Discount Flax Clothing

Caps and Gowns Go Green

The season of graduates has presented itself upon us as quickly as the weather has warmed up. Educated students worldwide wear caps and gowns to display their recent accomplishments. Graduation ceremonies last a mere two hours where the gown is then taken off and thrown away to contribute to the already overfilled landfills. A clothing company titled Oak Hall Cap and Gown has decided to make a difference in the way caps and gowns are treated. A couple years ago a line was released called GreenWeaver , which spins up caps, gowns, and other graduate accessories out of molten plastic pellets. In 2011, they are finally gaining popularity and are being used at about 5% of colleges and universities. These caps and gowns are able to be recycled over and over into new ones for the following classes. Designated recycling bins are placed around the ceremonial area for the graduates to dispose of their gowns after their processional march.

The rising popularity of these gowns reminds everyone attending the graduation that it is no longer a fad or trend to go green, but a necessity. The simple act of buying these gowns lets everyone know that it is easy, just as comfortable, and less expensive to wear something recycled. Some other famous graduate companies, such as Josten’s, started making a wood-fibered gown that decomposes in soil. Wear this one and then toss it in your compost pile, how convenient and eco-friendly.
Green fashion is on the rise. A few weeks ago I posted an article on clothes made from Kombucha , and now ones made from recycled water bottles and wood. Of course there are plenty of other green options out there such as hemp, organic cottons, and flax. Or you could always recycle your own clothing with a little help from a sewing machine and scissors. The hot weather has reached us and cutting old jeans into shorts is not a thing of the past. If you don’t like the cut-off look, make a simple hem line with a needle and thread. Add on some buttons or a brightly colored stitch for your own touch of style. If sewing is not up your alley, donate your old clothes to a Goodwill, thrift store, or Buffalo Exchange, and get a discount on their used selection. 

Warmer weather means bikini season. Recycled water bottles have not only made their way onto the arms of graduates, but on the bodies of Victoria Secret models. Victoria’s has released a line of swimwear made from recycled polyester and spandex.

Home Life Simple: Home Economy? Really?

Things, but not necessarily clothing. When did clothing get so cheap, and fabric so expensive? The vision of the dutiful wife and mother, skilled at the sewing machine, clothing her family for pennies, has faded. Furthermore, as a clothing designer/retailer myself, I see that the money it takes to create a finely tailored garment with quality materials far exceeds the cost of a similar mass produced item for sale at discount retail outlets. And we aren't even considering the labor time! So, how does one convince a person (or herself) that a handmade item is worth the cost and effort? Proverbs 31 refers to the virtuous woman who "procures a supply of wool and flax" and "works with willing hands"(v.13) "puts her hand to the staff with the flax; her fingers hold the spinning rod" (v.19) and "has no fear for her household; since all of them are doubly clothed. She makes her own quilts..."(v.21,22) "She makes linen garments and sells them; she supplies the merchants with sashes." (v.24) How shall we reconcile to modern times this oft quoted scripture, which depicts a respected mother and wife who provides for her own household, the needs of the poor, and also conducts a successful business from home using her own hands to create clothing and quilts? It will take a lot of creativity in these modern times to follow the footsteps of the virtuous woman described in Proverbs; but the scripture is not outdated or irrelevant. Good quality fabric may come from overseas, or take some time and creativity to track down. It may be difficult to find a good price. It will require a skillful eye and a sharp mind to make a profit and a good product. When doing the right thing is difficult or seems futile, that isn't your cue to quit. It's a sign that you need to get smarter. Idle hands (the ones that expect success to be easy and obvious) are the ones that fail. Sometimes it's important to remember that all is not lost. Overseas factories don't have to overtake the USA in manufacturing, and it isn't time to give up and roll over. They can mass produce what takes me an hour to make. So? Is it quality? NO. Those of us who have seen clothing last for generations know quality. I have a dress hanging in my closet that my grandmother wore in the 1950's. I have worn it, too, and so will my daughter. It doesn't have a "Made in China" tag on it either. Time for handcrafters to stand up for what they do. We don't have to die.

Textiles and clothing

FLAX Next to wool and cotton, flax is used most largely in our textile manufactures. The linen fiber consists of the bast cells of certain species of flax ...

Shelter and clothing, a textbook of the household arts

Modern " ring " spinning is like the flax wheel, continuous motion, while the " mule " spinning frame is intermittent, as the rovings are drawn out and ...

The American farmer's instructor, or Practical agriculturist, comprehending the cultivation of plants, the husbandry of the domestic animals, and the economy of the farm; together with a variety of information which will be found important to the farmer

I. FLAX. The plants chiefly cultivated for their fibres for thread and the clothing arts, are Flax, Hemp, and in the southern states, Cotton, ...

Textiles and clothing

Small amounts of flax are raised for fiber in Michigan, Minnesota, ... The cost of flax spinning machinery is high, and a flax mill costs four times as much ...

For the Children's Hour

CLOTHING THE FLAX THE flax was in blossom; it had pretty little blue flowers, even more delicate than the moth's wings. The sun shone on it, the raindrops ...