Eco-Textile Fun at the Cambridge Foundry’s Winter Festival

The fashion industry has a big impact on global carbon emissions and climate change. Dyeing clothes to make colorful garments uses high energy processes that include intense heat and water usage, synthetic dyes derived from petroleum, and the use of toxic chemicals such as chlorine and formaldehyde. Moreover, the dyeing process often occurs in other countries, adding to transportation emissions.

Eco-textiles are sustainable fabrics colored and patterned using natural materials such as plants, flowers, fruits, and insects instead of synthetic dyes and chemicals.

There were over 100 participants, ranging from five years old to young adults. They started with natural cotton drawstring bags and decorated the bags with their choice of natural dyes and techniques for applying the dyes. The techniques included dipping, brushes, syringes, and even hammering blueberries or spinach directly onto the bags to extract the color. The dyes were developed by Liza Goldstein, author of the curriculum, from beets, tumeric, henna, spinach, spirulina, blueberries, and black tea and coffee to create a wide range of colors. Each creation was a unique, inventive piece and eliminated waste from mass production. 

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