Every once and awhile as we conduct research online for information, new innovations and stories within the textile industry to develop and share with you, we stumble on unique individuals and companies doing interesting and often times fascinating things with fabric around the world. One such company is Tosheka Designs.
We are living in a time when the rich resources our loving Mother Earth has provided us with are now, as a result of abuse and misuse by man, in need of sustaining to ensure their provision not only for her living inhabitants now, but for future generations to come. It is because of this, that a growing awareness in and ‘go-green’ consciousness of creative ways to assist in this precious recycling of resources has developed. From Number 1 PET or PETE soda and water bottle plastics recycled into polar fleece, to the use of natural fibers, dyes and chemical free cleaning processes on our textile goods, being eco-friendly has become as necessary as it has trendy!
When we think about African fabric design, rarely do we as consumers give much thought as to the history, craft, and meaning behind the symbols, patterns, or design elements we see. Instead we ‘ooh‘ and ‘aah‘ at the bright colors and creative print, thinking about what we can make with this, what we can do with that . But until we have the opportunity to see its manifestation from concept to completion, we will never really appreciate the finished textile that seems to silently whisper…i am special, buy me!
While most of our shirts have been, and continue to be made from cotton, bamboo fiber shirts are slowly becoming the popular ‘go-green’ alternative. Both are natural plant fibers, absorb moisture well, and are strong and durable. The benefit of the bamboo fiber is that it is naturally anti-bacterial and is known for its breath-ability as well. Much like cotton, it is not only comfortable, but carries an extremely soft hand too. One more thing they have in common, China. Both cotton and bamboo are grown and harvested in abundance there not only to support their building needs, but their wildlife as well.
All Natural Baking Soda
I remember as a child, my mother pouring that white powdered mineral into the palm of my hand and showing me how to scoop up a little onto my toothbrush to clean my teeth. Her reason, children don’t need all that extra coloring and flavoring that commercial tooth pastes often had in them. It was grainy and abrasive, but it was all natural and boy did it leave me teeth and mouth feeling sparkling clean afterwards! When I would open the refrigerator later in the day for an afternoon snack, there it was again. My mother would say she used it to keep the foods free from odor causing bacteria. Funny how this little yellow box of baking soda did so much.
