Pretty Little Green Things

Posts Tagged ‘Organic fabric’

Hopefully by now, your home and life are a bit more organized.  If not, check out some eco-friendly tips and tricks I put together to help 2012 be your most put together yet.  As for me, I’ve been working furiously on getting our apartment ready for the new baby, especially because I know I won’t have the time once he/she arrives.  Our bedroom has desperately needed a new set of roman shades so that’s what I’ve been concentrating on this weekend.  I ended up breaking down and buying Marimekko fabric (on sale!) to add a jolt of color and pattern to our otherwise plain walls.  I just wish I had seen this chic fabric from Nina at Swanky Swell beforehand, since her collection is not only colorful and bold, but every bit eco-friendly.

A girl after my own heart, Nina Jizhar, creator of Swanky Swell, is a LEED Accredited Professional and a former commercial interior designer turned entrepreneur & mom.  Naturally her collection of fabric uses organic grounds (all of her fabrics are OE100 certified), are printed with water based, ultra-low VOC inks and don’t require a chemical pre or post treatment to set.  One of the things that I always find most inspiring about handcrafted products is the small batch process – since these fabrics are printed on demand, from large to small orders, there’s pretty much no fabric waste.  Check out her collection online or on her Etsy page.

Fall Collection

Daydream

Bliss

Raindrops in Mandarin

Heritage

Ginkgo

Blossom

Photos from Swanky Swell

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you probably know that I’m a complete sucker for maps.  On the wall, on fabric, on the computer, you name it.  For me, looking at far off places inspires me and looking at the places I’ve already been brings back some amazing memories.  So when Cath Young of Bearded Pigeon contacted me about her organic cotton pillows, I told her that she had me at hello.  These cushions are handmade by her in Australia (yay for the Aussies!) and printed on to 100% organic cotton with $1 of every sale going to Kiva.  I really love the bright colors and promise of adventure to come.  If I had one of these pillows in my house, I’d pull out my button collection and start sewing one on for every place I’ve visited.  You can purchase these lovelies at her Etsy store.

Antarctica

Canada

Australia

Chicago

Venice

Portland

Cath not only makes eco-friendly products, but she walks the walk too.  Her home in Australia relies only on sun for power and rain from the sky for water.  Outdoors her garden grows organic fruit and vegetables.  And it seemed only fitting to include pictures of the travelling pillows’ origin.  If you’d like to see more of Cath’s lovely house, take a peek at her Flickr page here.

Photos from Cath Young

I had every intention of completing my weekend project today – sewing and installing a new roman shade for the kitchen.  In fact, if you remember, I made a pledge a few weeks ago that I was going to tackle one home project each weekend both as something to show on Pretty Little Green Things, but also as a kick in the pants to finally “finish” our apartment.  Well, as we all know, pledges and real life are sometimes two very different things.  And let me tell you, life won the battle this weekend.  But rather than give up and move on to a new topic, I thought I’d post my roman shade progress as a little teaser for you.  And by next weekend, hopefully you’ll see the completed product!

Here’s my lovely fabric!  It’s from Mod Green Pod, who, if you’re not familiar, make brightly colored and fun patterned organic fabric.  I was lucky enough to not only get the fabric on super sale, but also find it in the exact navy blue color I was searching for.

Another peek at the fabric with my lovely sewing machine in the background.  My quilter mom made sure I had a good quality sewing machine as soon as I moved to New York.

And here we go!

I’ve been a bit obsessive searching for how-to’s on making a roman shade.  It’s actually a fairly complicated procedure and I was nervous getting it all right.  There’s not a lot of forgiveness if you make a mistake in your measurements.  From my vast searching, I found that one of the easier to follow how-to’s came from Martha Stewart (who else, right?).  If you’re thinking of trying the same thing, here’s a link to her instructions.

You have to measure EVERYTHING very precisely when you make a fabric shade.  So here I am trusty pencil and measuring tape in hand.

Pinned and ready to be sewn!

While we were out and about today we passed by a pile of random stuff waiting to be picked up for trash collection.  Normally I take a quick glance to see if there’s anything good and then continue on my way.  But today, this bamboo blind sitting on top of the pile caught my eye.  We quickly nabbed it for the extra hardware and mounting board.  Reduce, reuse, recycle!

By the time I got to the part when you sew the rings on the back of the shade, it was getting late and I was getting tired.  There are a ton of rings that get sewn on the back, just fyi!

Here’s your last sneak peek of the sewn panel & lining.  There’s still plenty left to do, so there will be more to come!

I’ve been scouring the internet lately for chic and eco-friendly fabrics for my own house and came across Cloth Fabric.  They’re based in Australia (but they ship to the United States!) and their fabrics are oh so fun.  I love that each of their patterns are inspired by Australia – from the plants, sand, raindrops and even the vibrating train tracks of the Central railway.  Founded by Julie Paterson, Cloth Fabric handmakes their products sustainably.  Hemp, linen and organic cotton are staples and the dyes & inks are water-based.  I’ve included a few of my favorite patterns below as well as a few of Cloth’s furniture pieces, upholstered, of course, with their fabrics.  Enjoy!

Wattle in Night

Two Up in Indigo

Currawong in Surf

Stoney in Pink

Abstract in Steel

Photos from Cloth Fabric

Any website that pairs social media with interior design always gets a gold star in my book.  But what’s so exciting about Design Shuffle is that they take the concept one step further by creating a platform for design professionals to showcase their portfolio work, share their inspirations and network.  I love the easy integration with Twitter & Facebook, plus their content changes regularly as designers join and existing members update their profiles.  And as always, registration is free.  Today we are fortunate to have Joanna from Design Shuffle here on Pretty Little Green Things to share with us how to take care of our beautiful organic linens.  It’s not as simple as just sticking them in the washing machine!  ~Petra

If you made the investment in organic linens, you’ll want to treat them well. Like the fine hand-spun linens used by generations past, organic linens should be handled with care. Taking some tips from our grandmothers, here are some simple, green suggestions for keeping your linens clean and fresh while extending their years of use in many interior design ideas and projects to come.

Magnifico (via)

Washing

Front loading washers use less water and detergent than their top loading siblings. Warm water and the gentle cycle will prolong the life of your sheets by protecting the fibers from over agitation.

There are many options in eco-friendly laundry detergents, fabric softeners and dryer sheets. Avoid petroleum based detergents and look for detergents and fabric softeners that are phosphate free. If you need to brighten your linens, consider using Borax instead of chlorine bleach. Borax is a natural product that boosts the effectiveness of your detergent and brightens whites.

Christian Homekeeper (via)

Drying

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of sleeping on linens dried in the sun, you know no dryer sheet can ever replicate the fresh scent. Line drying your linens not only saves electricity but the sun will naturally brighten sheets and clothes. Give your dryer a summer vacation and dry all your clothes outside.

Ironing

Yes, ironing. You probably think the only people who still iron their sheets are grandmothers and Martha Stewart. We’re not saying this is for everyone, but cotton and linen sheets are softer when ironed. Give it a try.

Linen and Lavender (via)

Keeping Linens Fresh

After you’ve gently washed, sun dried, and ironed your linens, neatly fold them and put them in your linen closet or cupboard. Keep them smelling fresh by tucking sachets of just-picked lavender in between the stacks of linens. Or spritz the sheets with an organic linen spray either during ironing or as you make the bed.

Take care of your organic linens for longevity.  You will feel the refreshing effects when you finally lie down in your bedroom for a cozy night’s sleep.

For all of you throw pillow fans out there, I’ve got some eye candy for you today.  If you’re like me, you understand how wonderful that little puffy thing sitting on your sofa truly is.  I mean, just an 18″ x 18″ square can really transform a room with a new pop of color, texture or pattern.  And all without fear of commitment (just make sure when you’re done with it, you donate that pillow cover, and don’t, *gasp* throw it away).

Now I normally look through quite a lot of throw pillows, but when I saw the latest collection from Fabricadabra, it definitely stopped me in my tracks.  I mean, what’s not to love?  They’re beautiful, unique, colorful, fun and above all, eco-friendly.  For those of you who don’t know about Fabricadabra, this awesome company is run by Donna Halloran, a textile industry pro.  All of the fabrics she uses are sustainably sourced and produced, and include organic, handmade and fair-trade options.  In addition, Fabricadabra also sells eco-friendly pillow inserts, which is actually something I don’t see very often, even from green retailers.  Seems like a no-brainer to me, but I digress.

I found it impossible to stick to just one or two pillows to show, so instead I decided to pick a whole bunch and organize them in rainbow order.  So happy Wednesday and enjoy!

Cotton batik crackle pillow cover; Vintage suzani pillow cover

Silk/cotton ikat pillow; Cheeky ikat print on organic cotton

Silk/cotton ikat pillow cover in orange; Dutch wax printed batik cotton pillow cover

Silk/cotton ikat pillow cover; Untreated cotton batik crackle cloth pillow cover

African wax printed cotton sheeting pillow cover; Silk/cotton ikat pillow cover

Tie-dye on organic cotton jersey pillow cover; Silk/cotton ikat pillow cover

Silk/cotton ikat pillow cover in purple; Dutch wax printed/batik pillow cover

Cotton mud cloth pillow cover; Silk/cotton ikat pillow cover in charcoal

Photos from Fabricadabra

Are you ready for Day Three of Pretty Little Green Things’ Holiday Giveaway?  I know I am!  I’m super excited to introduce you to this next retailer.  I’ve been eying the gorgeous placemats & tea towels from Hammocks & High Tea for quite some time, so I was beyond thrilled when founder, Karen Young generously agreed to give away one of her beautiful sachets away to a very lucky reader.

One lucky reader will win one of these Linden patterned sachets in turquoise and filled with lavendar

I was going to fill you in on Karen’s inspiration, but I really think she’s inspired by everything in life – her family, her childhood and just about anything beautiful that passes her way.  And what inspiration!  I’m loving the bright colors and bold patterns (my personal fav is Linden in plum in case you were wondering).  Best of all, her tea towels, napkins, placemats and sachets are handmade of 100% organic cotton and printed with water based inks.  Beautiful + eco-friendly = my requirements!

Recently featured in Elle Decor & on the Nate Berkus Show, this lady is going places.  Make sure to snatch yours up before everyone else does!

Linden in plum – my fav!

What a statement for your kitchen!

After looking at the pictures, I was thinking what a shame it would be to throw one of these sachets in a drawer and not see it all the time (although the lavender essence would be quite lovely).  That was until Karen suggested that they also make nice Christmas ornaments.  Clever!  So that of course got me wondering what you all are doing to decorate your houses for the holidays?  How will be be greening your home (literally & figuratively) this holiday season?  Leave a comment below to enter to win the gorgeous turquoise sachet from Hammocks & High Tea.

And the fine print…although not required to win, I highly recommend that you follow Hammocks & High Tea on Twitter (and me too if you don’t already).  She’s a very entertaining & engaged tweeter.  And help us spread the word by telling your followers & friends about this amazing giveaway (use @PrettyLGreen and @HammocksHighTea on Twitter so we can see your tweets).  The winner will be announced next Wednesday, so you have a week to send us your comments.  Good luck!

Photos from Hammocks & High Tea

Manufacturers are finally understanding that there is a demand for eco-friendly products.  And lately I’ve been seeing a profusion of organic bedding.  It makes sense though – you spend most of your life in bed so you should be sleeping in the cleanest possible environment.  But if you’re a consumer looking for new sheets or a duvet, you may be a bit overwhelmed by your choices.  Fortunately if you like fun patterns and bright colors, I have just the company for you – Plover Organic.  In short, they use organic cotton, eco-friendly dyes, hand printing methods and fair-trade practices to manufacture.  If you’re interested in reading more about their eco-creds, you can visit their website here.  If you’re interested in seeing some of their fun and colorful patterns, well, here you go!

You can see that Plover Organic has a complete range of duvets, quilts, sheets, pillowcases, shams and throw pillows.  Just the thing to put together an entire bed-scape!  They also have a line of tabletop linens and fabric by the yard to round out the collection.

I think this bed might be my favorite.  The mix of gray with the brighter green and teal is just gorgeous – a little serious and a little fun just like me!

And as you can see here, Plover Organic also does crib bedding too.

Photos from Plover Organic

Now I’ve seen a lot of interior products – it’s what I do all day and how I unwind at night (what could be better than a new shelter mag and a glass of wine?)  I’m generally a lover of most things, but it takes something really unique to get me to truly sit up and take notice.  So when I first saw wallpaper and pillows from Shanan Campanaro of Eskayel, they stopped me dead in my tracks.  The patterns are beyond gorgeous and so different than anything I’ve ever seen.  (See what I mean?  A smattering of the patterns are above).

Shanan is an artist by trade but started experimenting by digitally manipulating portions of her artwork into kaleidoscopic patterns on wallpaper.  The result is what you see here.  You can tell that a few of these came from a painting of a sleeping polar bear (beyond gorgeous), while others it’s much harder to tell.  I imagine you can look at this wallpaper for hours and always see something different.  Here’s a link to Shanan’s artist website so you can see the original works of art for yourself.

Now for the green creds: Shanan’s pillows are 100% eco-friendly, made with organic denim, water based inks and digitally printed (and made locally if you’re near Pennsylvania and sold in Brooklyn).  The wallpapers contain no VOCs, are vinyl free and also digitally printed (no run off waste).  Gorgeous and eco-friendly?  Sign me up!

So what else will Eskayel be taking on you ask?  Fabrics and ceramic tumblers.  I have to save something for another post, so you’ll have to be patient.  In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a few more pictures of Shanan Campanaro’s gorgeous patterns.  Enjoy!

Photos from Eskayel

It’s such a rare treat when I get to go to the Decoration & Design Building.  An entire building dedicated to interior design products is a pretty great thing in my book and I always find trips there so inspiring.  I went for wools and furs for a work project, but figured I could keep my eye open for eco-friendly offerings as well.  After walking through showrooms for most of the day, I have to say I was disappointed by the green options available to designers.  There were a few showrooms that got it (Pollack among them), but most just didn’t even have it on their radar.  It’s a shame.

Here are a few of the things I did find.  Again, mostly slim pickings in the green department.  However, there was a good linen selection, which is always an option.  The fabrics and wallpaper below are only sold to the trade, but you can usually buy thru a design center for a small fee.  These pictures were taken with my camera phone, so you’ll just have to use your imagination.

This is an embroidered unbleached linen from Mokum.  They have a great selection of fabrics, although most tend to be woven for commercial use (i.e. synthetic fibers and finishes).

Although you can’t really tell from this photo, this is a gorgeous linen from Creations Metaphores.  They have a great selection of natural fibers in modern colors and textures.

This is a cork wallpaper from Philip Jeffries.  Cork is an incredible eco-friendly material – rapidly renewable and very durable.  Not just for bulletin boards, it can be used for floors, lampshades, or as you see here, walls.  Plus Philip Jeffries is a wonderful company with lots of natural wallpaper options and a commitment to the environment.

I’ve been a fan of Pollack for quite some time – they’re a fabric company that truly gets it.  So much of their time goes into fabric development, which really comes out in their end product.  Their fabrics are well made and just beautiful.  And now with their Pure line, they have many green options.  I’ll be talking about them in a later post so stay tuned…

This is just one example of the many eco-friendly fabrics from Brentano, which they call Brentano green.  They have a great selection of really beautiful eco-fabrics so you’ll definitely be hearing more about them from me.  They’re sold through Pollack.  Way to go Brentano & Pollack!

This sheer from Knoll Luxe is colorful, bright and truly beautiful, so you’ll just have to use your imagination.  Knoll has been working with high-end fashion designers for some of their fabric lines, including this sheer designed by Rodarte.  It’s gorgeous, fashionable AND eco-friendly.  What’s not to love?

I try to be positive and upbeat in this blog – if I find a green product that’s not up to my standard, I just don’t feature it.  But I was so disappointed with this selection from Kravet that I couldn’t contain myself.  Kravet has always been a leader in the interior design industry, so I was excited when I heard they had an eco-friendly line of fabrics called Kravet Green.  Until I saw them.  These fabrics are boring, uninspired and just plain ugly.  C’mon Kravet is this the best you can do?