I think I need to buy these adorable wool pillows by Cushlab, so I can put one over each ear.

And those aren’t the only fun, natural fiber pillows they have…

They also have this pair made of brightly colored wool felt, or…

these subtlety toned yet whimsical pillows, which look like an homage to the Slinky.

And this linen pillow, with its charming, floral applique in wool felt, is the epitome of Spring decor.

Says Becca, Cushlab founder and creative force -

“I have a great time designing, making and thinking about cushions, and can’t understand when people aren’t as obsessed by them as I am!”

Well Becca, if we could all make cushions as fun as yours, maybe we would be equally obsessed ourselves!

Based in Kent, UK, Cushlab is able to ship internationally, and will even take commissions for custom work.  They use wool felt and linen for the majority of their pillows, donating leftover scrap material to local schools for craft projects.

Uh oh!  I just heard the UPS truck…  Darn, it’s hard to type holding pillows to your ears.  Sigh.

We spend almost half of our lives in the bedroom so it is extremely important to use organic and toxin free products here!  You spend somewhere around 8 hours out of each and every day with your head on your pillow and your body wrapped up in your sheets and bedding.  What we sleep on is a very personal choice, everyone likes a certain type of pillow and a certain level of softness in their sheets and blankets.  When you are in the market for a new pillow look at the labels and strive for the most organic choice possible that suits your needs (I am still looking for the best organic/comfortable pillow I can find- have not found it yet!)

Sheets and bedding are another great place to start as it seems these are easier choices to make and we tend to change our bedding sets approximately every 2 years.  I have found that I love organic cotton sheets (my favorites are from Pottery Barn right now).  They are softer than any others that I have tried, wash beautifully and I sleep well with the comfort of knowing I have made a responsible choice.  I also love linen, and 100% organic linen is an amazing product.  I cannot wait to get my hands on a set of organic linen sheets and pillow cases.  They are durable, comfortable, and green and should last you many years.

Remember if you are going to treat yourself to organic cotton or linen sheets and bedding it will be an investment for your health and for the future.

All images via Kurikan

First in our series is the cloth ware company Kurakin.

After receiving a research offer from the government to see if it could find a way to use food scraps as colorants, the Tsuyakin Kogyo Company, of Ichinomiya, Japan, developed the “nokori dye” method. 

Based on historical dyeing techniques used for centuries, “nokori” utilizes eleven different food items to create soft, rich colors for fabrics.  Colors range from subtle tans and golds, to deeper lavenders and greens, depending on the crop source used, and the time of year in which it was harvested.

Although able to create great dyes from the food sources, the stability of the color over time and exposure to light concerned them, so they did add a small amount of traditional dye to the mix as well.  I’m hoping that with time and additional research they can convert to using 100% natural dye.

Once they had created the cloth, the Tsuyakin Kogyo Co. needed something to do with it.  Founded in 2008, the Kurakin company was put to the task of designing and marketing the delightful cloth baskets and pouches you see above.  Unfortunately, these are currently only available for sale through their Japanese language site.  Of course, there is always Google Translator if you’re feeling really desperate for one of those cute baskets.  I know I am!

“I know”, they must have thought, “What if we use all this seaweed lying around on the sand, stick it on top of a coconut tree and call it a lamp?”*

Thankfully, the designers at Chista obviously waited till after vacation to put pen to paper, because the resulting lamps are quite elegant.  The bases are made of sustainable coconut wood, which gives them a wonderful grain pattern, as well as a pleasant warmth and character.  The shades are woven of seaweed and linen.  Yes, seaweed.  I admit to never having seen seaweed used in this way, but considering the results, I hope to see a lot more of it soon.

Founded in 1990, Chista’s designs are rooted in both primitivism and modernism.  They offer many styles of furniture and lighting, much of it from reclaimed wood or other sustainable sources.  They also showcase tribal art from Southeast Asia, which is on view at their website, or at their showroom in New York.  They are to the trade only.

As an aside, I would just like to say that I find it SO refreshing to get a nice, ad ready image of a lamp, and still see the cords showing.  So often, someone has either hidden them or Photoshopped them out.  Kudos to Chista for keeping it real!

* My apologies to the designers at Chista, because I’m sure that isn’t really how things happened.  I just didn’t get much sleep last night, and the scenario gave me the sleep deprived giggles, so I went with it.

Pindler & Pindler has introduced a new line of luxury fabrics under the name “Pindler Green”.  Focused on natural fibers such as organic cotton and linen, Pindler has created some lovely patterns that are sure to have wide appeal, and not just to the sustainably minded.

I am particularly drawn to their suzani influenced patterns, such as Tybalt, an upholstery damask design, which is woven of 100% organic cotton and  comes in 5 colorways.

Pindler Green’s Mission Statement from their website -

“Pindler & Pindler understands that protecting the environment is not just a trend; it’s a way of life. Our mission is to be a resource to our environmentally aware designers and customers, supplying luxury fabrics woven from high-quality natural, sustainable fibers. We use only certified organic cotton, as well as linen, jute, flax, bamboo, hemp, wool and silk, all renewable and sustainable. Fabrics as nature intended are better for you, your home, and the environment as a whole.

Pindler Green fabrics meet authentic third party certification. They are produced by manufacturers meeting recognized standards for environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing processes. We use specially certified dyers specializing in low impact and non-toxic dyes and finishes that are free of all heavy metals and harmful agents. These sources use low exhaust emissions, and reduce energy consumption through the use of wind power.”

While I applaud Pindler for having a mission statement, as well as providing a good glossary of terms, I do wish they were a bit more specific as far as what certifications each fabric met, as well as showing more images of the patterns and colors available.  With luck I will be able to find out a bit more to share with you when I visit the local showroom next week.