I have had a few requests about whether I will be stocking the newly released Quilting Cuddle fabrics – from Shannon Fabrics and Moda Fabrics.
They look so cute and apparently are really soft and reasonably easy to sew….. BUT… they are 100% polyester. 100% plastic.
Their tag line of ‘making the world a softer place’ isn’t quite the same as making the world a safer or better place though….. I question the cost to us of this ‘softness’.
There is nothing on their website about their manufacturing process, so I am assuming that it is brand new plastic, no recycled component at all.
And wow, as much as the Nantucket Summer and Christmas Eve quilting cuddle looks really cute, I cannot justify creating the demand for yet more plastic in our world.
So much of the plastic FROM MY ENTIRE LIFETIME (and yours) still exists. Straws, plastic bottles, toothbrushes, plastic packaging, oh so many plastic bags and the list goes on and on and on.
We are seeing so much more plastic used for garments that wandering through a clothes shop the other day it was a case of ‘spot the natural fibre’! (I couldn’t find any).
I do realise that the manufacturing process for our cotton fabrics we use in quilting is also not above reproach, but at least when the end of life for our quilts / garments etc comes, they can biodegrade!
This article below is a great resource for understanding what textiles biodegrades (and what doesn’t) and the difference between compostable and biodegradeable. Spoiler alert, polyester fibres take between 20 and 200 years to break down! And there are toxic chemicals left behind.
The more I hear about polyester shedding micro plastics every time they are washed I cringe. We live in a rural area and our waste water goes into a septic tank and the water component is then evaporated through pipes under ground, eventually leading to going back into our water ways…..
An excerpt from the Wikipedia page on polyester
And as we have no good way of re-using the plastic we produce (or very few processes that are feasible and viable and implemented), I need to question our NEED for new plastic and new plastic fabric.
Do we really want our grandkids cuddling up to a quilt that is shedding microplastics all over them to be inhaled or ingested? (and melts onto the body when burnt?).
Do we want our grandchildren (and their grandchildren) to be dealing with the impact of our decisions today?
Do we really NEED polyester fabric in our quilts?
For me, that answer is No.
So I will not be ordering and selling the new polyester quilting cuddle. I will not add to the demand for this product and add more plastic to our world.
Not sure that one person’s decision is going to make a difference, but I encourage you to think about the end of life of your garments / quilts / products you buy so that together we CAN make a difference.
Would love to know your thoughts!
Thank you for highlighting this issue. I agree that the cost of this softness is too high. It saddens me to see articles and posts by big name quilters teaching others how to work with these products and creating demand for them. Your post is a breath of fresh air. It is encouraging to know that my choice to use natural fibers in my quilts (and clothing I buy) is part of a “together we can make a difference” movement.
Thank you Hannah! So good to see people all making a small difference, it will hopefully add up over time!
I have just read your blog. I APPLAUD your decision regarding the cuddle fabric.
I bought a jacket recently, from a camping store, and I know it’s made from recycled plastic bottles. I have also viewed the process of how this fibre is manufactured. I cringe! I know it’s taking these bottles out of land fill for now, but what about the future of these garments? Every time I wear it, I see myself wrapped in plastic.
I think your blog will help bring more people to the table regarding polyester fibres and our water ways.
Anyway, I loved reading your blog and I’m very impressed with your reasoning not to stock polyester fabrics.
I thank you on behalf of the waterways and earth!
Thanks Sharon, I was a bit worried putting this ‘out there’, so good to hear other people feeling the same way!
I totally agree with everything you said about fabrics made of plastics. There is way too much waste in this throw-away society.
Happy that you are making a stand with this cuddle fabric.
Thanks for your support Jan!
Yes you do make a good point about the cuddle which I had never thought of. Thanks for raising that as an issue. You have changed my mind about it
Thanks for listening/reading and being willing to change your mind!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about these fabrics Anne. You’ve given me more to think about. It’s an important and needed conversation.
yes, the more people bring it to mind, the more people may think twice. Calling it ‘cuddle’ or ‘minky’ obscures the fact it is 100% polyester and therefore plastic into our world.
I’m totally with you! We really don’t need to be producing more products that damage the environment & take so long to break down. I always avoid polyester fabrics in clothes & wouldn’t make a quilt with polyester either.
Thanks Sue. I have been trying hard to use up the last of my cotton / poly batting too (80% cotton, 20% poly) and once it is gone it won’t be being replaced. Cotton, bamboo, eucalyptus (!) and wool are going to be my preferred going forward <3