The Benefits of Hemp Fabric
Industrial hemp is a very versatile plant with a myriad of uses, including my personal favorite: hemp fabric.
Industrial hemp unfortunately gets a bad rap because of its relation to marijuana. However, industrial hemp cannot get a person high, as the levels of THC in industrial hemp are much lower than those in marijuana. Industrial hemp can be used for everything from paper and building materials, to paint and salad dressing oil. Though industrial hemp is now becoming more popular, it is by no means a new material.
Hemp material has been found in archeological sites thousands of years old. Christopher Columbus had hemp rigging on his ships. Many of the founding fathers, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp in their gardens. The first American flag made by Betsy Ross was sewn from hemp fabric. And During WWII Henry Ford even built a car made of plastic that included hemp in its composition.
Environmental Benefits of Hemp Fabric
The benefits of hemp fabric are many starting with the agriculture of the hemp itself. Hemp will often grown in poorer soil than many other fabric crops such as cotton or flax. In fact, hemp actually improves the soil it is grown in, making it a very good plant to have in a crop rotation. Hemp also needs less land for growing than cotton or flax, as it produces up to 250% more fiber than cotton and up to 600% percent more fiber than flax.
Hemp fabric is a much more eco-friendly material than many other fabrics. The height and growth rate of hemp allow it to suppress weeds, which eliminates the need for farmers to spray fields with herbicides. In addition, hemp does not require pesticides or fungicides. Hemp’s deep roots also prevent soil erosion.
Benefits of the Hemp Fabric Itself
As well as being so eco-friendly, hemp fabric is also one of the strongest fabrics on the planet. Hemp fabric will usually last twice as long as cotton fabric. It’s a fabric that is resistant to mold and actually becomes softer the more it is worn. Garments made of hemp fabric are also not as prone to stretching and distortion, as the strength of the hemp fibers help it keep its shape.
Hemp fabric takes dye and retains its color better than many other fabrics such as cotton. It even behaves a bit like insulation, as it keeps the wearer warm in the winter and cool in the summer. This makes hemp fabric ideal for all seasons.
As hemp clothing becomes more popular, it is easier to find shops selling items made of hemp fabric. Though they are a bit more expensive to begin with, they end up less expensive in the long run as they last so much longer. A quick internet search for local hemp clothing will often yield results showing you local places to purchase hemp clothing. And of course there are many sites on the internet to purchase hemp clothing.
If you’re like me and prefer to make your own clothing, check out Hemptraders.com as they sell hemp fabric by the yard. In the past I’ve used their hemp to make a few shirts and even a couple hemp shopping bags (click here to watch my hemp shopping bag tutorial), all of which have held up wonderfully. So try a little bit of hemp fabric. Odds are you’ll love it, and you’ll be helping the earth as well.
Copyright © Amber Reifsteck ~ The Woodland Elf
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