Colorgrown, Undyed, Unbleached Cotton Products

[Former_Member]

This is kind of an s/o off the "scary bunny" thread:

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6016910

I think he's adorable! :D

Do you have anything in your shop that is made of undyed, unbleached cotton? I used colorgrown cotton for two of my giraffes, and they turned out pretty cute:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18581918

http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=11864860

There are some good colorgrown products out there that I think there is a market for. They're not super colorful (like I really love), but they are a viable alternative.

I like that organic colorgrown has a good chance of being exempt from the CPSIA, and I've looked heavily at stocking my shop with only colorgrown organic items after Feb 10th.

Do you have anything like this in your shop? Do you have any plans for using colorgrown and other undyed, unbleached cotton products?

[Former_Member]

i just want to say that i love giraffes... and i love your product!

[NotMyTreeStore]

I love this thread!

I have made no secret in other threads of my love of LionBrand organic cotton (4 colorgrown colors). I even like the colors (even though I normally gravitate toward bright colors, like red and purple). I recently ordered a stash of colorgrown organic cotton fabric, and tonight I hope to crochet an organic accessory from some LionBrand I have in my stash.

I currently have one headband in my shop that's sewn from organic cotton, although the print on it is from a low-impact dye, so the whole product is not organic. Still, it's a start!

We eat mostly organically, too, and I definitely think that some kids (like my son) are more prone to reactions from dyes and such. But to make it a wide-sweeping law that NO kid can play with something that's not organic and colorgrown seems ridiculous to me. My daughter has no reactions to dye, but now I'm supposed to pay $100 for her stuffed animals?

[NotMyTreeStore]

StarbrightBaby, where do you buy your Eco-friendly Fiberfill? Is that the brand name? I've never looked for it, but I'd be interested in buying it!

[Former_Member]

I made a slipper with organic unbleached cotton that has Crayola designs stenciled on it. I like the look of heat set Crayola. Got to make one for kids and list it.

[tiedyediva]

This is undyed organic cotton, stuffed with organic cotton fill. I couldn't bear it without an eye though, so the eyes are regular ol' thread.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18570785

I also have made but not listed an undyed organic cotton fleece/undyed silk blankie, sewn with silk thread. Very beige, but still lovely. I may end up making more of them.

[Former_Member]

Tiedyediva- Adorable! I love his little half-moon eye too... too cute!

Jakboutique- The company that makes Fiberfill is called Leggitt & Platt, and they produce it under the name of Mountain Mist. Here's the website:

http://www.mountainmistlp.com/ecocraft.htm

I LOVE the way it stuffs, it feels so much more natural than polyfiber. Not so "squishy" but it still gives. I can't say enough good things about it!

I can't wait to see the other items mentioned above! :D

[Former_Member]

Check this out - a list of possible exemptions (including many natural fabrics and even wood) See Page 3, first column:

http://www.cpsc.gov/businfo/frnotices/fr09/leadlimits.pdf

[Former_Member]

I like the color grown cotton... but the color range is still very limited. (I'd even get bored with the color range of the organic undyed unbleached alpaca)

I think after awhile the limited color range would really get to me. Also the price of the color grown cotton, and cream color organic is twice as much as my usual yarns, and the organic alpaca is around 3x as spendy...

and I'm sad that even though I know my non-organic, nice brightly dyed baby alpaca yarn, is highly unlikely to have lead. I can't figure out how I can fund testing (even if we're NOT talking about the third party destructive lab test) without raising my prices significantly, to cover the testing... even $5 seems to sometimes break what my market can bear.

[Former_Member]

hemp&:
it's natural fibers as long as they are UNDYED and UNBLEACHED... so my stockpile of dyed yarns in a variety of fibers is sad...

bright blue baby alpaca yarn,...it's sooo soft. but it can't be a baby blanket...or a toy for a GROWN UP.

[Former_Member]

http://www.nearseanaturals.com/index.php

I'm spoiled by hunting and gathering my stash for three bucks a bag/////a BIG BAG//sometimes ten yards/3 bucks,Heck I think I will be the human rototiller for the whole neighborhood cause that is how I feel right now. VENTAGE!

[Former_Member]

Garden anybody?

[Former_Member]

Ventage, noun;refression humour all about distain,you know like dis stain right here......on my shirt where I spilled my coffee because you made me laugh so hard.

[tiedyediva]

Thought I would share where I found my organic cotton fill, since it wasn't easy to find.

http://compostablegoods.com/product_info.php?products_id=146&osCsid=4511779adb3d33f0da82bcae1ec1ea0d

[Former_Member]

Thanks for posting! Do you like the way it stuffs? Tell me about it!

[tiedyediva]

I've been really happy with it, it's light and not bunchy. Cotton does compact some over time but so far everything I have made is looking good ... I even did a 'boppy' style pillow for my own use.

[Former_Member]

Good to know... thanks! I wrote the company that makes the eco friendly fiberfill I have been using to stuff, and they said there are no phthalates in the stuffing, but said it was up to me to certify it since I'm the manufacturer... whetev... I'm looking for a new supplier now. (Even though it will cost about double what I pay now. Ug)

[Former_Member]

Anybody know where I can find old fashioned Milk paint? Maybe that is what I am coming down to.

[Former_Member]

Ahhh...splendid! This goes in mind with a thought that I had earlier. Unbleached natural fibers even without being colorgrown come in such a variety of different tones, just naturally. Colorgrown seems to be the icing on the cake. Hmm..so whites and beiges are coming back in for kids and toddlers---sounds very vintage in an interesting way.

[NotMyTreeStore]

I'm going to check out the organic and natural stuffings mentioned here - thanks for the information!

There probably is a really big market for all-natural (or organic) items. That being said, and given that I would purchase them for my son, I want to reiterate that it's ridiculous that the government would *mandate* these kinds of products, especially when they seem relatively unconcerned with what goes *into* the bodies of our children in regard to food.

[Former_Member]

http://www.milkpaint.com/

I found their samples at recyclenorth and they had order forms on them with the web address.

[NotMyTreeStore]

I listed my first all-organic, all-colorgrown headband:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20379611

I really like it, and so does my daughter. Woo hoo!

[Former_Member]

Jakboutique... that's really cute! ANd your LO is adorable! :D

[NotMyTreeStore]

Thank you, StarbrightBaby! I'm biased, but I like both the headband and the model, too :-). Even with the new law on hold, I'm still going to keep this in my shop and probably stock more organic stuff, too.

[Former_Member]

my local yarn shops carry the color grown organic cotton yarns (usually blue sky) but they're all down in stock...
I can only find the creme, the tan, and the creme/tan marl... doesn't this yarn also come in a rich brown and a sage green? I'm finding a couple different brands (Lion & Blue sky--where they have the organic DYED in stock...in yummy colors <remind me of baked goods>)