This past week, I focused on learning the logistics behind plant fibers and how they are processed into textiles. In order to do this, I read a few scholarly articles, continued reading Cotton Khadi in Indian Economy, watched some educational videos, and consulted with Dave on his extensive knowledge of the conventional cotton industry.
I was really inspired by how similar to wool the process of plant fiber production is and even more inspired by the possibility of blending together various different fibers in order to create textiles out of whatever materials are available in the immediate environment. Because of this, I have become increasingly confused as to why the modern day clothing industry is so dead set on having cotton make up for more than 90% of the natural fibers used.
After speaking with Dave about the topic of conventional cotton vs. organic cotton, I am very skeptical about the possibility of having a cotton industry that makes any sense to continue on a global scale (though that seems to be the theme of my opinions on pretty much any textile industry). It seems to me that cotton is a fiber whose purpose we have exacerbated over time. Perhaps it was an ideal crop to grow in specific regions at one time, but with our declining water availability, increasing pests and pesticide resistance, and depleted soil health, I do believe we are better off leaving cotton in the past.
Even with all of the less than positive discoveries, this has been an incredibly inspiring week for me. As I’ve looked into issues of agriculture and how closely tied it is to fiber production, I have become incredibly interested in the idea of pulling resources from your immediate environment and blending them in with fibers best suited for textile production in order to create a garment that is at least partially sourced locally.
Conveniently, the spinning teacher brought her drum carder with her to our class this week. So, I was able to experiment with this concept a little bit during this week’s spinning class and I am hoping to continue to grow this idea throughout the quarter and perhaps even into my next quarters at Evergreen.