Fashion & Fabrics, Clothing and Fabrics
Essential Guide to Natural Fabrics
Jul
Enjoy this Essential Guide to Natural Fabrics found in the beautiful clothing and fabrics bedding and home linens we sell at Little French Heart.
When you know a little more about the fabrics you choose for yourself and your children, you can feel confident you’re surrounding your family in beautiful, high-quality, natural goodness — in every piece of clothing, bedding, and homeware we offer at Little French Heart
Bamboo
There are so many reasons why we offer Mrs Mighetto baby wear made with this natural fibre. Bamboo is highly breathable, keeping babies cool and comfortable. It is hypoallergenic and resistant to bacteria and dust mites, making it ideal for babies with sensitive skin or allergies. Bamboo is also eco friendly because it grows quickly with minimal need for fertilisers or pesticides. Durable, comfortable, soft, it really is a beautiful fabric.
Cotton (organic)
Cotton is a natural fibre known for its softness, durability and easy care properties. As demand for more sustainable products increases, much of the cotton clothing and baby essentials offered at Little French Heart is sourced from organic farms. Organic cotton is grown without the use of synthesised pesticides or fertilisers and is used by brands such as New Grain, our beautiful blanket and children’s bedding atelier along with French baby essetials Atelier Choux, Paris. Products you see with the GOTS acronym (Global Organic Textile Standard) such as many of our Konges Slojd children’s wear items shows the fabric is guaranteed organic through this standard. The beautiuful brands Apolina and Bonjour Diary also source organic cotton as the mainstay of their clothing ranges.
Pima cotton
Organic pima cotton, used by our folk designers including Misha & Puff, Apolina and Wild Wawa has longer, stronger fibres than regular cotton. It’s hyperallogenic properties make it incredibly soft on young and sensitive skin. It is also durable making it easy to care for. The eco-friendly production process of organic Pima cotton also makes it a fibre of choice for our growing community of conscious retailers.
Organic pima cotton used by Misha & Puff is buttery soft, durable and a beautiful fabric for children to wear.
Linen
One of our favourite fabrics, linen lasts, has a beautiful sheen and lovely drape. Derived from the flax plant, it has been used for making clothing and homewares for thousands of years. The fabric is breathable making it cool to wear or sleep in and absorbant. Linen at Little French Heart is used in our toy Maileg dolls such as mice and rabbits, giving them an earthy, long wearing finish. It is also used by our gorgeous designers for clothing such as Misha & Puff in their hand-woven linen.
Washed Linen
Washed linen, which has been through a wash / drying process is lighter, softer and has a slightly crushed appearance. You will find washed linen kitchen wear by Gabrielle Paris which creates exquisite tablecloths, teatowels and bed linens.
Muslin
Muslin is a beautiful lightweight breathable fabric used for many baby essentials found at Little French Heart such as our baby and children’s bedding designed by Gabrielle Paris, and Garbo & Friends. Muslin is a loose weave ancient fabric derived from cotton. it is special because with each wash the natural fibres relax, enhancing its softness without losing its shape and durability. It looks better with age and doesn’t need ironing.
Voile and Sushi Voile
These beautiful fabrics are derived from cotton but are much lighter and silky in their sheen. The French term ‘voile’ means veil, describing the plain almost semi-transparent weave. Sushi voile is often a blend of viscose and cotton, which combines the strength of cotton with the softness and lustre of viscose. Bonjour Diary created some of the most beautiful children’s wear in the world with Voile for its garments along with recently introducing sushi voile for more delicate pieces such as its Ivory Garden dress and Ballerina dress. Ewa i Walla also creates beautiful pieces from sushi voile.
Tulle
We love tulle because it is soft and romantic and poetic. Tulle is a lightweight, net-like fabric often used for tutus and for our special dresses by Konges Slojd, for our tutus by Wild Wawa and our gorgeous fairy capes and wings by Noralee. It is perfect for twirling and will make your little princess feel divine.
Wool
Wool – hand spun, hand dyed, hand knitted is a beautiful natural fibre of choice when we select designers for our ranges at Little French Heart. Wool – Alpaca, Cashmere, Merino, Mohair, is lighter, softer and lighter than cotton. It is also much warmer than cotton knits and has greater moisture wicking ability – meaning, wool can absorb moisture and wick it away from the skin, keeping babies dry and comfortable, helping them better regulate their body temperature. High quality woollen garments will be to wear. When a woollen garment is well cared for, it often becomes a family heirloom piece. Our brands that focus on wool for their gorgeous creations include Misha & Puff, Wild Wawa and Konges Slojd.
We hope this guide gives you confidence in buying natural fabrics that are kind to your family and to the planet.
With love, Kim at Little French Heart
