Bristol Cloth 2nd Edition
BRISTOL CLOTH 2ND EDITION
Bristol Cloth is the UK' s pioneer re-localised soil-to-soil textile production system, working with local regenerative fibre farmers, organic natural heritage plant dyes and a cottage industry of artisan traditional mills, to produce fabric and accessories which are of the earth and safe to give back to the earth at the end of their useful life cycle, as nutrients instead of pollutants.
The Bristol Cloth 2nd Edition is dyed with Dyer's Mulberry to give a rich and long-lasting mustard yellow colour. One of our most important natural dyes used in historical British Textile industry productions.
Our textiles are made without the use of any harmful synthetic chemicals at any stage throughout the farming, processing and manufacture. The textile industry is the 2nd biggest polluter in the World after agrochemical farming for food, and this is mainly due to the high toxicity of chemicals used for dyeing and finishing cloth. We have removed all the chemical substances such as detergents, spinning oils, dyes and finishers and replaced them with organic natural castile soap, organic natural dyes extracted from plants and nothing else.
We work with farms who use the highest standards of animal welfare to ensure happy animals as well as healthy land and soil.
Regenerative farming re-builds soil fertility, creates plant species diversity, sequesters maximum carbon from the air back into the soil and ensures the highest standards of animal welfare, which also tends to produce a much higher quality of wool.
Everyone involved in these small independent businesses is paid well and treated fairly. Farmers receive a much higher income for their fleece than the current industry standard, providing a reliable and financially sustainable profit margin.
The entire fibre farming, processing and manufacture in set within British shores, reducing the use of fossil fuels for transportation and ensuring that our system is transparent and fully traceable.
COMPOSITION + PROVENANCE
200 meters of woven cloth was made available by the metre for tailors and makers to craft with. Along with a collection of scarves and blanket scarves as heirloom pieces which are healthy for the soil, animals, humans and landscape and safe to give back to the earth after many useful lives.
Dyed with organic Dyer’s Mulberry natural dye, once the most important natural yellow dye used in historical English textiles. We hired a commercial textile dye facility to use with our organic certified natural dye extracts for the dye production, which took three days to complete.
Made with regeneratively farmed lambswool, from Fernhill Farm, 15 miles from Bristol. Woven into the traditional basket weave design, with a pinstripe, set against natural white and black fleece colours, by the Bristol Weaving Mill, based in Bristol’s Old Market Quarter, by skilled artisans.
Regeneratively farmed lambswool from Fernhill Farm, only 15 miles from Bristol, offers the highest standards of animal welfare, maximised carbon sequestration and soil rebuilding techniques.
Sheep are conservation grazed across the Mendip Hills AONB with fresh pasture every day, working the soil to add fertiltiy and plant diversity which enables tall and deep rooted grasses to grow and draw down more carbon, locking it back into the soil where it belongs.
Allowing diverse plant species to flourish by cutting out the use of chemical sprays and glysophates which otherwise damage the microbiology health of the soil. Diverse plants also means diverse nutrients and given to the grazing animals as well as the soil. Continueing further loops of environmental regeneration and animal welfare.
Healthy animals grow heathy fleece which can be seen and felt in the lustre, strength and smoothness of the fibre.
Jen and Andy, the shepherds, use traditional hand blade shearing, unlike most others farms, because it offers a more humane and peaceful approach to shearing. The animals can remain relaxed. Unlike electric shearing which can be stressful for the animals and often carried out by unskilled hands, which commonly leave nicks and cuts which lead to infection and death.
Sheep that have endured stress can be known from the quality of their fleece, as hair growth becomes stunted or slowed when animals experiece stress. The staple of the lambswool from Fernhill demonstrates a beautifully long and smooth staple which reflects the wellbeing of their sheep.
The Bristol Cloth is farmed, processed and manufactured without the use of any harmful synthetic chemicals, on the land or fibre. We have done away with the standardised use of synthetic spinning oil at our spinning mill and only use natural organic ph neutral castille soap for gently washing and finishing our yarns and cloth.
Organic “Dyers’ Mulberry”, also known as “Old Fustic”, is the natural dye plant extract used by Botanical Inks natural dye house, to give a strong and colourfast mustard yellow colour to this edition.
Once the most valued yellow dye in England’s history due to its vibrant colour and reliable lifespan. A dye which was brought to these shores on wind-powered sail ships from the Americas, when the sea routes opened and new plant dyes became du jour.
This production was dyed in a commercial dye house facility, allowing for consistent colour thanks to the larger capacity of the dye equipment, and lower usage of water.
Streamlining our dye processes and standing for the possibility of non toxic natural dye use within the British textile and fashion industry at large. For us, this was a radical breakthrough moment!
The Bristol Weaving Mill have partnered with us again for this production to provide the artisan weaving of 200 metres of cloth and scarves. Skillfully producing the same basket weave design as our 1st Edition, with the new fleece colours and yellow pinstripe.
This production has been produced on their refurbished Dormier loom, using the punch card system.
After weaving, the scarves and cloth were hand-finished, gently washed and trimmed to size. These scarves were finished on a special machine to create tassled ends.
