Sustainability has been at the forefront of many peoples’ minds for years, but this year has seen a considerable push in the fashion industry to become more eco-friendly. For those of us at home who are also looking to minimize our carbon footprint, how can we help? First, you may want to check out Mood’s guide on different fabric certifications; what exactly does it mean to be sustainable vs. eco-friendly? Is organic fabric different from vegan-friendly fabric? (It is!) There are a ton of different routes you can take in order to make your designs less harmful to the planet, our home, so let’s take a look at a few fiber types that will get us pointed in the right direction!
Purchase Materials Used Below:
- 2.5 yards Mood Exclusive Turtledove Snapdragon Sketches Sustainable Viscose and Linen Woven
- 1/2 yard Gray Violet Double-Faced Velvet Ribbon with a Gray Satin Border – 0.375″
- MDF139 – The Vallea Tunic Sewing Pattern (free download below!)
All seam allowances are 1/2″ unless otherwise stated. See chart below for sizing specifications. Note, this specific pattern is available up to a size 30.
Sustainable Fabrics to Look For:
Natural Fibers
When looking to sew sustainably, natural fibers will always be your best bet. Cotton, particularly organic cotton, is among the most popular fabrics that are both eco-friendly and easy to wear. Mood carries a variety of certified sustainable cotton fabrics such as BCI and Oeko-Tex certified collections.
Hemp and (more popularly) linen are also fantastic options when talking sustainbility. Linen requires little water and is easy to grow, even in poor-quality soil. In addition, every part of the plant is used, meaning nothing is wasted when producing this fabric fave. The result is a strong and resilient, yet soft and very wearable fabric option.
Tencel is often a great choice when making simple and chic clothing. As a cellulose fiber, it is created by dissolving wood pulp. While some argue that wood isn’t the most sustainable option, others celebrate Tencel’s closed-loop manufacturing process, which recycles the chemicals used and reduces harmful waste.
Fabrics to Avoid When Sewing Sustainably:
- Polyurethane (such as vinyl or faux leather)
- Sequins
- Nylon
- Polyester
- Elastane
- Acrylic
Where can I find the sewing instructions to this free pattern: they are not in the download.
Hi, Julie! The original Vallea post and instructions are here. 🙂
Thanks for this helpful & necessary article! Just watched a documentary about fashion + the environment on hbo and was shook to say the least.
I wanted to ask- isn’t cotton one of the fibers that requires the most water to grow/process?
It’s definitely better than synthetic/plastics (I read that the micro-plastics shed while washing synthetic fibers end up in the ocean?!)
This is such a large scale situation, so glad to see Mood supporting sustainability! 🙂
♥️