About Us

About Organic Cotton

We are a small, family run business. We've been selling fabric for thirty years but it was only in the last few years that we became aware of the damage we do to people in third world countries who grow cotton and have to rely on pesticides. Thousands die each year. They live miserable lives.

Imagine working with no protective gear, having to spray continuously with lethal poisons that cause terrible illness, depression and death. We cannot expect people to die in order for us to have a new cotton T-shirt.

Most of these farmers have 4 or 5 acres. By allowing them to farm organically, they and their families can live a more prosperous and healthy life that allows crop rotation and non-reliance on pesticide and fertiliser sellers. 

Organic means that the cotton is grown without the use of pesticides, using pheromone traps, crop rotation, hand picking of bugs and natural repellents.

This allows farmers to grow food and keep animals instead of being reliant on costly chemicals and fertilizers. They receive more for their crop and the input costs are lower.

Do have a look at the excellent PAN (Pesticide action network) website.

Most of our cotton comes from Agrocel. (do check out their website)

Certification

All our cotton is certified by SKAL. (Nederlands based Union Control -the major cotton certifier). Most of our cotton yarn comes from Agrocel and is Fair Trade

Some is also OEKOTEX or GOTS  or Soil Association certified.

Please ask if you would like to see current certificates - we really don't mind and believe that we should all be aware of the possibility that people may jump on the 'organic' bandwagon without being true to its ideals.

Organic organisations.

Ther are many worthy ecological, ethical organisations. The Fairtrade Foundation is the major organisation in the UK.

Fairtrade certification gives small-scale cotton farmers in developing countries the power to improve their livelihoods by ensuring they receive a fair and stable price for their cotton and the additional Fairtrade premium that is used by the farmers for community development projects.

Bamboo.
There's lots to know about bamboo, it grows freely but the process of converting it to yarn uses chemicals, new ways of processing using enzymes are being developed. Cotton, linen and hemp all go through chemical processing too. I would urge you to research yourself and make your own decision. We take the view that it is less harmful to people than conventional cotton growing.

Thank you for considering our fabrics. Do get in touch if there is anything you'd like to know .

Dylan Thomas our famous Welsh Bard, based his great work 'Under Milk Wood' on Newquay which is close to where we live. He called the town Llareggub   (spells bugger all backwards- meaning 'nothing there' )

he wrote  ;-
I am a draper mad with love. I love you more than all the flannelette and calico, candlewick, dimity, crash and merino, tussore, cretonne, crepon, muslin, poplin, ticking and twill in the whole Cloth Hall of the world. I have come to take you away to my Emporium on the hill, where the change hums on wires. Throw away your little bedsocks and your Welsh wool knitted jacket, I will warm the sheets like an electric toaster, I will lie by your side like the Sunday roast.