Textile Textbook: Know Your Natural Fibers
Whether you desire fresh linen sheets or a swanky mohair rug, Mother Earth has you covered
Jess McBride
February 15, 2016
Houzz Contributor. Custom decorating professional and content creator for the home design industry with a lifelong passion for color, pattern, and texture of every "stripe"
Houzz Contributor. Custom decorating professional and content creator for the home... More
As we become ever more knowledgeable about the physical and environmental effects of chemicals that quietly sneak into our homes, many of us find ourselves looking for healthy, natural alternatives. We’ve banished VOC-laden paints from our nurseries and cheered the demise of BPA in our water bottles, and now eco-conscious consumers are turning away from synthetic textiles in the home and back to ages-old natural fibers like cotton, wool and linen.
Linen
Derived from the flax plant, linen is one of the strongest vegetable fibers around. It was also among the first to be made into textiles. Its virtues include durability, high absorbency and resistance to sun rot, though it stretches and wrinkles easily.
Derived from the flax plant, linen is one of the strongest vegetable fibers around. It was also among the first to be made into textiles. Its virtues include durability, high absorbency and resistance to sun rot, though it stretches and wrinkles easily.
Retailers like Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware have made an art form of the organic “linen look,” but perfectionists be warned: It takes a lot of effort to keep linen looking crisp. Its tendency to wrinkle and stretch means your linen draperies and bedding will need to be steamed relatively frequently to remain crease-free. If you’re planning to use this popular material, you might want to consider embracing the undone look of it in all its natural charm.
Admirers of the French country and farmhouse styles already know that linen looks beautiful as upholstery, but take care to either choose a hardier linen woven with that function in mind or to consider a linen blend. Blended linens offer the signature look with the stability and wrinkle resistance of an alternative fiber.
Mohair
You’d never guess from the photo of this headboard, but mohair fibers start off white and very fine. Culled from the long, silken fleece of the Angora goat, it’s an extremely durable and long-lasting upholstery fabric. Not to be confused with Angora wool, which comes from the Angora rabbit and is used in sweaters, mohair is noted for its luster and warmth.
You’d never guess from the photo of this headboard, but mohair fibers start off white and very fine. Culled from the long, silken fleece of the Angora goat, it’s an extremely durable and long-lasting upholstery fabric. Not to be confused with Angora wool, which comes from the Angora rabbit and is used in sweaters, mohair is noted for its luster and warmth.
Mohair works beautifully as upholstery because it feels soft, plush and insulating in the winter while providing natural moisture wicking in the summer.
Fun fact: The United States (specifically Texas) is the world’s second-largest cultivar of mohair, after South Africa.
Fun fact: The United States (specifically Texas) is the world’s second-largest cultivar of mohair, after South Africa.
Wool
Less luminous than mohair but equally cozy, wool adds softness and texture wherever it’s used.
Less luminous than mohair but equally cozy, wool adds softness and texture wherever it’s used.
Wool textiles date back nearly as long as those of cotton, with evidence of their use in the late Stone Ages. The nearly 200 varieties of wool available today are sourced from 40 different breeds of sheep.
Wool, a protein fiber, is prized for its outstanding resiliency and elasticity. It’s naturally dirt-resistant and insulating, making it the perfect choice for upholstery and cozy winter blankets. One inventive designer decided to combine the two ideas, upholstering the inside of this wing chair in a wool blanket.
Cashmere
It’s no mystery that pretty cashmere costs a pretty penny, but not everybody understands why that is.
True cashmere comes from the kashmir goat in the Himalayas, where the animals’ undercoats are combed once a year, during the spring molting season. This annual harvest yields only about 150 grams of cashmere per goat, and when you consider that a single throw blanket requires close to 550 grams, the high price tag begins to make sense.
It’s no mystery that pretty cashmere costs a pretty penny, but not everybody understands why that is.
True cashmere comes from the kashmir goat in the Himalayas, where the animals’ undercoats are combed once a year, during the spring molting season. This annual harvest yields only about 150 grams of cashmere per goat, and when you consider that a single throw blanket requires close to 550 grams, the high price tag begins to make sense.
For cashmere lovers, the expense is well worth it. Air pockets within the fibers make cashmere lightweight yet three times more insulating than most wool. Used as a wall treatment in this bedroom, it insulates against sound too.
Silk
Silk, spun from proteins in the silkworm’s cocoon, is the only natural fiber created from one long, continuous filament rather than individual staple fibers (shorter pieces of uniform length.) When woven together, these threads form an exceptionally strong yet lightweight fabric that drapes wonderfully.
Because silk can degrade with exposure to sunlight, it’s essential to heavily line silk draperies. Beyond the standard drapery liner, a flannel interlining or cotton “bump” cloth will help protect and add body to silk window treatments.
Silk, spun from proteins in the silkworm’s cocoon, is the only natural fiber created from one long, continuous filament rather than individual staple fibers (shorter pieces of uniform length.) When woven together, these threads form an exceptionally strong yet lightweight fabric that drapes wonderfully.
Because silk can degrade with exposure to sunlight, it’s essential to heavily line silk draperies. Beyond the standard drapery liner, a flannel interlining or cotton “bump” cloth will help protect and add body to silk window treatments.
Silk wallpaper and bedding are the epitome of luxury in a bedroom, but be sure to protect your treasures from the sun by adding a protective window coating or drawing curtains or shades to block out the UV rays.
Cotton
The mother of all natural cellulosic seed-hair fibers, cotton is the most widely used fiber in the world. It blends well with other fibers, and it’s suited to machine washing because of its high tensile strength in soap solutions.
The mother of all natural cellulosic seed-hair fibers, cotton is the most widely used fiber in the world. It blends well with other fibers, and it’s suited to machine washing because of its high tensile strength in soap solutions.
Bamboo
It’s not just for flooring. Soft bamboo sheets and towels — widely marketed as a natural, sustainable choice — can be made two ways: by extracting the pith from inside the bamboo stalk via a steaming and crushing process or by using wood pulp, which technically makes the fabric a viscose. Viscose (and rayon) is natural to the extent that it’s derived from plant products, but, as with sugar and so many of the foods we eat, the refining process changes its essential nature. The Federal Trade Commission now requires retailers to label bamboo-derived rayon as such. So if you see “100% bamboo” on a tag, you can be confident the fiber is natural.
It’s not just for flooring. Soft bamboo sheets and towels — widely marketed as a natural, sustainable choice — can be made two ways: by extracting the pith from inside the bamboo stalk via a steaming and crushing process or by using wood pulp, which technically makes the fabric a viscose. Viscose (and rayon) is natural to the extent that it’s derived from plant products, but, as with sugar and so many of the foods we eat, the refining process changes its essential nature. The Federal Trade Commission now requires retailers to label bamboo-derived rayon as such. So if you see “100% bamboo” on a tag, you can be confident the fiber is natural.
Jute, Sisal and Raffia
These plant-based fibers are most commonly used in rugs. All three are made from the fibers of dried tropical plant leaves or fronds, which gives them their characteristic coarseness. Jute is also the substrate from which burlap is made.
These plant-based fibers are most commonly used in rugs. All three are made from the fibers of dried tropical plant leaves or fronds, which gives them their characteristic coarseness. Jute is also the substrate from which burlap is made.
Raffia can be woven into ever-popular grasscloth wall coverings, such as those seen here.
More: Textile Textbook: Get Ready to be Wooed by Wovens
More: Textile Textbook: Get Ready to be Wooed by Wovens
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Nice to see an article featuring natural fibres.....there are also alpaca duvets to keep you cosy!
I made a cotton quilt with alpaca batting. Light weight, just the right warmth and not bulky. Alpaca fiber is wonderful!
Good article, but it is important to keep in mind that just because a fibre is natural doesn't mean it is environmentally friendly. For example, the cultivation of non-organic cotton requires seriously high levels of pesticide use and some of the common dyes-stuffs that work on cotton, like indigo, are extremely toxic to the dyers who work with them.
Also, many people are allergic or extremely sensitive to wool. I still have childhood memories of the extreme discomfort of sitting on my grandparents mohair-upholstered sofa with bare legs. Of course, now days, my grandparents wouldn't be able to afford a mohair-covered sofa. As was pointed out, many of the most beautiful natural fibres are totally out of reach to the average consumer because of price.