the seam allowances to 1cm (3/8") or 1.5cms (5/8") before cutting the pattern out, rather than trying to get my head round sewing with the 1/2" or 1/4" seam allowances that had been allocated which I'm not used to. 

The pattern was a joy to sew. The only change I made was to zig zag strips of 1/4" elastic along the back (pictured below) rather than using shirring elastic as the pattern instructions prescribed. I did this for two reasons, 1) I already had a whole load of 1/4" elastic, and 2) I hate using shirring elastic.

Fabric Choice:

My fabric choice is A) awesome, and b) inspired. I used the second half of the batch of African wax fabric my friend Anna bought back from her honeymoon in Ghana. The eagle-eyed of you will recognise that I used the rest of the fabric for my Simplicity 2444 dress. It's such a lovely weight of cotton, stiff enough to make the most of a pattern's clean lines (like the neckline shaping and front pleats on this style), but soft enough not to need ironing every five seconds. Well, that's all for this fabric now, it's been busted right out of my stash. 

Conclusion:

I love this Washi dress! I can see at least one more garment using this pattern as a basis on my sewing-horizons. I've worn it outside once so far, but unfortunately I didn't get a photo of me wearing actually wearing it so you'll have to trust that it looks ace until MMM'13 when I'll probably be rocking it with annoying frequency (weather permitting). 

Guest Post: The Water-Cost of Cotton

At the very beginning of the year, Grace, one of the writers of Bad Mom, Good Mom wrote a fascinating post about the planetary cost of cashmere and suggested I publish it on my blog also. After all, if you've uncovered some mighty important information that deserves to be proliferated, you'd want it to reach as many interested peops as possible too. Then recently she let me know she has another science-related clothing production post up for sleeve. Fortuitously, she'd chosen a topic I'd been planning on covering myself but was having trouble figuring out how to approach. So, let's here what our 'resident science expert' Grace can tell us about the water footprint of cotton...

I sew mainly with cotton, often from reclaimed/recycled materials.  Why sew with reclaimed materials when it takes so much more time and fabric is (relatively) cheaper than time? Because I think so much about things. For instance, I think about the energy, water and chemicals embedded into finished goods.  Are they used optimally?  Can their useful life be extended?  I honor the makers and the materials by putting them to their highest use over and over again before destruction. How did we lose touch with the wisdom of our grandmothers?  "Use it up, Wear it Out, Make it do...or Do without." Cotton is one of the most water and chemical-intensive crops, using up about 3% of the world's arable land and freshwater and consuming about 15% of the chemicals used in agriculture.  Each pound of "conventional" cotton (enough for a adult t-shirt) is embedded with about 700 gallons of water and a third of a pound of chemicals! The numbers change slightly, based on where and how the cotton is grown:

• is it irrigated or watered by rain?
• is it organic (more labor, water and land required) or conventionally-grown? (conventional = herbicide and insecticide inputs)

Is this the highest use of the land and the labor?  This is not an idle worry because children have been pulled out of school and sold into slavery in order to grow "fair trade" organic cotton at prices the first world is willing to pay.  Moreover, cotton destined for wealthy nations is often grown in countries where food is scarce; the water, land and labor diverted to growing cotton could have been used instead to grow food. To learn more, Waterfootprint and NRDC are good places to start.  If you follow the waterfootprint link (and I think it is worthwhile), it will save you much confusion if you know that they break down water use into three types:

• Blue: surface (river, lake, etc) and well water
• Green: rainwater (least energy-intensive)
• Grey: amount of water needed to dilute pollutants generated by the crop to safe levels

Excerpts from other sources

From waterfootprint's cotton story:

The water use of cotton has often great local impacts. In Central Asia,  for example, excessive abstractions of water from the Amur Darya and Syr  Darya for cotton irrigation have resulted in the near-disappearance of  the Aral Sea.

NRDC's From Field to Store: Your T-Shirt's Life Story

Every cotton T-shirt starts life in a cotton field, most likely in China, India or the United States. It takes anywhere from 700 to 2,000 gallons of water to produce about a pound of conventional cotton – enough for a single T-shirt. Cotton grown in the United States uses comparatively less water; however, about a third of a pound of chemical pesticides and fertilizers go into each pound of conventionally-grown American cotton.

US EPA water trivia

Over 713 gallons of water go into the production of one cotton T-shirt.

Wall Street Journal

A new wave of research on "virtual," or embedded, water has given companies and governments new tools to track not just the water that they consume directly, but also the gallons that are embedded in everything from dishwashing detergent and Argentine beef to Spanish oranges and cotton grown in Pakistan. A cup of coffee takes roughly 35 gallons. A cotton T-shirt typically takes some 700 gallons of water to produce. A typical hamburger takes 630 gallons of water to produce -- more than three times the amount the average American uses every day for drinking, bathing, washing dishes and flushing toilets. The bulk is used to grow grain for cattle feed.

10 Things That Will Change How You Think About Water 

Access to water: 1.6 billion people in the world -- one  in four -- have to walk at least 1 km each day to get water and carry  it home, or depend on someone who does. Just to provide basic water for a  family of four -- 50 gallons -- that means carrying (on your head) 400  pounds of water, walking 1 km or more, for as many trips a day as  necessary.

Peak oil? Try peak water.

From the food and grocery industry (great charts!)

It is estimated that the average Briton drinks between 2 and 5 litres of  water per day and will use about 145 litres for cooking, cleaning,  washing and flushing. If the embedded water used in the production of  the goods people consume is also taken into account however the daily  use per person in the UK may be nearer 3400 litres (Source: Waterwise).

Guardian article about how UK relies on 'virtual' water from drought-prone countries

Britain and other rich countries depend heavily on importing hidden "virtual" water from places that regularly experience droughts and shortages, according a report published today by the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Although  the UK is notoriously wet, it is estimated that two-thirds of all the  water that its population of 60 million people needs comes embedded in imported food, clothes and industrial goods.  The result is that when people buy flowers from Kenya, beef from  Botswana, or fruit and vegetables from parts of Asia and Latin America,  they may be exacerbating droughts and undermining countries' efforts to  grow food for themselves, say the authors.

According  to the report, the average Briton uses nearly 3,000 litres of imported  water a year. One kilogram of beef needs 15,000 litres of water to  produce, more than 10 times the amount required to produce the same  weight of wheat. A T-shirt requires 2,700 litres.


It's not hopeless. 

Small changes from many people can have a big impact.  I drink one cup of coffee per day and then switch to tea and water.  I eat beef about once a month instead of weekly.  My husbands worn-out shirts are sewn into clothing for myself or for children.  Scraps can be turned into pieced quilts.  Scraps too small to use can be dampened and used for quick clean ups (instead of paper towels) before they are thrown into the trash.

I could send the dozens of promotional t-shirts from events that our family has attended over the last few years and never wear to Goodwill and turn them into someone else's problem.  They could languish in the store for months (everyone here has too many of these t-shirts) or they could be sent halfway around the world to cloth some other family , incurring shipping energy costs.  After visiting Tanzania and seeing how western t-shirts worn with locally made cloth wrap skirts free up arms needed for work, I feel OK about sending some of my shirts overseas.  But, mostly I try to put them to use in place as you can see in my photo tutorial here.


Massive thanks to Grace for providing us with links to so many useful and fascinating sources of information. Remember, you can find more ideas for reusing cotton fabric garments, including T-shirts, jeans and sweatshirts, on my Refashion Resource page.