Offset Warehouse's Blog – July 2011 Archive (13)

RESOURCES | The Ethics of Wool

Wool is surrounded by a lot of ethical controversy - it's a natural fibre and a by-product, but is it really a by-product when we're importing it in and discarding our own?   Is it still environmentally friendly, even though it needs toxic chemicals to be cleaned?  How can it be cruelty-free when so many farmers still practice museling?

 

 

 

The processing of…

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Added by Offset Warehouse on July 28, 2011 at 11:28 — No Comments

NEW RESOURCE| Definitions of Clothing & Textiles Certifications

Check it out here: http://bit.ly/qppGaG



Understanding the different certifications for clothing and textiles production can be confusing, so we've…
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Added by Offset Warehouse on July 25, 2011 at 14:03 — No Comments

D.I.Y Thursday | Campaign To Save Unused Buttons Everywhere!

Why do we insist on collecting tubs and tins-worth of random (but beautiful!) buttons, that we're sure will one day be the perfect replacement for the button that pops off our cardy?

 

Well, today we're campaigning for these sad, disguarded buttons, desperate to show off their splendour again, by creating charming, unique bracelets, perfect for fun, personalised pressies! (Also, a great rainy day project, for those bored little…

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Added by Offset Warehouse on July 21, 2011 at 10:01 — No Comments

Where Does Linen Come From?

As you've noticed, we've been adding to our range of eco fabrics suitable for digital printing.  One of our more popular ranges is our "linen" range, but since their arrival, we've been hearing the same questions:

 

"What is Linen" and "Why is Linen Ethical"?

So, being the helpful people we are, we thought we'd shed some light!

 

 

 

What is…

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Added by Offset Warehouse on July 20, 2011 at 10:48 — No Comments

Nasty Nasty Chemical Leather…

There are principally two types of leather tanning: Vegetable and chrome.  Chrome is known to be nasty nasty, and here’s why…

 

Vegetable tanning refers to the use of natural tannins to create usable leather from hides. Natural tannins are present in bark, wood, leaves and fruits of chestnut, oak and hemlock trees. This process is time intensive, as it can take up to three weeks for the tannins to fully penetrate a hide. From an ecological perspective,…

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Added by Offset Warehouse on July 15, 2011 at 10:04 — No Comments

D.I.Y Thursday | Edgy T-Shirts (fringes in this case) Inspired By Kate Hudson

With summer in full swing (perhaps if you’re not in the UK), all the celebrities and models are getting their summer gear out and on!  And what’s the verdict?  Celebs say "fringe t-shirts, leather boots ‘n bags baby"!

 

With celebrities such as Nicky Hilton, Vanessa Hudgen and Kate Hudson on the band wagon – we’re all hopping on!

 

 

Besides, making your own couldn't be easier.  All you…

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Added by Offset Warehouse on July 14, 2011 at 10:20 — No Comments

Shop Vintage, Save a Mint(age) – Avoiding Let Down Purchases

Last Tuesday we explored how vintage is better than buying new clothes, today, we’re going to give you some insider tips on making the right choice!

 

 

Learn the lingo:

 

-    Mint – As good as new

-    Near Mint – Slightest signs of wear

-    Excellent – Typical signs of wear due to occasional use

-    Very Good – Considerably wearable but has some flaws (staining,…

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Added by Offset Warehouse on July 12, 2011 at 10:50 — No Comments

RESOURCES | The Ins & Outs of Waterproof Finishings …

Waterproof fabrics resist liquid water passing through, but allow water vapour to pass through. Their ability to block out rain and snow while allowing vapour from sweat to evaporate makes them perfect for rainwear, outdoors sports clothing, tents, and other applications.

 

But HOW are waterproof fabrics made?

 

Waterproof fabrics are treated with special material such as, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU),…

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Added by Offset Warehouse on July 11, 2011 at 10:25 — No Comments

RESOURCES | We're Eco - BUT NO HEMP ALLOWED!

Hemp's developed a pretty bad rep over the last decade or so within the fashion scene - "No Hemp Allowed" scrawled all over the front page of eco-fashion business plans.  But is it really still as bad as they think?

 

 

Hemp is said to be the most eco-fibre of all.  The cellulose fibre from hemp is used to make not just clothing products, including jeans, shirts, dresses, hats, bags, ropes and canvas, but…

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Added by Offset Warehouse on July 8, 2011 at 11:02 — No Comments

D.I.Y Thursday | Feel Good Felt Good...

Make your own felt to become a wall hanging, coasters or even place mats!

 

 

About Felt:

 

Felt is the oldest textile known to man.  It is made without sewing or weaving and is a non-constructed fabric. The story goes:

 

A man was walking across a desert in the dim and distant past and as his footwear was rubbing he grabbed a handful of wool from the flock he was walking with and placed it into his sandals for comfort. The constant…

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Added by Offset Warehouse on July 7, 2011 at 9:55 — No Comments

How To Shop Without Over Consuming AND Over Spending?

We favour organic, sustainable and fairtrade fabrics and clothing, and of course using natural dyes.  Buying these environmentally and socially beneficial clothing, however, still does not address that our over-buying is a major detriment to our environment, and also has social implications for those that manufacture them, such as garment workers forced into slave labour, in order to make…

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Added by Offset Warehouse on July 5, 2011 at 10:03 — No Comments

Offset Warehouse at the RCA Show 2011

Last week we popped along to the RCA Show 2011 exhibition to see the newest, emerging designers. Here are three of our favourites - watch out for them in the future (because they will be big!)

 

We thought we'd done well with our sustainable, bamboo sunglasses, but we discovered the ‘Hair Glasses’, created by Alexander Groves in collaboration with Studio Swine.  Together they've created glasses that are totally biodegradable using natural resin and human…

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Added by Offset Warehouse on July 4, 2011 at 9:55 — No Comments

RESOURCES | The True Cost of Cotton

As I'm sure you've gathered, we're all about promoting ethical materials, but do you really know what is going on even before the yarns are spun into thread?

 

Cotton is one of the most commonly used natural fibres in clothes; primarily because it is lightweight, soft and absorbent.

 

But, did you know it uses 25% of the worlds supply of pesticides, but only accounts for a mere 2% of crops grown world wide?  The…

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Added by Offset Warehouse on July 1, 2011 at 9:53 — No Comments

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