A KIND CLOTH TURNED ONE!
Thank You!
We are so excited / cannot believe that A KIND CLOTH has been in trading for one year already! A huge huge THANK YOU goes out to you, our wonderful sewing family: loyal customers, supporters, friends and cheerleaders! Not only do purchases made keep us busy and successful, but every social media 'like', comment or share makes the world of difference in working with the ever changing algorithms in the evolving world of e-commerce.
This past year has been incredibly tough for all of us, the pandemic weaving a tail of mass destruction in all parts of our lives. For me, sewing has been a welcome therapy: getting creative, inspired and engaged, albeit sometimes a form of escape! From what I have seen across social media platforms, this has been the case for many of you too.
The COP26 summit held in the UK, in Glasgow at the end of last year brought much-needed attention to the climate crisis we are facing. Whilst we, as a whole, are moving in the right direction, there is still a lot of work to be done, with targets set way too far in the future. Which is why, we as individuals need to keep learning and sharing. As a collective, our actions can create change quicker.
A KIND CLOTH's sustainable fabric journey - the first year
Viscose
As the year has progressed, we realised that although Viscose is a biodegradable fabric (as it is derived from wood pulp), the demand for this fabric leads to deforestation. At 'A Kind Cloth' we now only stock Viscose that has been sourced ethically. EcoVero is a brand of such Viscose, ensuring the wood pulp is derived from sustainable sources, and the manufacturing processes has a much lower impact on the environment. Making this decision meant that our choice of Viscose fabrics diminished vastly. But deforestation is a huge problem we cannot afford to ignore.
Cotton
Cotton is often labelled as a sustainable fabric as it is a natural fibre. However, the crop of cotton as well as the manufacturing process is incredibly water intensive and not sustainable at all. Where the fabric is 100% cotton, we choose to source either organic cottons, or cottons under the Better Cotton Initiative. These processes require better water management and the use of little or no pesticides to ensure the safety of workers and the end-user. The environmental impact being significantly lower than conventional cotton.
There may still be Viscose and Cotton fabrics listed on our site that are the conventional fabrics. These will have been pre-ordered before we made our decision to no longer source such fabrics.
Fabric Blends
Fabric blends can be difficult to recycle at the end of the garment's life, so the sustainable factor is always called into question. Unfortunately, there are a lot of garments we wear that require blends of fibres to make use of the varying properties and qualities of each one. So although we choose to primarily source 100% fabrics, we will also source fabric blends, though at a much lower rate, whilst researching further into the world of textile recycling.
Next for A KIND CLOTH
As always, we are continually learning and researching into the methods used in fabric manufacture, and how it can benefit us all, without harming others.
We hope to expand our collection of sustainable, eco-friendly fabrics, listening to what our customers want, with new exciting fabrics and designs, seeking out collaborations. We look forward to being able to share all this with you!
Ongoing promotions
As we grow and change, there may be the need to stop some fabric collections as we move direction. Which is why from time-to-time, you can find selected fabrics on sale on our Fabric Sale page.
As part of the sustainability factor, we encourage the reduction of waste. When we come towards the end of a fabric, there is often a length of fabric leftover. We call these lengths remnants, and these are offered at a discounted price for those of you who can find something to make with these pieces. These can be found on our Fabric Remnants Page.
To encourage inspiration and recognise your wonderful sewing skills, you can tag your makes using #akindcloth on Instagram and be in with a chance of winning a £30 voucher to spend at our store! Your post just needs to feature a purchase made from us - i.e. fabric, sewing pattern, buttons etc.
Once again, thank you so so much for supporting us during this year. It has certainly been tough, trying to juggle life, wear all the hats, and keep up with the creativity and intrigue! We look forward to another exciting year!
So much love and thanks, Marine xx