$58.00
Certification:
GOTS, the Global Organic Textile Standard
Content:
55% organic linen
45% organic cotton
Repeat:
horizontal: 0.25"
vertical: n/a
Width:
54" / 137 cm
Weight:
13.5 oz yd2 / 458 gm m2
Durability:
25,000 dbl rubs Wyzenbeek; suitable for heavy duty residential upholstery use1
Care:
Washable in all temperatures.2 But, as always, we suggest cool water and low temperature drying to prolong the life of the fabric and to save on resources.
1For a discussion of what the abrasion ratings mean, please click here.
2You will see that on our washing chart, we say that this fabric shrinks 2%. Any shrinkage of 3% and below is judged to be pre-shrunk" because the fibers and yarns will easily stretch back to their former size. Think of your jeans when you first wear them after washing.
Chelan is named after a lake, which is the third deepest lake in the country and 24th deepest in the world. It's from a Salish Indian word meaning deep water". The northern portion of the lake is protected by the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, and access is limited to boat, float plane or hiking. Lake Chelan averages 11 inches of rain per year.
The yarns used for Chelan are the same tightly spun organic linen/organic cotton blend that is featured in Winthrop. It is a more refined herringbone pattern, and has a smooth hand coupled with a hefty weight that adds to its strength and durability. Perfect for upholstery, slipcovers - or anyplace you want a hardworking fabric that feels good against the skin.
Chelan is a fabric certified to The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) which is your assurance of many important things that can make you feel great about your fabric choice, including:
SAFETY: No known or suspected toxic chemicals have been used in the manufacture of the fabric, so you won't find them residual in the fabric you are using. Among the prohibited chemicals:
In fact, all the chemicals that are the subject of Greenpeace's very important DETOX Campaign are completely prohibited. For a complete list of the toxic chemicals prohibited and restricted by GOTS, click here. The Link will open to the title page of the current, 4.0, GOTS standard. You want page 8, section 2.3.1: Prohibited and Restricted Inputs.
WATER TREATMENT: GOTS requires thorough water treatment at each step of the manufacturing process. This is especially important with fabric because the production of fabric uses copious amounts of water, indeed, the textile industry is the #1 industrial polluter of water in the world.3 And this chemically filled effluent enters our groundwater, circulating around the world. Since, as Gene Lisa says, there is not a no peeing" part of the swimming pool: the toxic chemicals being dumped into the Irawaddy or the Yellow River in China affect us all.
CARBON FOOTPRINT: A GOTS certified fabric is the best choice if you're concerned about carbon footprint issues - even though the GOTS standard does not directly address carbon footprint. Please click HERE for a discussion of that topic.
WORKER SAFETY AND WORKER RIGHTS: GOTS also assures workers of safe and hygienic working conditions in the mills, and fair wages. Child and slave labor are prohibited; among many other requirements and prohibitions.
3Cooper, Peter, Clearer Communication", Ecotextile News, May 2007. Please note that some sources say it is #2. Whether #2 or #1, the textile industry uses gargantuan quantities of water. Everyone agrees that agriculture is #1. If you want to count agriculture as an industry then ag is #1 and textiles is #2 - or #3 according to some sources. Here again, #1, #2, #3 - or #4 - the textile industry uses and pollutes gargantuan quantities of water. Please click here to learn more about water use in the textile industry.
