Weaving with Linen (collaboration with artez & Textielfabrique)

Linen is an extremely strong, beautiful and absorbent fiber and one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world. It used to be the most important fiber for all household textiles in the Netherlands. Growing flax was an important industry in large parts of the Netherlands. Linen is not only durable, but with the right treatment has a beautiful shine and is beautiful due to the weight of the fiber.

Last year CCNL, together with Artez, took up the challenge to take us through the entire process of cultivating flax. You can follow the process via the Craft Council and possibly help with growing and harvesting.

Linen is an extremely strong, beautiful and absorbent fiber and one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world. It used to be the most important fiber for all household textiles in the Netherlands. Growing flax was an important industry in large parts of the Netherlands. Linen is not only durable but has a beautiful shine under the right treatment and is beautiful due to the weight of the fiber.

Last year, CCNL and Artez took on the challenge of taking us through the entire flax cultivation process. You can follow the process through the Craftcouncil and possibly help with growing and harvesting.

The Textilefabrique

Really beautiful high quality durable fabrics and yarns. You can find it at the Textielfabrique. This initiative by Maaike's Gottschal is completely contemporary. Do you want clothing without toxic substances and made of materials that are produced under healthy and fair conditions? Then you can get started at the Textielfabrique.

Textielfabrique is a Rotterdam based textile studio. In this studio you can learn the full process of creating textiles by hand. Maaike mission is to create awareness on the extremely high potential textiles can have in our culture. In the past textile was an important medium to communicate values, believes, prestige and comfort. Also they believed to be the messengers between earth and the other world. As a designer / artist the best thing she can do is to pass on my knowledge to others and to provide them with the right tools and inspiration to create.

Interview Maaike Gottschal

What kind of products do we find at the textile factory?
Textielfabrique offers beautiful, fashionable and durable fabrics and knitting yarns for a friendly price. The sustainable fabrics of Textielfabrique are certified, no chemicals are used and there is no haggling with working conditions. We have a nice collection of colorful jerseys, jeans and canvas fabrics. You will also find wild silk and vegetable-dyed poplins. You can also go there for wool, silk, cashmere and alpaca blends in all kinds of beautiful colors. Textielfabrique has fashionable eco and fair trade yarns from BC Garn, Atelier Zitron, Manos del Uruguay and - the only one in Europe! - the luxury hand dyed yarns from Anzula.

Are you a creative person yourself?
From an early age I have always been busy with materials. Especially textiles. There are so many interesting materials and special techniques. I enjoy researching the potential of materials and experimenting with them. Where can you learn about and from materials and what can you do with them? I graduated from art academy in the fashion department. After graduating I made free work and did many productions for other designers. I am very happy that I can now work very directly in my own field again via Textielfabrique. I now also give workshops on the background of colors and materials for textile factory.

Why did you choose to sell fabrics and not finished products?
By offering beautiful sustainable fabrics and soon more very simple do-it-yourself patterns, I want to enthuse many (young) people to get started with sustainable materials themselves. Self-made things have added value for me. You can create unique design pieces that would be priceless in a store.

What is the main reason for you to use biological substances?
Textile production is a polluting industry. Many chemicals are used in the dyeing of fabrics and many harmful fertilizers and insecticides are used in, for example, cotton cultivation. In addition, the working conditions are often bad. With eco fabrics you can be sure that no harmful and polluting substances have been used and that the entire production process is monitored. A nice side effect is that the material is often also of higher quality and softer and kinder to the skin.

What is your favorite project?
I am a big fan of the fair trade project Manos del Uruguay. This company was founded in 1968 with the aim of helping rural women in Uruguay generate income. During the development of the products, the natural materials present and the traditional skills of the women were considered. Today Manos is a large cooperative that supplies the most fantastic wool products. The entire production process is in our own hands, from sheep farming to dyeing the wool. Manos works for major designers such as Stella Macartney, Mulberry, Dries van Noten and Marc Jacobs, but also supplies his materials as knitting wool for consumers. So it's great fun to make your own design.

Research

Inspiration websites & books

Research question

- How far are you in the reuse process, what do you reuse in your own studio?

- Should we reuse or develop a new method?

- What does the textile industry need to be more circular ?

- what has to change to make the textile industry more circular ?

Mission & vision Textilefabrique

Maaike's mission is to create awareness on the extremely high potential textiles can have in our culture.

Unfortunately textiles moved down on the career ladder to products of zero value/ waste.
Her vision is to pass on her knowledge to others and to provide them with the right tools, knowledge and inspiration.

もったいない or 勿体無い
Mottainai!

Mottainai, is the Japanese term for conveying a sense of regret regarding waste (material, energy, toughts). “Mottainai!” Roughly means “what a waste!” It is an ancient Buddhist word associated with the idea that objects have souls.

- Why are clothes colored?

- Is fast fashion linked to a brand?

- When is it fast fashion?

- Can we still go back to the basics?

Subquestion