Steve

I’m a true fan of cotton, though wish the plant itself were ecologically friendly. So, being the ever vigilant “do gooder” I went to check out the hemp fabrics online. Yikes! What I found was about 20 – 25 dollars a yard.

I suppose now that the government ceding to the practical growth of hemp for commercial use the price will eventually come down, but for now trying to do good and finding a way to afford it are two vastly different things.

It seems that I’ll be clinging to my cotton for the time being.
:|

patricej

ok. i'll bite. why is cotton considered ecologically unfriendly?

kathy

yes, Steve, inquiring minds want to know!

Moonpi

Cotton is friendly enough for me. I have had hemp clothing, and found it comfortable and hard-wearing. I'd like the option of trying it out. I understand Canada allows growth now, so prices should come down.

Knot Sew

Hemp comes from the pot plant :lol: Do you like house plants Steve? :lol:

mimisharon

Living in the land of cotton, as I do, please tell me why it's so bad for our environment....should I stop quilting until we come up with a better stuff? Hemp? Not me, stinks to high heaven and is hard to sew with all the little splinters of strands make me crazier.

Pot plants, Steve? Well, I've heard that pot makes the music more mellow.............................???? There was a granny last week or the week before found out not to grow it, was't there? :lol:

Steve

Mostly it is due to the pesticides and insecticides, which is a shame:

Cotton uses approximately 25% of the world's insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides. It takes roughly one-third of a pound of chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers) to grow enough cotton for just one T-shirt. Indeed there are organic cottons available, though hemp is more durable and requires little in the way of water, or insecticides.

It’s sad really because so much of the world population depends on cotton production, but the way in which much of it is manufactured is making the planet sick.

Once again, you can't get high off hemp; it's the stuff that goes into making rope. One of the largest PACs against hemp production I note (before the current laws) was the cotton industry and they perpetuated that myth.

Anywho, I still love my cotton, but was wondering about hemp. I had a shirt someone gave me that was nice but had a pot leaf on it so I wouldn't wear it out (I'm not a counter culture billboard). The material however was beautiful. It felt great and lasted forever.

Steve

"...and is hard to sew with all the little splinters of strands." Have you seen some of the new linens? I've never tried sewing the stuff but it reminds me of wool, true some of the fabric is rough and yet some of it is soft and supple.

ilena

And if you sew REALLY REALLY fast, the heat from your sewing machine...

(sorry I couldn't help it!!!) :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Are there companies that sell organic cotton that do not use pesticides when growing? I had never considered this, thanks for the eye opener Steve.

lin

Yes there are ilena, but I can't remember the name now. There was a quilt store in my area that carried fabric made from organically grown cotton, but it was outrageously expensive. I think something like $20 per yard. It was beautiful and soft, but there's no way I could ever afford that, nor were there very many selections at the time. Maybe in the future? That would be nice.