The materials I use
Key principles
Like most handcrafters, I spend a lot of time thinking about the materials that go into the things I make. It’s often assumed that doing things by hand is inherently more sustainable, more environmentally friendly, than buying something produced in a factory. And in many cases, it is. But that doesn’t mean we can just ignore the reality that the materials we use have to come from somewhere – they have a footprint. We have to deal with the same challenges of balancing material cost, product affordability, quality, suitability and sustainability as big companies, except that our options are often more limited. So whilst I have tried to lay out the principles that guide my choice of materials in the various categories of products I offer, it will always be an ongoing negotiation between these different factors.
Principle 1: Transparency over perfection
As a crafter, I would love to only use the highest-end materials and supplies – the ones that are certified, traceable, environmentally dyed etc etc etc. Unfortunately in our modern economic system, these things are special, and they command a special price. And not “special” as in buy-one-get-one-free or three-for-too, but “special” as in “high”. That means that when I use those materials, I have to charge similarly special prices, and that’s not affordable for everyone. But whilst trying to walk the tightrope of quality and affordability, I commit to always being as honest as I can about the materials used.
Principle 2: Waste busting
Every craft activity produces some sort of waste. Part of the joy of textiles though is that there’s usually a way of making something beautiful (or at least useful) from every by-product. That’s why I have a whole product range devoted to finding ways to transform waste into something beautiful. And I commit to continuously finding new ways to make use of by-products, whether from my own crafts, or other people’s.
Principle 3: Made to last
I can’t tell you what to do with the things that you buy from me. But if you’ve found your way to my site, I imagine you share many of my values and ideals. So you’ll understand what I mean when I say that I make things for you to love and treasure – and look after. So whilst I commit to making products in the most conscientious way possible, I ask you to commit to taking care of those products, and only buying those things that you are prepared to look after.
Category-specific commitments
Naturally luxurious
The simple vision:
Made primarily from cotton, linen and wool, prioritising certified producers.
The messy reality:
What exactly does it mean for a textile to be ‘natural’? Is it simply that it’s made from a plant or animal source? Or that it’s biodegradable? But what about the dyeing processes that went into producing them? Or any treatments applied to make the washing-machine-safe? Or the environmental impacts of growing vast crops of cotton, for example?
Unfortunately, it’s often impossible as a consumer to trace the complete supply chain of any commercially produced thread. This is why I prioritise producers that are certified to rigorous standards like the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) or Oeko-Text. However, materials certified to these standards do come at a higher price, which I have to pass on. For the sake of affordability, I do sometimes also use non-certified yarn in my products. This will always be clearly disclosed in the product description.
Loud and proud
The simple vision:
Primarily Pride-themed, but really anything bring and bold, meant to let anybody and everybody show off their true colours, without breaking the bank
The messy reality:
Very much the spiritual core of my business, this is the area of the greatest tension between quality and affordability. Much as I would like to only use certified organic yarn in these products, there are a couple of challenges. The first is that most Pride flags contain multiple different colours. This means that I have to buy several different yarns in order to make one thing, even though I’m only going to use a bit of each. That wouldn’t in itself be a problem, except that doing things by hand is comparatively slow, so it takes me a while to get through a stash, but I still have to incur the initial outlay. That in turn would mean having to keep prices quite high, making them unaffordable for some parts of the community, which is not acceptable. The second problem is that – as a broad trend – the range of colours offered by truly eco-friendly brands tends to be more limited, which means they can’t accommodate some flags. There are three shades of pink and three shades of orange in the lesbian flag, for example, and there aren’t many environmentally friendly companies that offer that range.
All of this means that many of the things in this category are made from acrylics and other synthetic fibres – not all, of course, but most. It’s not ideal, but remember Principle 1: Transparency over perfection.
Rescued and revived
The simple vision:
Made from leftovers and by-products of other processes, adding value to what would otherwise be waste
The messy reality:
In some ways, this is relatively simple. I hate throwing things away, so I have stashes of leftovers, like the ‘scuff’ from spinning, which I might felt into little sheep figurines, or the trimmings off a scarf, which I might embroider into a ‘couch’-style picture. I find it deeply satisfying to find ways of reclaiming these bits and pieces from going into the bin. But it doesn’t stop there – in this category I also include products that I’ve made from other people’s waste (I love a swap-shop) and also from yarn I’ve acquired through things like end-of-line/season clearances or remainder/deadstock sales. Whether this is truly ‘waste’ is a matter of debate, but I maintain that if it was just sitting there not being put to use, then it’s waste, and well worth reclaiming!
Field-to-fashion
The simple vision:
Made from fibres – animal- or plant-based – produced and processed locally in short, fully traceable supply chains
The messy reality:
This category is still a bit of a work in progress. Unfortunately, my region, once a major hub of the wool industry, has lost much of the infrastructure required to process that fibre into useable yarn. There is work going on behind the scenes to revive that infrastructure, and I’d be happy to chat with you if that’s something you’re interested in, but there’s a long road ahead.
That said, if you’ve got a source of fibre, such as sheep’s fleece, that’s currently going to waste, or if you’re thinking about experimenting with growing your own plant fibre, such as flax, on a commercial scale, I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a line at david@truecolourscraft.co.uk, so we can have a chat about finding ways of making use of your fibre.