Since our Alabama Stitch Book has been in circulation, we have received many questions about where to purchase organic yardage. We work exclusively with 100% certified organic cotton jersey fabrics and here are some resources that we have found:

Near Sea Naturals sells organic cotton jersey by the yard. Their selection is ever-growing and they have some great specialty knits that I am looking forward to experimenting with.
http://www.nearseanaturals.com/browse.php?category=10


Earth Creations makes a wonderful t-shirt from the same organic cotton jersey we use for our couture collections. They dye each piece in a limited range of colors with mud or clay, which gives the fabric a wonderfully “strong” hand. These are my favorite t-shirts to work with. To get the greatest amount of workable yardage, order the men’s shirt in the largest size available in the color you want to use. As an example, for the skirt in Alabama Stitch Book we would order 2 extra-large shirts in one color and 2 extra-large shirts in another color for a total of 4 shirts.

Here is their basic men’s shirt. It is great for any of the projects from our book: http://www.earthcreations.net/onlineStore/displayProduct.asp?productID=978

For ready-made bodies to stencil, embroider and embellish, simply order the t-shirts, available in both men’s and women’s sizes:

http://www.earthcreations.net/onlineStore

Additionally, in response to requests, we now offer the same fabric that we use for our Alabama Chanin clothing collection sold by the yard in its natural state. Our certified organic fiber is grown in Texas, knit in South Carolina, cut and shipped to you from Alabama. For the moment, we offer this fabric only in the natural color which can then be dyed to the color of your choosing. Dying tips will be coming soon. Please note that we sell only whole yards. Visit our online store to purchase yardage.

American Apparel offers a range of organic t-shirt that are also “grown to sewn” in the USA. We sometimes use their shirts for ready-made bodies that we then stencil and embroider. You can visit their website to find the available styles:

Women’s: http://store.americanapparel.net/women-organics.html
Men’s: http://store.americanapparel.net/men-organics.html
Kid’s: http://store.americanapparel.net/kids-organics.html

Finally, visit your local Goodwill, Salvation Army and other second-hand stores to buy 100% cotton shirts then over-dye as a group (up to 15 at a time in the washing machine) into the color of your choosing. We began our company using this process, and still love to use this method. A word of caution; you must be very careful to calculate that your shirt is big enough to complete your project. Many times I have underestimated my materials and have had to improvise with colors and design based on the materials I have available. For me, this is the beauty of upcycling… Also, please be conscientious about the dyes you choose to use for the health of yourself and your environment.

Please feel free to share your sewing experiences and tips with us along the way – we are happy and proud to continue sharing… office@alabamachanin.com

Packaged Kits for projects from Alabama Stitch Book coming very soon…