ethical fabric sources (2024)

Whether sewing new garments for myself or creating samples of my sewing patterns for my halfmoon ATELIER sewing pattern label, I do my best to use re-purposed, organic and/or sustainably and ethically produced fabrics. When Igot back in to sewing back in 2012, Iwasn't able to find anyof these fabrics in person, and also found it a challenge to source them online. So that you don't have to search as far and wide as I did, I created this long and growing list below ofonline fabric shops that claim to sell exclusively organic and sustainable fabrics.

Looking for something to sew?My sewing patternsare versatile and timeless, which is an important aspect in creating a more sustainable wardrobe.

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What do I mean by "sustainable" and "ethical" fabric when considering shops for the list?

When I say "sustainable" and "ethical", I am generally referring to fabrics that were produced in a manner thatwasrespectful of people and planet as verifiedby internationally recognized certification, such as the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).Because I am in no way an expert on textiles or sustainability, I tend to rely on certification as this covers the entire process, ensuringthat the workers were taken care of as well as the planet.However, certification is not fault-free, and there is no guarantee that the metrics used or prioritized by thecertifying organizationmeets your idea of what is sustainable. Some of the shops listed below also carry un-certified organics. This is also important because achieving certification is an expensive and intensive process, making it out of reach formany small-scale textile producers.

We often think of cotton when talking"sustainable" and "ethical" fabrics, but other examples areflax (linen) and hemp, as these come from plants that require little water or pesticides and regenerate easily (as opposed to cotton, which is apparently more agriculturally intense).

Fabric that has been "recovered" or "reclaimed" from old or unworn clothes iseven more sustainable and ethical than purchasing fabric by the yard. It's also far cheaper - think up-cycling and refashioning!

I also consider "deadstock" fabric to be sustainable, as this is fabric that was over-produced or over-ordered by designers.So while thecontent of the fabric may not be organic, for example,this is kind of like using the remnants or scraps ofdesigners in our home sewing.

Why do I choose these fabrics? So many reasons!

+ Because I can't stand the idea ofhurting somebody so that I can have something. I do not claim perfection in my fabric stashor wardrobe, but it is something that is always on my mind.
+ Because placing strict restrictions on the type of fabric I allow myself to purchase means that, although my fabric is more expensive per yard, Idon't spend a lot on fabric in a year and maintain a very small stash.
+ I am pretty minimal and live in a location thatbasically has one season. This meansthat the few clothes I do have never get a break andtherefore need to be high quality.
+ Clothing cannot be recycled where I live. Aswe tend to wear things until they're nearly threadbare in my family (or stained beyond repair), I want to make sure thatour clothing is relatively burn-safe (wastedoes not go into landfills here but gets burned).

Would you liketo be more sustainable in your sewing practice, but don't know where to start?

+MEND: mend old clothes, rather thanreplacing them, whenever possible
+ REUSE:up-cycle old and unworn clothes to create something new and unique!
+ THRIFT: if you have access to thrift stores, check to see if they havefabrics (including sheets!) that suit your style
+ BUY:purchase the highest quality and most sustainably produced fabrics that fit within your family budget.

For more information on the sustainability of fabrics, I highly recommend starting with this article and then just spending some time clicking around on the Time to Sew blog by Kate.Kate is also very interested in sustainability in sewingand is an excellent researcher and writer on the subject. She also happens to be a friend of mine (a long time internet friend who I finally got to meet in person inSeptember 2019!).

If you're looking for a place to source fabric where sustainable is the standard, the following shops claim to sellexclusively organic and sustainably produced fabrics.

(P.S. It's totally cool if youwant to buy something already made. If you'd still like to try and shop more sustainable options, head over here.)

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