How to Sew an Organic Quilt

Worldwide over 90 million acres are dedicated to growing cotton. Unfortunately, cotton crops utilize enormous amounts of insecticides, which contaminate the end products, quilting fabric, polyester batting, spray adhesives and thread. Keep quilting safe by going green and capturing the wave of new organic quilt fabric. In addition to organic quilt fabric, the market also offers thread, batting, buttons and ribbons. Consider other "green" fabric substitutes such as hemp and bamboo. Here are guidelines.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Decide what size you want your quilt to be and whether you are making it for actual use in your bedroom or if you plan to hang it on the wall. Its end use will dictate how much batting you require.

2. Select an organic fabric quilt pattern printed on recycled paper and without plastic packaging. Patterns such as this can be found online at "Bless This Child Designs." (See Resources.)

3. Check organic quilt fabric for the Certified Organic label. It means that during its creation methods were used to reduce/eliminate fertilizers, pesticides, and antibiotics. Make your quilt "greener" by buying locally produced organic fabrics.

4. Investigate whether the fabric is organic quilt fabric made with cotton, hemp or bamboo. Bamboo is 100 percent renewable and uses no chemicals to grow. Hemp provides three times the fiber per acre compared to cotton.

5. Choose organic batting and spray adhesives and buy companion organic trimmings such as buttons, thread and ribbons.

Resources

• Locate an organic quilt pattern at Bless This Child Designs.