Summer is just around the corner, and what better way to round off your summer wardrobe than with a sweet little skirt?

If you guys subscribe to my newsletter, then you’ve probably already heard about Organic Cotton Plus. They were kind enough to give me a discount coupon code just for newsletter subscribers, and they sent me some of their goodies to play with, as well.

I made this skirt out of Thirty-Nine Sateen, an organic cotton fabric by Harmony Art that they carry. They also sent me their kelly green twill and a couple of yards of organic cotton twill tape. The latter is especially exciting, because I’ve had a hard time finding organic cotton tapes, and they’re so great for everything from using them as ribbon to finishing edges in projects.

I asked my contact at Organic Cotton Plus, Jeff, about their fabrics and their dye processes, and here’s what he had to say:

All of our production is done in accordance with the GOTS requirements, and we recently got our Warehouse certified to the standards! Almost everything we have in stock is fully certified right through packing, and as we move out old inventory, every yard of fabric will be to GOTS.

The dyes we use are “Fiber Reactive”-which are very eco-friendly and are approved by GOTS.

GOTS certification is the real deal when it comes to organic fabrics. If you want to learn more about what it means, check out my piece about GOTS certification at Crafting a Green World. Fiber reactive dyes are also much better from an environmental standpoint. They absorb into fabric very well, which means using less dye and it means less waste water.

How to Make an Elastic Waist Skirt

This elastic waist skirt took me about 30 minutes to make. It could take you a bit less time or a bit longer, depending on your skill level, but as making clothing goes it’s super duper simple. Here’s how to make your own elastic waist skirt tailored to your measurements.

Materials

• 1 yard of organic cotton fabric
• 1″ braided elastic
• measuring tape
• sewing machine, thread, scissors
• 2 safety pins

Directions

1. Measure your waist where you want the skirt to sit. That number is how much elastic you’ll need. Mine was 30″, so I cut a 30″ piece of 1″ braided elastic.

2. Measure the width around your torso around at the widest point – mine was around 40″. The width of your fabric needs to be this number plus 1″, so my fabric is 41″ wide.

3. Measure from your waist where you want the skirt to sit down to where you want the hem to fall. That number plus 2.5″ is how long your fabric piece needs to be. Mine was 20.5″ (I am high waisted), so my fabric was 23″ long. That means the fabric piece I’m cutting is 41″X23″.

4. Fold your fabric in half, right sides together to form the body of your skirt. My folded piece of fabric measures 20.5″ X 23″.

5. Sew up the side seam of your skirt using your machine’s zig zag stitch. Don’t forget to back stitch a few times at the top and bottom, so your seams will be strong.

6. Hem the bottom of your skirt. With the skirt still inside out, fold the bottom seam over by 1/2″, iron, then fold over again by 1/2″ to hide the unfinished seam. Use a straight or zig zag stitch to finish the seam.

7. Now, you’re going to make the tube for your elastic! Fold the top seam over by 1/2″ and iron, then use your machine to baste all the way around. Fold the seam over by another 1 1/8″, and sew almost all the way around, but leave yourself about a 2″ opening, so you can feed in the elastic. This tube you just sewed is called the casing, and it’s where you’ll feed the elastic through in the next step.

8. Grab your elastic and use the safety pin to attach one end to your skirt near the opening on the casing, then put the other safety pin on the other end of the elastic. Trust me, the safety pin makes it worlds easier. Now, just be patient as you work your elastic through opening in the casing, all the way around the skirt, and out the other side. Feel around and make sure your elastic isn’t twisted anywhere in the waistline, and straighten it out, if it is.

9. Overlap the two ends of the elastic by about 1/2″, then pin them together while they’re still sticking out of the opening in the casing. Use your machine’s zig zag stitch to sew  the elastic band closed, then tuck it up into the casing.

10. Put your skirt back into the machine to sew that opening in the casing closed, flip your skirt right side out, arrange the fabric over the elastic, and give it one more press with the iron.

That’s it! You’re ready to rock your easy peasy elastic waist skirt!

My hot peppers have exploded in the past week! I'll be harvesting and making garden fresh hot sauce soooon!

The other day, I was fixing a sandwich for lunch and feeling bummed that we were out of lettuce. Until I peeked out back at our raised bed and saw that our lettuce plants were blowing UP! Sandwich disaster averted!

There’s something so gratifying about growing food, even if you only have the space to grow a few things. Nothing tastes better than fruits, veggies, and herbs that you planted and nurtured in your own back yard or container garden. We’re lucky enough to have a back yard, so our garden is a mix of plants in the ground and in containers. Over at Eat Drink Better, I shared a peek into my container garden, and I’d love to see what you guys have growing, too!

Have you ever crafted with burlap? As sustainable fabrics go, burlap is among the most cost-effective, and once you get used to working with it, it’s a lot of fun!

Burlap is made from jute, which actually has quite a bit in common with hemp. Like hemp, it grows fast, requires few to no pesticides, and doesn’t need a lot of water to grow. Also like hemp, it also improves the soil where you plant it, rather than depleting the nutrients. Unlike cotton, you don’t have to worry as much about whether your burlap is organic, because as far as I know there is no genetically modified jute out there.

Where to Find Burlap

I haven’t been able to find burlap at the fabric store, but there are a couple of easy ways to get your hands on some.

• The coffee shop. If you’re in good with a local coffee shop that roasts its own beans, try asking them if they have any leftover bags you can take off their hands. “Green” (unroasted) coffee beans often come in big burlap sacks.
• Online. BurlapFabric.com, the sponsor of this post, is a great online resource for burlap fabric and even some burlap sewing notions. I am itching to get my hands on their jute webbing for my next tote project, and I love that they also offer reclaimed burlap coffee sacks for sale for those of us too shy to hit up shops ourselves. You can find their fabrics in their shop and keep up with them on their Facebook and Pinterest pages.

How to Sew with Burlap

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when you’re sewing with burlap:

• It is messy. Cut burlap loves to shed, so be prepared to wipe down your sewing table after you’ve been working with burlap. It’s also a good idea to clean your machine a little more often if you’re using a lot of burlap. Nothing serious, but use that brush to clean out the area around the bobbin case, since all of those tiny fibers will get into your machine.
• Burlap is a loose weave. You can use a straight stitch with burlap, but for finishing I have found a zig zag or other embroidery stitch to work better. Because it’s a loose weave, the extra stitches help catch all of the fibers to create a better finished edge. Your finished project will be stronger this way.

Other than that, you can really treat burlap like any other medium to heavy weight fabric.

5 Burlap Craft Projects

Right, so you have your burlap, you know how to use it….what now? Here are some burlap craft projects to get you going!

1. Make a burlap fabric box.
2. Whip up some burlap sunflowers.
3. Burlap sunglasses case
4. Create a burlap bird ornament.
5. Dress up an old lampshade with burlap ruffles.

Have you done any fun burlap crafts lately? Share your ideas in the comments!

Dyeing fabrics is super fun, but sometimes you just want to pick up beautiful fabric and get crafting, right?

Earlier this week, I showed you how to use red cabbage to hand dye fabric and shared some tips on making your own food-based fabric dyes. It’s super fun to see what colors you can create, and it’s extra satisfying to sew with fabric that you dyed yourself.

Dyeing fabric is also a pretty time-consuming process, though, and–as my pal Christy likes to remind me–DIY doesn’t mean you have to do every single thing yourself. If you’re looking for eco-friendly hand dyed fabrics without taking hours to get the colors you want, check out these beautiful options.

Obviously, I couldn’t talk about custom dyed fabrics without mentioning my very favorite source for beautiful colored fabrics: Noonday Textiles. Jay dyes her organic hemp fabric with eco-friendly dyes, and she does a beautiful job. There are solids, if that’s what you’re after, and she also likes to experiment with textures, like in the beautiful teal fabric pictured above.

If you’re looking for a bit of stretch, Primavera Dyehouse has you covered with their hand dyed hemp jersey in a rainbow of color options. They also use low-impact dyes, so you can feel good about your beautiful jersey fabric!

Are prints more your speed? I found some super gorgeous hand-dyed batik fabrics from Margot Myers. I asked Margot about the dyes she uses, and it sounds like they’re great! They’re called “reactive fabric dye,” and that means they’re great at adhering to fabric, which reduces runoff and water pollution. They’re also free of heavy metals. Margot also takes some extra steps to make her dye process more eco-friendly. Here’s what she said:

i collect rainwater from my studio roof, which is what i use to make dyebaths, boil baths and rinses. i re use rinse and boil water whenever possible. the boiling method that i use to remove wax eliminates the need for chemical solvents to do the work, and it also allows me to reuse my wax for years.

to achieve the darkest and most vibrant colors in my shop, i use excessive time in place of excessive salts or dye powders, and i dye everything in very small volumes of water.

Lovely prints dyed by hand in rainwater? Don’t mind if I do!

I am on a fabric dyeing kick this week!

You can make your very own fabric dyes out of all kinds of fruits, veggies, and herbs. On Monday, I shared directions for how to dye fabric with red cabbage, and yesterday I posted general instructions for making fabric dyes out of lots of other plant-based foods. If you want more details on how to dye your fabric bright yellow with turmeric, you can check out my article over at Crafting a Green World!

Have you made your own fabric dye before? I’d love to hear about what worked for you and what didn’t.

On Monday, I showed you how to use red cabbage to dye fabric a lovely lilac color, but what about other natural food-based fabric dyes?

Lots of fruits, veggies, and herbs and spices are great for dyeing fabric similar methods to the one I gave you on Monday.  Who needs a bunch of nasty chemicals to make beautiful colored fabrics, right? While I was researching how to dye fabric with my extra head of red cabbage, I found a handful of food ingredients that seem to be favorites for dyeing fabric.

1. Plum skins dye fabric hot pink!
2. Tumeric creates a bright yellow.
3. Spinach or sorrel work well for a vibrant green.
4. For a reddish purple color, beets are the veggie of choice.
5. Coffee and tea stain your fabric in shades of brown.

Basic Steps for Dyeing Fabric with Food

1. Boil your fabric in 1/2 cup salt + 8 cups water for an hour, then wring the fabric out and dump the water.
2. Put your fabric back into the pot with enough of your food of choice to completely cover it. If you’re using a dried herb, like tumeric, start with 1 tablespoon per cup of water, and make enough liquid to cover.
3. Boil for another hour, then remove from the heat and soak until the fabric turns the shade you’re going for.
4. Rinse the fabric well, and hang it to dry.

Have you guys tried any other food-based dyes that turned out great? It was super fun doing the red cabbage dye, and I definitely want to experiment with dyeing fabrics in more colors!

{Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by craigCloutier}

No matter what your crafts business entails, there are lots of ways that you can make things just a little bit greener.

I totally understand that not every crafter uses reclaimed materials or organic fabrics, but there are some processes that are common to every crafts business. Things like business cards, craft markets, and at least some degree of paperwork are common ground whether you’re making a living off of things you create.

Are you looking to green your crafts business? Over at Crafting a Green World, I shared 5 simple ways that any crafter running a business can reduce her impact.

You probably know by now that conventional cotton is bad news, but there’s another part of the fabric production process that bears mentioning: dyes. Most fabric dyes are full of harmful chemicals that are no good for the environment when factories dispose of them and they’re not good for workers who are around the stuff day in and day out, either.

Green crafting doesn’t mean that you have to stick to undyed hemp or organic cotton muslin, though! There are lots of companies out there using plant-based, safer dyes. If you want to get super crafty, though, you can dye your very own fabric. You can use fruits, veggies, flowers, and herbs in vibrant colors to create your own, non-toxic dyes. It only takes a few ingredients and is pretty simple to do yourself in your very own kitchen.

Dyeing fabric is time consuming, I won’t lie, but for a lot of that time you don’t have to actually be in the room. You can step away and play with your dog or fix a salad and come back for the next step.

Our CSA has been sending us a lot of cabbage lately, and I will be honest here:  cabbage takes me a long time to get through. There are very few evenings when I’m planning dinner and think, “Ooh! Cabbage!” Luckily, red cabbage is not just for eating. That lovely purple color means that you can also use it to make your own natural fabric dye. Here’s how!

Materials

• 8 cups of water
• 1/2 cup table salt
• undyed organic hemp or organic cotton fabric
• tongs
• colander
• enough red cabbage, chopped fine, to cover your fabric when it’s in the pot
• more water

Directions

1. In a large pot, combine the 8 cups of water with the salt, bring to a boil, and add the fabric. Reduce the heat and simmer for an hour. The salt acts as a natural fixative, which helps your fabric take the dye.

2. Remove the fabric from the water (use tongs so you don’t burn yourself!). Set it aside in a colander until it’s cool enough to handle, then wring it out. You can dump the salty water from the pot now, we’re done with it. Give the pot a good rinse, while you’re at it.

3. Put your fabric back into the pot, add enough cabbage to cover it completely, then add enough water to cover all of that. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer again. Let it simmer for about an hour. Here’s how the dye looked after 15 minutes of boiling:

4. When your hour is up, turn off the heat and let your fabric soak. The longer you let it soak, the deeper your color will get! I let mine soak overnight.

4. Pull the fabric out of the pot, ring it out, and rinse it really well. Here’s what it looked like before and after rinsing. It did lose a bit of color and kind of mellowed out into an earthy lilac.

5. Hang your fabric or toss it into the dryer–letting it dry completely–before you sew with it.

Voila! Red cabbage isn’t the only food that’s great for dyeing fabrics! In fact, some food-based dyes produce much more vibrant colors. I’ve got more on that coming later on this week. Yay!

Plush plants are a cute way to green up your space without saddling yourself with another plant to water.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t grow plants, but once in a while it’s nice when things are easy, right? If you’ve already whipped up a cactus plushie but want more adorable greenery in your life, want no more! These awesome Etsians have you covered. One note: only one of these little guys is vegan, but the crafters below who use wool felt recycle it from thrifted sweaters.

How cheery is this little green plush tree? It’s made from ecofi recycled felt, which is produced from plastic water bottles. Adel Zeller will make you your very own plush tree with your initials monogrammed on it!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/88967638/recycled-forest-floor-in-autumn-wool

I love the earthy feel of this forest floor felt terrarium from The Chic Chicadee. All of the felted wool in this terrarium comes from thrifted sweaters!

Even your sewing room can get a taste of nature! This clever little mushroom pin cushion from Wooly Fabulous is made from a vintage salt shaker, an upcycled zipper, and felted sweater wool. The tiny mushrooms inside are such an adorable touch!

Before the weather started warming up, our CSA was rich with sweet potatoes. I mean, we got around four every week for over a month. Sweet potatoes store like gangbusters, so they just kind of hung out in the kitchen. My husband doesn’t like sweet potatoes, he says, and since usually when I cook it’s for both of us, they were not going so fast.

Then, we were up late one night watching Black Books and drinking beers. We got hungry, and I made a batch of sweet potato oven fries, and Dave loved them! We devoured a big tray, and I’ve been making them as a treat ever since. Paired with this rich, spiced ketchup, there’s freaking delicious, if I do say so myself!

Sweet Potato Oven Fries with Cumin Ketchup Dipping Sauce

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 small sweet potatoes
• olive oil
• 1/4 c ketchup
• 1/2t ground cumin
• 1/8t ground ginger
• Dash of cinnamon

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.

2. Cut your sweet potatoes into about 1/4″ sticks. They should be about as wide around as your pinky, but longer is fine.

3. Arrange the sweet potato slices on a cookie sheet, and drizzle olive oil over them. Toss the, well to coat them in the oil, adding more oilfield necessary.

4. Bake in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes so they cook evenly. When they look brown and a little crispy, they’re done.

5. While the fries bake, whisk together the ketchup, cumin, ginger, and cinnamon. Serve the fries with the dipping sauce on the side.

Hint: The cooking time and temperature works perfectly if you want to make these sweet potato fries while you also cook up a magical veggie loaf (pictured at the top) to go with them!