Uses:
upholstery
Specifications:
- abrasion test results: 25,000 Wyzenbeek
- abrasion_test_results: 25,000 Wyzenbeek
- care: Pre-shrunk. We suggest cool water wash and air dry to prolong the life of the fabric, the vibrancy of the dyes, and to save on resources.
- certification: GOTS, the Global Organic Textile Standard
- content: 55% organic linen, 45% organic cotton
- weight: 13.5 oz yd2 / 458 gm m2
- width: 54" / 137 cm
Care:
Pre-shrunk. We suggest cool water wash and air dry to prolong the life of the fabric, the vibrancy of the dyes, and to save on resources.
About:
Winthrop is a rugged intimate blend* of organic linen and organic cotton fibers, which can stand up to most anything. The fabric is a canvas, with tightly twisted yarns, so the overall effect is soft yet substantial, with a lovely drape. Perfect for upholstery in the most demanding residential conditions, it's also great for slipcovers, clothes, drapes, top of the bed, most anything where you need a light heavyweight, supple fabric.
Eco Facts:
Winthrop is a GOTS certified fabric. GOTS is Global Organic Textile Standard.
What is GOTS?
Think of making applesauce. If you start with organic apples, but add red dye #2, stabilizers, preservatives, emulsifiers, etc., you do not get organic applesauce. The same is true with fabric. Insist on GOTS.
The Fabric Name:
Winthrop is named after a rugged town in eastern Washington State which provided background for The Virginian, America's first western novel. Bordered on the west by the pristine forests and stunning views of North Cascades National Park, Winthrop remains a lovely center for river rafting, cross country skiing, and other outdoor activities.
GOTS (the Global Organic Textile Standard) 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:
- All Flame Retardants: Brominated or Chlorinated
- All Endocrine Disruptors
- Formaldehyde and other short chain aldehyudes
- Halogenated solvents
- Fluorocarbons (PFC's)
- Heavy metals (i.e., lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic)
- Chlorophenols (TCP, PCP)
- Aromatic solvents (benzene, toluene)
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 on the link below. 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: http://www.global-standard.org/images/GOTS_Version4-01March2014.pdf
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. 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.
1For a discussion of what the abrasion ratings mean, please click here.
2Cooper, 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, at a rank of #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.
