Today’s #flaxfactfriday is about the process involved in the making of our 100% pure organic cotton throws. Here is Natsukashi founder, Sasha, with Maria Kompiana from Lepo Lorun women’s weaving group collecting cotton from their community owned naturally occurring, organic cotton plantation. • We often travel to Flores, Indonesia, where we work with a co-op of extremely talented women who do the entire making process including harvest (pictured here) by hand! • The cotton bud is collected from the plant, de-seeded, cleaned, carded (fibers aligned), spun (using their feet + a small instrument - so incredible to watch!) + finally hand dyed + hand woven into ‘ikat’ (cotton textiles that are used as bed covers, throws or wall hangings). • Cotton is easily spun into yarn as the cotton fibers flatten, twist, and naturally interlock for spinning. • The making of our cotton textiles has such a low impact on the environment + is made without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers or pesticides, making it completely organic (trusted so much so, that the women grow their crops of food alongside the cotton). • Cotton fabric alone accounts for half of the fiber worn in the world, taking up 2.5% of the worlds cultivated land + yet it accounts for 16% of the worlds entire pesticide use - eeek!! This beautiful plant comes at an alarming cost on humans + the planet which is why it’s imperative for us to use traditional methods of making + of course organic cotton only. (at Flores Island)
