Written by Jess Daniels with photography by Paige Green and infographics created by Fibershed The latest large-scale assessment of the systems and supply chains that get us dressed reveals that the fashion industry’s sustainability efforts have “slowed by a third in the past year” and overall are “not moving fast enough to counterbalance the harmful […]
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Weaving as a Way of Life at Oakland Fiber
Written & Photographed by Koa Kalish By the time Sheng Lor was old enough to go to school, she already knew how to embroider. Born into the Hmong culture of Laos, the Oakland Fiber founder grew up within a culture that sees sewing, indigo batik and dying, and the intricacy of embroidery as highly regarded […]
Read MoreBringing the Supply Chain to Life with California Cloth Foundry
Written & Photographed by Koa Kalish From the land where the cotton is grown to the spinning mills where it becomes yarn, to the manufacturing facilities that form fabric and fashion; from the hands of the farmers to the mill workers, from dyers to designers, and makers to wearers, Lydia Wendt works from this eagle-eyed […]
Read More4 Simple Guidelines from the Fibershed Clothing Guide
Written by Jess Daniels based on the Fibershed Clothing Guide, available now as a free download Visuals created with Paige Green Photography except for the microplastic image courtesy of the Rozalia Project It’s an everyday act: rise in the morning and slip on something to wear. Regardless of personal style, age, or activities in our […]
Read MoreA History of Sheep Ranching at Madrone Coast Farm
Written by May Reid-Marr & Photographed by Paige Green In my first communication with Alison Charter-Smith of Madrone Coast Farm, she emphasized the importance of the farm’s location in Sheep Ranch, California. As you might guess from the name, this town of 35 has a long history of raising sheep, and an environmental and cultural […]
Read MoreAll of Her Own Making: Designer and Fiber Artist Keyaira Terry
Written by Sasha Wirth and photographed by Paige Green Bark, seaweed, and dried artichokes might not seem like typical materials to pair with soft tufts of wool, but in the hands of designer Keyaira Marie Terry, they become transformed, coming together naturally in her modern fiber art and woven goods. “My pieces are tactile. They […]
Read MoreHeavenly Soft Yarn at Valhalla Farms
Written by Amanda Fisk & Photographed by Paige Green Signe Ostby, the owner of Valhalla Yarns and Valhalla Farms, began knitting as a child. After many years of perfecting her personal knitting skills, she began searching for a high-quality yarn perfect for knit projects. She wanted a yarn that was a pleasure to work with, […]
Read MoreThe Journey of Wool through Woolgatherer Carding Mill
This is the second in a two-part series of interviews and visits to Northern California Fibershed producer members Shepherd’s Dream and the Woolgatherer Carding Mill. While intertwined, these individual businesses highlight the role of regional manufacturing using natural fibers. Both companies operate within the strategic geography of the Northern California Fibershed, which spans from San […]
Read MoreFully Engaged Farming at Sophie’s Icelandic Sheep
Written by Sarah Lillegard; Photographed by Sarah Lillegard & Sophie Sheppard There is never a quiet season here. Even with the hoop houses cleared of their summer harvest and the small flock of Icelandic sheep fresh from a fall shearing, the farm is still rich with growth. The hoop houses are being planted for winter […]
Read MoreDreams of Sheep at Shepherd’s Dream
This is the first in a two-part series of interviews and visits to Northern California Fibershed producer members Shepherd’s Dream and the Woolgatherer Carding Mill. While intertwined, these individual businesses highlight the role of regional manufacturing using natural fibers. Both companies operate within the strategic geography of the Northern California Fibershed, which spans from San […]
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