Fiber Organics

All things organic, sustainable and otherwise crunchy in the world of sewing / knitting / fashion / craft!

Hemp skirt with raw edges

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

I'm even more in love with the finished product than I was with the pattern. This is a Vogue skirt (V8296) made in lovely berry-colored hemp/soy linen. It's cut on the bias to show off the lovely drape of this fabric. My favorite part: the raw edges of the fabric, lapped rather than seamed, which will fray and soften over time.  Read more ...

Sewing with the modern woman: nostalgia for creativity

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

At my local funky used bookstore this weekend, I picked up this awesome $2 find: a "modern" sewing manual from 1932. "Sewing Secrets" introduces all the basics of professional sewing for the modern woman. Sigh ... it makes me nostalgic for a time when creative ability was an expected part of life.  Read more ...

How perfect do you need your project to be?

Monday, September 28, 2009

Consider for a moment … when you begin a new craft project, what "mind" do you bring to the making of it? Do you strive for perfection (every stitch in place, every seam straight)? Do you follow the pattern as if you’re trying to get an A?  Read more ...

How to get started sewing

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Often when I mention to someone that I know how to sew, they look at me with awe and amazement, as if I've mastered the art of hovering in mid-air. Or they'll sigh wistfully and say "I wish I'd learned", as though they'd missed a train that comes by only once in a lifetime.  Read more ...

Baby blanket drive for Project Night Night

Saturday, September 19, 2009

If you're a crafty person living in the Bay Area, my friend Khadija over at Barakah Life is conducting her annual Sew Giving baby blanket drive. Blankets will be given to Project Night Night to distribute to children in homeless shelters.  Read more ...

Good at geometry? Take a look at a zero-waste pattern layout.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Eco-conscious readers already know that the garment industry has a lot of issues when it comes to environmental and social concerns. Aside from the question of which fibers are used and how they are dyed, another BIG problem in the industry is waste.  Read more ...