Vancouver

About

A gorgeous, fine (20 microns) wool sateen, Vancouver has lovely drape and luminosity. Though lightweight, Vancouver makes a very durable upholstery fabric. It makes a superb choice for window treatments; and makes the best trousers around.

Eco Facts

The mill where this fabric was woven uses hydro and natural gas fuel power which has low emissions. It is an ISO 9001 certified facility.
This hard-working fabric can withstand the rigors of commercial applications while also providing the exceptional benefits of wool. 

Wool improves air quality by absorbing and retaining VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds, chemicals you want to avoid) such as formaldehyde. 

Wool breathes and helps regulate humidity. 

At end of life, wool biodegrades, and none of the chemicals residual in this fabric can hurt you or the ecosystem. 

Good animal husbandry practices sequester carbon and help reduce the level of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere while at the same time replenishing and renewing grassland soils. 

One of the animal husbandry issues unique to sheep is the practice of mulesing. What is non-mulesed wool? Sheep which are raised in certain climates (as much of Australia) are susceptible to a condition called "fly-strike." What is fly-strike? A certain type of fly, called blow flies, lay eggs on sheep's back legs when the sheep are less than clean. When the flies hatch, these maggots burrow in any slightly raw or inflamed area and literally eat their victim alive. To control this condition herders "mules" the sheep, which means cutting away large swaths of the skin on their hindquarters and back legs that is susceptible to the borrowing maggots. Mulesing is traditionally done without anesthetics, and is inhumane. Our wool is from tiny ranchers in Uruguay, who have never needed to mules sheep as fly-strike is unknown in Central and South America.

Fabric Name

Vancouver is the name of two cities: one south of Seattle in Washington State, and the other north of Seattle. The northern Vancouver City is Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, home of the Canucks hockey team and an all-around great place to visit.

Care

Vancouver can be washed but it will lose its lustrous sateen finish, becoming much more matte with a bit of a raised nap. If washed using cool temperatures, shrinkage is minimal at less than 2% in width and 3% in length.