(image via Pedrosprout) Given that I've had so many comments about the eco-fi felt, I thought I'd do a separate post about it. But first some eye-candy, check out those cuties in the Pedrosprout shop made from eco-fi felt. They have heaps of cute shoes, lovely!
Anyway...
What is eco-fi felt?
Eco-fi is a polyester fibre made by recycling used plastic bottles. Eco-fi felt therefore differs from regular acrylic felt (which is also synthetic, but not made from recycled materials) and also from wool felt (made from sheep!). Eco-fi felt is manufactured by the Kunin Group in the USA - visit here for some good information about the product and how it is made.
Suppliers:
Eco-fi is only produced in the USA and most supply is from there. There are numerous big groups who supply (e.g. Feltorama) but I bought mine very reasonably from an Etsy seller (see kandcsupplies or GreenDepot) just to try it out and support the small guys.
I haven't seen any in my local stores in Australia (Spotlight and Lincraft). But I just googled it and it looks like Arbee are selling Kunin felt here, although they don't give details about what it is.
Edited to add: Michelle from Pedrosprout has pointed me to an Aussie supplier, The Thread Studio : http://www.thethreadstudio.com/. THANKS!!
Use and quality:
Eco-fi felt is machine washable, non-fraying and according to the manufacturers gets softer after each wash. Basically it is like any other felt and can be used for any textile application. Personally, I have limited experience with felt in general and have only just received my eco-fi, so I can't comment about using it, except to say that it is thick and durable to sew with.
Whether you want to use it or not will come down to your crafting priorities. Wool is generally superior for look and feel and is a natural fibre, but is not necessarily produced in a more sustainable way. Vegans, others concerned about animal exploitation and those with wool allergies are excited about eco-fi felt. See this article at Crafting a Green World for more (heated!) discussion.
Personally, I just like the idea that some of the billions of empty drink bottles out there are being reused for good rather than evil. Upcycling, hurrah!
Hi Gina,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I've been crafting with Kunin Eco-fi for some time now and I LOVE it. It's super easy to work with. I buy mine through The Thread Studio : http://www.thethreadstudio.com/catfab/fabframe.htm
-Michelle x
Thanks Gina, I ordered a little bit yesterday from Feltorama but will definitely check out these smaller and more local suppliers. I'm so excited to have found out about it, I try to use wool felt where I can but this is even better!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Gina! I think I am going to need to get me some of this awesome felt...
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Wow, I'd never heard of this (not surprisingly :)
ReplyDeleteNow, if you'd like to pop over to my blog at some stage I've left a little message for you...
thanks so much for this info, will check out the Etsy shops
ReplyDeleteMichelle, thanks for the link, I'll add it into the post. Sorry I don't know how to reply to you directly...
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting. I think I'll check this out too when my current felt stash runs out.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, thanks for you comment on my skirt. If you have a bit of sewing experience, I wouldn't necessarily rush out and get Sew U- there is a lot of basic stuff there (some that I knew some that I didn't). I also have the Sew U knits book (yes I have been a bit spoiled lately!) and there are more patterns in there that I like.
Incredible stuff and I really love the booties.
ReplyDeleteLove the notion of felt being a byproduct of good, not evil. Thanks for the heads up!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this information Gina. The product sounds quite good. Love the premise, and will be interested in seeing it up close and personal.
ReplyDeleteMy only hesitation is that I'm always a bit sceptical when it comes to 'green' products that are manufactured O.S. and then transported here. How is the consumer to know if the recycling benefit outweighs the environmental cost of transportation?
We're certainly on the right track though.
Cheers,
MissyP
I'm loving the idea of this felt.... thanks for the info. And I'm totally ga-ga over those booties!
ReplyDeleteHi! Your post made me giggle, because I'm very much a 'little guy'. Felt-o-rama is a one-woman shop run by little old me :) I also have an Etsy store http://feltorama.etsy.com. Happy crafting!
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