Coming soon: We were excited to receive some lovely samples of the high quality organic cotton/linen Ticking from Ian Mankin.

The organic cotton is grown in Syria and the linen is from Holland. No toxic chemicals are used in the processing and manufacturing of the cotton or linen and the fibre comes from farms where no synthetic chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers have been used for at least three years. The dyes are specially selected to maintain the organic status and available in 12 colour options. Rather wonderfully the fabrics are woven at their mill in Lancashire which is one of a few cotton mills that has Soil Association Certification.

The fabrics are suitable for curtains, blinds and upholstery.

A great addition to the growing range of organic furnishing fabrics being produced in the UK.

In November 2008 we teamed up with eco interior designer Helen Mudie from One Eco Home and Carole Oates at O Ecotextiles to make some unlined roman blinds for the Hyde Housing Project eco show home in east London.

Blinds in the Emily Todhunter Collection by O Ecotextiles, Ultimate Floppy Linen in Bark.

Plain chemical-free upholstered headboard in Hardy Organic Hemp, Fennel from the Emily Todhunter Collection by O Ecotextiles as seen at 'Our Eco Shop' xmas 2008. Gorgeous hemp bed linen from the Jilly Cholmondeley range.

Click image to enlarge

Beautiful wool clothing from ethically managed, happy sheep.

Izzy Lane Ethical fashion reared in Britain.

After learning through her work with farmers who supply her organic food company Farmaround, that many who kept sheep were burning their wool as they could not compete with the price of wool imported predominantly from Australia and New Zealand which accounts for 85% of the wool used in manufacturing in the UK and 25% of wool worldwide. Izzy Lane began producing gorgeous clothing in a way that she hopes will demonstrate an economic model whereby sheep can exist, be valued and have a place in our world without becoming meat. The company pay's fair trade prices to save them and they live out happy lives in the Sheep Sanctuary.


Izzy's flock of Wensleydale and Shetland sheep comprise mainly of animals that would have been sent to slaughter for being male, missing a pregnancy, being a little lame, being too small, being too old or having imperfections on the fleece.

Further reading: Should I give jumper's the cold shoulder?

Every year, millions of cats, dogs, rabbits, minks, foxes, and hamsters are tortured and killed for their fur.

This summer, with the world's eyes focused on China during the Olympics, PETA is exposing the horrors that take place on Chinese fur farms. This is a historic opportunity to speak out against the global fur trade and influence consumers worldwide. But to seize this moment, they urgently need your help.

PETA Germany recently conducted an undercover investigation into the Chinese dog and cat fur trade to show you what the industry is so desperate to hide. Even these veteran investigators were horrified at what they found: Millions of dogs and cats in China are bludgeoned, hanged, strangled with wire nooses and bled to death so that their fur can be turned into trim and trinkets. This fur is often deliberately mislabelled as fur from other species and is exported to destinations around the world, including the UK and the rest of Europe, to be sold to unsuspecting customers. The bottom line is that because dog and cat fur is so often mislabelled, if you’re buying fur, there’s no way to tell whose skin you’re wearing.

PETA Germany went into an animal market in southern China and found visibly exhausted dogs and cats who were languishing in tiny cages. Some had been on the road for days, transported in flimsy wire-mesh cages with no food or water. Twenty cats were crowded into a single cage. The investigators saw the results of the cross-country transport in such deplorable conditions – dead cats on top of the cages, dying cats and dogs inside the cages and animals with open wounds. Some animals were lethargic or frightened, and others were fighting with each other, driven insane from confinement and exposure to the elements.

Up to 800 animals are loaded onto each lorry in cages that are stacked one on top of the other. Cages containing live animals are commonly tossed from the tops of the lorries onto the ground 10 feet below, shattering the legs of the animals inside them. Many of the animals the investigators saw were still wearing collars, a sign that they were beloved companions who were stolen to be made into fur coats.

'After watching an undercover video showing racoon dogs being routinely skinned alive, and another of a terrified Alsation dog (with sound) as they cut the fur from its body with a knife) as a normal way of harvesting fur I was so horrified by what I learnt is a regular practice used in the production process of fur textiles it prompted me to look into how other animals throughout the textile/materials chain were treated, and so Harlands ethical policy came into being - I realised that as a consumer I can make the difference and I knew that if I wanted ethically sourced textiles myself so would other people.'

I strongly encourage you to support PETA in this campaign and help save countless animals suffering a most horrific fate.' - Lisa Harland

See peta.org.uk/feat/dogcatfuruk.asp

Please help.

We are delighted to be adding a gorgeous range of furniture from Pli Designs to our collection.Pioneers in sustainable design Alex Whitney and Christopher Pett are committed to creating furniture with stellar eco credentials ensuring that all considerations from cradle to cradle have been addressed.

To make classic-looking yet eco-friendly furniture, Pli Design has selected a caramel-coloured bamboo veneer with a wheat straw-board core. The natural materials in this cabinet are all from grasses, not wood.

Zero formaldehyde and no-VOC glues, binders and finish throughout. Natural, durable wax coating and glueless assembly so all the parts are designed for easy and safe recycling (for metal parts) and energy recovery through incineration or mulching (for natural fibres).

See the collection on our updated website.

Geese and Ducks Suffer for Down

Down is the soft layer of feathers closest to birds’ skin, primarily in the chest region. These feathers are highly valued because they do not have quills. Most products labeled “down” contain a combination of these underfeathers and other feathers or fillers. While most down and feathers are removed from birds during slaughter, geese from breeding flocks and those raised for meat and foie gras may be live-plucked. In countries where this cruel practice continues, up to 5 ounces of feathers and down are pulled from each bird every six weeks from the time that they are 10 weeks old until they are up to 4 years old.

Plucking geese causes them considerable pain and distress. One study of chickens’ heart rates and behaviors determined that “feather removal is likely to be painful to the bird(s),” and another study found that the blood glucose level of some geese nearly doubled (a symptom of severe stress) during plucking.

Typically, ducks and geese are lifted by their necks, their legs tied, and their breast feathers are ripped out. The struggling birds often sustain injuries during plucking. They are then returned to their cage until they are ready to be plucked again. This process begins when the animals are 8 weeks old and is repeated at 6-8 week intervals until the birds are slaughtered.

Feathers are often plucked out of ducks and geese raised for food. Those raised for foie gras, especially, suffer terribly. They are force-fed—a funnel is inserted into each bird’s throat, and up to 6 pounds of a salty, fatty corn mash is pumped into the stomach each day—until the bird's liver has ballooned to four times the normal size.

Eider ducks are a protected species, but their feathers are sought out for bedding and clothing. The females lay eggs and surround them with feathers plucked from their own breasts. Farmers in Iceland gather more than 6,500 pounds of Eider duck feathers each year. By taking these feathers, farmers are removing important insulation that the eggs need to hatch. It takes feathers from at least 80 nests to fill just one comforter.

- source PETA

For further information follow link: DOWN

We use ethically sourced, organic wool balls instead of feathers as we do not want to contribute in any way to the abuse of animals. The argument that most feathers are a by product of the meat industry does not satify us due to large scale intensive farming of birds for the meat industry where the welfare standards for these birds cannot be guaranteed.

Feather fillers are also treated with chemical flame retardants and will off-gas toxic gases which are known to cause symptoms such as nausea, coughing, allergic reactions and fatigue, and according to the World Health Organisation, can cause cancer in humans and animals.

Image by www.freeimages.co.uk

This month has seen a gorgeous new addition to our wallpaper collection.

Dominic Crinson's wallpaper contains no substances harmful to your health or the environment. They are made from durable materials made from a blend of textiles and cellulose that comes from FSC certified sustainable forests, is printed with non-toxic, water based inks and is breathable.

Succo 4, repeat 55.89cm.

Deeply Fleured 14, repeat 26.83cm.

Sia Gold, repeat 93cm.

Roll width 46.5cm, 100% textile fibres and cellulose, washable, non-toxic, suitable for wet areas.

Sometimes

Sometimes things don't go, after all,
from bad to worse. Some years, muscadel
faces down frost; green thrives; the crops don't fail,
sometimes a man aims high, and all goes well.

A people will step back from war;
elect an honest man; decide they care
enough, that they can't leave some stranger poor.
Some men become what they were born for.

Sometimes our best efforts do not go
amiss; sometimes we do as we meant to.
The sun will sometimes melt a field of sorrow
that seemed hard frozen: may it happen for you.

Sheenagh Pugh

Sarah Baulch of Revampt and I attended the Triodos Bank Ethical Awards on Thursday evening. It was uplifting and inspiring to see how much positive change is being achieved by small ethical businesses.
To read about who was nominated and who won see WEBA Awards activatemoney.com

Flowers by Sarah Roberts on an upholstered headboard.

We're excited to be adding to our collection a range of beautiful interior products by British designer-maker Selina Rose who uses cutting edge technology to create intricately cut and printed interior felt surfaces and products.

Bloom rugHer innovative surfaces have a broad range of interior applications including rugs, sliding curtain panels, wall decals, wallpaper, room dividers, table runners, lighting and upholstery.

Botanica rug

Bloom table runner

All products are made from ethically sourced, 100% wool felt and coloured using environmentally friendly dyes in Selina’s distinctive colour palette of urban greys, neon pinks and limes. Selina makes all of her products in the UK and the felt is renewable and biodegradable.

Watercut felt panels

ReVampt has added a patchwork range to its collection of lovely home products including the cushion and wallhanging shown here. Made from recycling pre-consumer textile waste destined for landfill these items are a contemporary twist on a traditional classic. See revampt to view these goods and more.

ReVampt also offers clients the chance to do their own textile recycling by using precious saved fabrics and clothing. When made into beautiful unique products for decorating the home these pieces will become memory heirloom's to pass on.

Textile designer Emma Henderson is committed to sustainable design. Her fabrics are printed on organic cotton and hemp fabrics and will soon be available in a selection of colours.

Tromp l'oeil is a popular theme in Emma's work with hidden bugs playfully hidden within folds on her cushions and the lovely inspired by nature 'Insect Soup' design shown here.

Suitable for upholstery, curtains and blinds.

We are delighted to have our Claude chair, throws by Louise Cottey and cushions in Mod Green Pod fabrics at the Hay Festival 2008, hayfestival.com

If your visiting Grand Designs Live this coming week then stop by the Grand Interiors 'House of the Future' to see our cushions, throw and Claude Chair.


Cushions in Mod Green Pod's Atticus and Adelaide fabric.

See www.granddesignslive.com

This month has seen some exciting additions to our fabric collection including a lovely collection from Oliveira Textiles.

Sisters Dawn Oliveira and Deborah Oliveira-Olson chose a ground cloth of hemp which is hand silk-screened with waterbased, pigment dyes, free of heavy metals approved by The Organic Trade Association's Fiber Standards.

Oliveira's first “Ocean Collection” is of colourful, energetic, sea-inspired motifs, honoring their late father who spent his life on the local waterways as a shell fisherman.

These beautiful fabrics are suitable for upholstery, curtains and soft furnishings.

Another lovely addition to our fabric range is the beautiful fabrics from Les Indiennes, named "Best Fabric Collection of 2006" by Homes and Gardens magazine.



Les Indiennes certified organic cotton fabrics are hand-printed in a tiny village in Southern India. Textile designer Mary Mulcahy works directly with a craftsman named Srinivas who still works in the ancient art of Kalamkari, an extremely complex textile process requiring 15 steps and 40 days to complete.

The cotton is repeatedly boiled, washed and bleached in the sun. Hand-carved teak blocks are dipped in dyes derived from plants, roots, earth and rock. Each pattern is meticulously pressed onto the cloth by hand. Les Indiennes perpetuates and sustains the ancient art of Kalamkari while providing fair-trade incomes to over 50 families in the village.

See Les Indiennes for a flip book showing examples of the collection.

The whole collection can be seen by appointment at our showroom in West London.

With spring just around the corner bring the garden inside with Sarah Robert's beautiful, hand silk-screened designs. Fennel curtains.

I recently met with Sarah Dinsmore of Blue Zinnia Vintage who's passion is collecting vintage textiles. Sarah has sourced a wonderful selection of hemp, linen and cotton fabrics which we think will look lovely on our sofas, chairs and soft furnishings. The range can be seen by appointment by emailing Sarah at bluezinnia.vintage@zen.co.uk.

Vintage hemp, linens and printed cotton fabrics.

The lovely printed designs seen below were originally chicken feed sacks which were produced by the chicken feed supply company when they realised that the fabric used for their sacks was being recycled into clothing by the farmers wives.

You may have already heard the wonderful news that international clothing giant H&M recently pledged to stop buying wool from lambs who have been mulesed.

H&M's compassionate decision was the catalyst for a huge show of support for sheep from 17 other major Swedish retailers who also pledged to boycott this cruel mutilation. In addition, 10 Danish retailers have withdrawn their support for the practice. Thirty-one European retailers have declared that they will consider or have already stopped using wool from mulesed lambs. And in the wool industry's own back yard, the Western Australian Department of Agriculture has announced that it will stop the mulesing mutilation.

Australian sheep need your help today to put the final nail in the coffin of cruel mulesing mutilations. Please send a message to Australia's new prime minister, Kevin Rudd, to remind him that retailers and consumers around the world won't stand by while Australian sheep are subjected to such an inhumane procedure, and ask him to ban cruel mulesing mutilations immediately. Even if you have taken action in behalf of sheep in the past, it's important that we send a strong message to Rudd early on in his term that this cruelty must come to an end.

To learn more about how you can help animals who suffer in the wool industry, please visit SaveTheSheep.com.

For those who are fortunate enough to have Chiswick only a tube ride away then a visit to the new Eco shop at 213 Chiswick High Road, is a must. Founder Nicola Giuggioli's vision has made this a one stop shop for all thats green and lovely for the home.

Its full of gorgeous furnishings and accessories with eco and ethical credentials.

And downstairs is an interior design consultancy team who will help you make your home not only beautiful but healthier and more environmentally friendly too.

Alex Connell at Ardalanish mentioned some good news today. The spinning mill at New Lanark has made the change to using water power. Minty and Aeneas Mackay's vision has revitalised the traditional weaving industry in Scotland and continues to drive change towards making each stage in the production of the gorgeous tweeds more environmentally sustainable. Inspiring.

Another lovely set of samples were sent by Samantha Pickering from Hemp Fabric UK. Amongst their planned projects for 2008 is to develop the growth and production of their hemp fabrics within the UK. With research and development a big part of their business they are definitely a company to watch.

We are delighted to be adding their fabrics to our collection. Suitable for upholstery, curtains and blinds.

Coming soon: Samples of the O Eco Textiles range of organic furnishing fabrics were sent to us by Carole Oates this week and what a wonderful selection they are. The dyes used contain no AZO colorants, heavy metals or aromatic amines and all processing is per Global Organic Textiles standards.

Included is a large range of colours suitable for upholstery.

Chemical-free upholstered armchair.

Circa 1910. Edwardian nursing chair, organic interior fillings, organic herringbone top fabric and walnut legs finished with organic beeswax. This chair was striped back to the frame and reupholstered by Alan Watson.

We love the wonderful handmade chandeliers by Madeleine Boulesteix.
















Madeleine playfully uses old kitchen utensils to create her glamorous signature chandeliers.

Coming soon is the gorgeous Zanzibar fabric collection by Hugh St Clair, printed on 100% hemp and suitable for upholstery.

New additions to our fabric collection:


Handwoven wild and peace silk by Denise Bird Woven Textiles support poverty stricken communities that would otherwise be unemployed enabling traditional weaving skills to be kept alive. The new silk collection is woven from wild Muga silk.









Emma Henderson is a UK based designer working with organic hemp-cotton fabrics. Her lovely fabric is screen printed using water-based inks in the UK.


Insect Soup









Based in Wales, Llynfi Textiles Co. is the first UK company to launch a range of organic wool fabrics using natural dyes certified by the Soil Association.The leaf form designs are screen-printed and stencilled by hand onto organic wool.
Made to order


Madder

The Environmental Impact of the Upholstery Industry.

Worldwide, an area of forest the size of England is destroyed each year as a result of our insatiable demand for wood. The UK is the highest per capita user of industrial wood in the world. Tropical hardwoods, such as teak and mahogany, are often illegally sourced or from badly managed forests. Only certified products are guaranteed to come from properly managed sustainable sources.

Current stringent UK Fire Safety Regulations require all UK furniture manufacturers and upholsterers to comply with The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988 which has led to the wide spread use of chemical flame retardants. However, there is evidence that certain flame retardants can off gas and find their way into our bodies with potentially harmful effects on our health. Formaldehyde, found in MDF, other timber composites, chemical flame retardants as well as wood preservatives and glues, are known to cause symptoms such as nausea, coughing, allergic reactions and fatigue. According to the World Health Organisation, it can cause cancer in humans and animals. Environmental lobbyists are trying to encourage manufacturers to replace more problematic chemical flame retardants with non-toxic or natural alternatives. For further information follow the links:

• Upholstered furniture and mattresses: Perils of puff.
• Flame retardant
• Greenpeace/flame retardants

Polyurethane commonly used in wood finishes and sealants is known to cause cancer in humans.

Animal welfare is an issue with regard to furniture and textile production. All chemical flame retardants have been tested on animals as have synthetic dyes, scotch guard, finishers and chemicals used in textiles and furnishing materials. Also much of the leather and wool used in furnishing materials and fabrics comes from unethical sources. Below is a video by PETA about the wool trade which we found so disturbing we decided to share it in the hope that it will encourage people to think about provenance of wool products before buying and then choose organic wool from sheep reared in the UK.

Please note some people might find this video extremely upsetting.

For further information follow the links:

• savethesheep
• should I give jumpers the cold shoulder?
• rspca good business awards

The current trend for buying furniture with a short lifespan, rather than investing in furniture which can last a lifetime and be passed on to future generations creates the massive problem of disposal. Foam fillings and other upholstery materials currently used in upholstered furniture cannot be recycled and contain chemical flame retardants which can off gas and leach out into the surrounding environment and groundwater from furniture dumped in landfill sites, while incineration can also release toxins into the environment.

When we launched in 2006 Harlands was the first upholstery and furnishing company in the UK to work exclusively with organic fabrics and environmentally sustainable materials. Along with Alan Watson of The Natural Upholsterer we are the only UK upholsterers currently working with ethically sourced, chemical-free, eco-friendly and organic upholstery materials to produce bespoke upholstered furniture.


We are also the first UK company to have brought together a collection of organic furnishings fabrics from different suppliers to enable our clients to see what is available as many of these wonderful companies/designers get lost on the internet. Over the last year our fabric collection has grown steadily, we now work with twelve companies and over the next few months will add several more. Early 2008 will also see the launch of our furniture range so please visit again.


We hope that through our principled approach to production that our clients will know that they are obtaining products of the finest quality that have been produced in a way that guarantees minimal environmental impact.

Originally intended simply to show off the lovely Ardalanish Dark Herringbone tweed the Claude chair was so popular at recent events that we have decided to include it in our chair collection. Part of what makes Claude so appealling is the upholstered legs, click to enlarge and take a closer look.