Tuesday 13 February 2018

The Verdict is In

Back in November, I embarked on a little experiment to see if wearing a natural fibre wardrobe would have an impact on my allergies and sinus issues.  

It appears that it did. As the camera went up my nose, it was the clearest picture I've seen. Coincidence? I don't think so. When a change in lifestyle could produce such drastic results it's hard to ignore. And this winter, even with the brutal cold and wind chills, has been the first winter I remember living here that I haven't used an inhaler. [knock on wood]. Coincidence?   

It's official, I'm now going to clear my closet of all of the man-made fabrics that I have put into storage since the beginning of this journey. I can't tell you what fibres are the culprit, or if it's dyes, or chemical treatments on the fabric. All I know is that I'm feeling better since this lifestyle change and I'm going to stick to it. Life is too short to be dealing with allergy and sinus issues.  


It all started when I made this jacket, Kwik Sew 4197. So, without a doubt, this jacket is the first to go. There is a small part of me that is a bit sad to see it go as it was a jacket that really wanted to sew and it is quite warm. But I'm sure I'll get over it.  


This turtleneck sweater dress, out-of-print (OOP) Vogue 8939, has been a winter time staple but since is has a petroleum based fibre content I'm going to let it go as well.  


Another petroleum based fibre made into a dress that I loved wearing because of the print. It will also be leaving the wardrobe. If I could survive three and a half months without them, I'm sure I can let them go for good.  


But giving up this spring coat, OOP Burda Style 7304, will hurt the most. ~sigh~  I hope it will find a good home.

Do any of your sewing projects leave your closet and end up in other places than you intended?

Happy sewing!


3 comments:

  1. I can't use man-made fibers. They itch, they stifle me, it seems that I'm suffocating everytime I use a man-made top. Even trousers/pants are annoying. I don't know for sure, but it seems to me that polyester is the worst.

    ReplyDelete
  2. If you've removed man-made fibers from your closets and stash, I presume you're left with cottons, wools, silks, linens. What about thread and other notions? Can you live with rayon? What about household furnishings - are overstuffed chairs out of the picture (maybe that's a level of removing such items dependent upon your allergy issue?). I'm curious about this, and fascinated, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good question. I'm not naïve about being able to remove 100% of all man-made fibres from my environment. But when I changed my bedding I noticed a huge difference quite quickly. My car seats are not cotton, or leather and they are chemically treated with scotchguard. Some things are just hard to escape. But home furnishing is an interesting question. I do have an upholstered chair and footstool that was reupholstered with 100% cotton, canvas weight that I picked up at Peach Beserk in Toronto. It wasn't an upholstery fabric and I wasn't even thinking about the man-made / natural issue when I fell in love with the lipstick print many moons ago. Fabrics, yes, that would leave me with cottons, linens, wool and silks. I've never been a fan of rayon and bamboo even before the start of this exploration. And thread, I'm a fan of cotton thread even though it comes with a hefty price compared to polyester thread. And then there is what thread to use with what fabric so if I'm sewing cotton, I guess cotton thread won't be an issue. But silk thread, there's nothing like hand-stitching with silk thread. If I could only win the lottery, I would spend a small fortune on silk thread! ;)

      Delete

Stash busting: Wool cardigan / OOP Kwik Sew 4192

Back in September, I made a simple pull-on  wool knit skirt with the intention of sewing a matching pullover top  to go with it.  The pullo...