We have finally settled on fabric choices for the fall line of clothing. This process was a little harder than I anticipated. Not only was I trying to find a group of prints that I loved, but I also wanted the fabric to have other redeeming qualities. I finally had to prioritize my desires.
First and foremost, I wanted to use 100% natural fibers. In this case, that means cotton. Secondly, I would love to support the US and buy fabric that was somehow processed here. Lastly, buying organic would obviously be a nice touch. This last priority will have to wait until a later date, but perhaps we will be able to introduce an organic collection in the future.
Finding fabric made in the US turned out to be the hardest part of my search. Luckily, I had recently stumbled on a great website for a company called Connecting Threads. Though aimed for quilters, they do have some prints that would work well for apparel, and the best thing is that all the cotton used in their fabric is grown right here in the US. The weaving and printing processes are completed in North America.
I was still very attracted to some of the prints available from Micheal Miller. Because we thought our customers might also love these great quality fabrics, we decided we'd do two styles of our fall line, one with the classic US cotton fabric, and one with the bolder prints from Micheal Miller.
My next task is to settle on the twill that will be used for the jumpers and overalls. I have found a company that seems to be easy to work with and has a good variety of colors and weights of twills from India. Once I receive my next sample pack, I should be able to settle on a great quality twill to compliment our prints.
Originally published: June 14, 2010
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