Like many quilt stores, HoneyBeGood Quilting and Supply is born out of a fetish for fabrics. Over twenty years of quilting I've collected quite a few as you can imagine, but until fairly recently gave little thought to the fabric's journey from the soil to my cutting table. During the process of learning about the quilting industry from the supply side it quickly became apparent to me that conventional cotton is not pretty, in fact it's downright ugly. Many of us know the issues plaguing the fashion industry, from worker's rights to fair wages, to frenzied supply and demand. It's simply not sustainable. It turns out there is also frenzy for quilter's cotton and the suppliers are generating an enormous amount of it and pushing it out as fast as they can, at the expense of many people*.
In my research I've drafted a list of what makes a product 'sustainable' and have condensed it down to four guiding principles that I'll use to determine if it's suited for HoneyBeGood. This is a draft and will probably be fine-tuned over time, but the original intent will remain the same. I'm learning along the way, that there are no absolute answers to the sustainability issue and that the best thing anyone can do is make educated decisions and strive to do the least harm.
HoneyBeGood Quilting and Supply shelves contain products with one or more of these attributes:
- GOTS certified organic. The Global Organic Textile Standard is at the top of the list because GOTS certification covers a range of factors from the farm through the production process, including environmental, human toxicity, and social criteria.
This worldwide standard assures that no harmful or toxic chemicals are used from harvest to manufacture, including the dyeing, washing, and finishing processes. The standard even examines the disposal of waste and wastewater treatment to ensure a minimal impact on the environment.
Strict guidelines have to be met in working conditions as well; companies must provide a safe and hygienic environment, with livable wages, appropriate working hours, and absolutely no child labor. Labor discrimination and inhumane treatment is also prohibited.
This standard guarantees that GOTS labeled textiles are healthy for you and the environment – and provide a fair and just working conditions for those who manufacture them.
Please visit the GOTS website for more details. - Fairtrade. Materials produced under fair and ethical working conditions, including fair payment for producers and reinvestment into the community. These materials are often certified by the Fairtrade Labeling Organization (FLO) or the International Federation for Alternative Trade (IFAT).
- Dye-free and low-impact dyes. While non-toxic dyes are covered in textiles that are GOTS certified, not everything we offer will be certified organic. There are a number of other textile materials including hemp, that are widely considered sustainable, grown without pesticides, but may not be certified organic. We consider these fabrics well-suited for the shop, but the dyes need to meet safety and toxicity requirements.
- Recovered and repurposed. These are materials that would otherwise be added to the waste stream. Off-cuts, end-of-bolts, seconds. Some are organic, some are not. All are made with non-toxic dyes and are top-quality. Available in smaller cuts, they're perfect for patchwork and crazy quilts.
HoneyBeGood is first and foremost a quilt shop run by people who love fabric ... but with a conscience. Our goal is to research and locate the best quality fabrics and embellishments from fair trade, ethical and organic sources and collect them all here for your quilting and sewing pleasure. Navigating the information about sustainability can be confusing. There is a lot of mis-information out there. We hope to help you make sense of it so you can easily learn as much as you want to, get the goods, and then get to quilting!
*Please watch Nero's Guests, a compelling documentary that shines a spotlight on one amazingly devastating aspect of the conventional cotton problem that the mainstream media has swept under the carpet.