Homegrown Flax and Cotton: DIY Guide to Growing, Processing, Spinning and Weaving Fiber to Cloth

Grow your own sustainable clothes! From seed to shirt, Cindy Conner shows you how to plant, grow, harvest, process, spin, and weave cotton and flax into cloth from which you can sew your own clothes. And since cotton and flax are made from plants, when your clothes' usefulness has passed they can also return to the environment without causing harm--a truly renewable and sustainable option for clothing. Whether you live in colder climates where flax can thrive, or warmer climates where cotton does best, there is a sustainable option (or two, if you live in the temperate zone) for you. And it takes much less space than you would think; a backyard garden will do! This complete guide includes in-depth instructions on growing and harvesting, preparing the fiber for spinning, the spinning process for each fiber; the basics of weaving cloth; and suggestions on patterns and how to weave the pieces you need for clothing, and how to sew your woven pieces together. Cindy has been growing her own clothes for years and teaches the process in classes, so she includes all of her knowledge on potential pitfalls and how to avoid them in her thorough instructions on each phase. You can grow your own flax and cotton and make clothes to your own style preferences. It's time to take the next step in sustainable living and make your own clothes in breathable and comfortable natural cotton and flax grown in your own backyard! Cover 1 Contents v 6 Introduction vii 8 Chapter 1. Why Wear Homegrown, Handspun Clothes? 1 10 Chapter 2. Growing Flax for Linen 6 15 Chapter 3. Retting 16 25 Chapter 4. Breaking and Scutching 21 30 Chapter 5. Hackling 27 36 Chapter 6. Spinning Flax into Linen 33 42 Chapter 7. Growing and Harvesting Cotton 43 52 Chapter 8. Preparation for Spinning 54 63 Chapter 9. Spinning Cotton 60 69 Chapter 10. The Cotton Project 65 74 Chapter 11. How to Manage Spun Fiber 74 83 Chapter 12. Turning Yarn into Fabric 84 93 Chapter 13. Clothes to Make 94 103 Chapter 14. Guilds, Fiber Festivals, and the Fibershed Movement 106 115 Chapter 15. Spirituality of Handspun Cloth 114 123 Glossary 116 125 Resources 120 129 Appendix A: Quick Reference 124 133 Appendix B: Tabletop Flax Brake 125 134 Appendix C: 1-Yard Swift 129 138 Notes 133 142 About the Author and Photographer 138 147 Index 139 148 "A complete guide to growing flax and cotton in your home garden for the purpose of making clothing: how to grow, harvest, and prepare the fiber for spinning into yarn; how to spin cotton and flax/linen; the basics of weaving cloth; and suggestions on patterns and how to weave to create the pieces you need for clothing, and how to sew your woven pieces together"-- Provided by publisher