Buying Guide: The Truth About Thread Count
There’s no doubt that most consumers believe the higher the thread count, the better the quality, but this isn’t entirely true. We generally don’t use thread count to distinguish the quality of our fabrics as it is just a ‘buzz’ word used for marketing. We do better than that! We only use long quality fibres in our organic fabrics and do not glue short fibres together to create 500 or 1000 thread count as this is often the practice with conventional cotton. It’s those short fibres that can exacerbate asthma and allergies and give you watery eyes and the sneezes without you even realising exactly why. When our Organic Fabrics are woven, all short fibres are removed completely. We place the highest priority on health with everything produced or manufactured by Organature®.
About Our GOTS Certified Organic Fabrics
Org Poplin is used for sheets, pillowcases, quilt covers etc. These fabrics are 119 gsm and would compare to around a genuine 300 thread count if you need a true comparison. GSM in fabric (also known as grams per square metre) is simply the metric measurement of the weight of a fabric. Our Organic Poplin is a fabric of greater quality than ‘Percale’ or ‘Sateen’. Sateen is a looser construction and has a tendency to pill. Poplin is a fabric which in the past was used for top quality men’s and ladies shirts. We once used the term ‘Satin’ because it is soft, luxurious and crisp, but have since removed it from our labeling because it is not shiny like the fabric Satin. Our Organic Poplin is Available in Natural, Oxy Bleached White (NO optical brighteners) and now also in a range of the latest decorator colours. We have deliberately used Low Impact Dyes (No AZO dyes and No Formaldehyde) to create this colouful palette to provide a stylist alternative yet minimise the chance of allergic reactions.
Cosy Organic Flannel Fabric is actually a brushed cotton – not a flannelette – and they are about 280 – 285 gsm. It is very similar to Flannelette but better quality and not as fluffy. In our organic brushed cotton only the long cotton fibres are used and it does not fluff like conventional flannelette, therefore eliminating the annoying short fibres that tickle the nose and eyes, and that can trigger allergies. Flannelette produced in Asia frequently contains formaldehyde. Our ‘flannel’ has been woven with a yarn which takes longer to spin and any short fibres are removed. Final brushing produces the superior ‘Suede’ finish. These beautiful Natural Cosy Organic Flannel Sheets are made with our Certified Organic Cotton Fabric which is perfect for winter, making the bed very warm and comfortable. Snuggle up in the peace knowing you and your family are sleeping in only the best organic cotton sheets, all made in Australia.
Organic Calico is Organic Poplin in its original woven state; no softening or any other finishing, no Chemicals and the best one to use for those who are extremely chemical sensitive. Sometimes people think that if they buy calico somewhere, it is always pure calico and means it has no treatments. They are wrong. Most, if not all, calico sold in shops and by fabric wholesalers are treated with formaldehyde. Naturally our 100% Organic Cotton Calico produced to GOTS certification standards is not treated in any way. The only additive in Organic Calico is the Organic Corn Starch which is needed to stiffen the yarn to be able to weave the fabric. It is the best stiffener available, so good, in fact you can eat it.
Organic Suede Flannel 280 lightly brushed. Natural, used for mattresses, futons, mattress underlay, mattress and pillow protectors, curtains and curtain lining. IMPORTANT: There may be up to 10% shrinkage of this organic fabric when washed. It only shrinks noticeably one way. Please allow when measuring your patterns and when ordering. We deliberately make our mattress and pillow protectors a little larger to allow for this shrinkage and do a wash test with each new batch. Because it’s organic cotton, it is never consistent, and each crop and batch can be different. If this fabric is to be made into curtains, we advise you make the curtains without a hem and hang first. The fabric can drop after hanging and this way you will be able to hem once they have dropped, to the required hem height. (This is good advice for all fabric to be used for curtaining.)
Organic Suede Flannel 210 Lightly brushed. A superior fabric to flannelette. Natural (No Dye or Bleach). Winter weight quilt/duvet/doona covers, tea towels, PJ bottoms, dressing gowns. Flannelette is woven from a different type of yarn than Flannel. The yarn produced for flannelette is different spinning technique, it is faster to spin and the short fibres have not been removed; final brushing of the fabric by the mill produces the ’fluff’. Flannelette, produced in Asia, frequently contains formaldehyde. Our ‘flannel’ has been woven with a yarn which takes longer to spin and the short fibres ARE removed. Final brushing produces the superior ‘Suede’ finish.
Organic Heavy Duty Canvas Fabric Heavy Duty Organic Canvas, suitable for upholstery, curtains, cushion covers and more. 100% GOTS Certified Organic. Unbleached and un-dyed. 355 gsm. – Earth Red, Sea Blue and Forest Green – Heavy Duty Organic Canvas, suitable for upholstery, curtains, cushion covers and more. 100% GOTS Certified Organic. Coloured with low impact dye. 355 gsm.
Organic Fleece is beautifully soft. Available in Natural, Oxy White, Pink, Blue, Cafe Latte, Slate Blue, Mint and Black. Used to make blankets, mattress protectors, baby and children’s sleep wear, dressing gowns, versatile cloths and more.
Organic Herb Cord Herb dyed light weight corduroy. Natural, Bark Brown, Madder Red. Ideal for futon covers, upholstery, garments. Note: HERB dyed fabric requires a few washes to remove excess dye, do not leave to stand wet in a bundle, do not tumble dry otherwise staining can occur. This is not a fault of this fabric.
Organic Jersey 100% Organic Cotton with 5% Elastane.
Organic Terry Towelling Available in a range of colours: Natural, Oxy White, Pink, Light Blue and Mint. GOTS Certified 100% Organic Cotton Terry Fabric. 425-450 gsm. (Approx. 640 g/m).
Organic Ribbed or Interlock Binding Suitable for binding your home made projects. Made from Certified Organic Cotton. Available in Ribbing and Interlock.
GOTS Certified Organic Cotton Pieces Commonly used as Toy Filling or Stuffing.
Organic Cotton Quilters Wadding Perfect for quilting and making your own blankets. GOTS Certified 100% Organic Cotton Wadding. 250 gsm.
Organic Carded Cotton Wadding Pads Made with GOTS Certified 100% Organic Cotton. Available for sale in several sized packs, this material is suitable to be used to fill Toys, Cushions, Upholstery, Pillows, Bolsters and other home furnishings. 1000 gsm per pad.
Organic Muslin Used for cheese making, mosquito netting, curtains.
How to Extend the Life and Efficiency of Organic Cotton Textiles
- Wash dark colours separately – Maximum 30 Celsius with a gentle and natural washing powder.
- Do not use chlorine bleach as this degrades the organic fibre. Note: Most town water contains chlorine, so do not leave to soak.
- Do not chemically clean. This not only degrades the fibre but reverses the health benefits from purchasing a certified organic fabric in the first place.
- Do not leave to stand wet.
- Dry in shade as much as possible as extended periods of sunlight may also degrade the organic fibre.
- May be tumble dried on warm setting. Careful some dryers operate too hot. Iron on cotton setting; slightly damp condition.
- Do not wash above the recommended maximum of 30 C or you may experience shrinkage.
