FAQ
Our domestic 100% organic cotton is purchased by the bale directly from the Texas Organic Cotton Growers Co-Op. For more about the Co-Op and the farmers that produce it, please read more about them here.
In some cases, we utilize 100% certified organic yarn from overseas. Some fabrics we manufacture are a blend of domestic and imported yarn. We can segregate inventory between the two yarn supply channels and exclusively domestic fabrics can be purchased with a price premium relative to prevailing costs.
Our domestic organic cotton certification comes from the Texas Department of Agriculture which is regulated and must adhere to the organic standards set forth by the USDA. We also receive a sworn certification affidavit from the spinning mill. However, the domestic cotton is not technically, "GOTS certified". USDA Organic certification documents are available upon request.
All the overseas yarn we utilize is GOTS certified by approved third party certification entities. Certification documents are available upon request.
We only use low impact, fiber reactive dyes in our fabric that are not harmful to the environment. This means that they do not contain any heavy metals or toxic substances. All finishing/dyeing occurs in a closed loop system with low temperature water. The exhausted dyebath is also treated onsite to remove all dye chemicals before being released into the effluent. This closed loop dyeing system uses the least amount of water when compared with all other finishing/dyeing processes. This superior method results in the cotton absorbing over 75% of the dye, which forms a bond to the cotton fiber. This allows superior colorfastness and minimal run-off.
Bleaching is done with hydrogen peroxide which is derived from apples.
Yes, all of our fabrics are pre-shrunk. This is not the same as "pre-washing", which can be done during the garment dyeing or washing, which can remove all shrinkage. Therefore, we recommend performing a shrink test on all fabrics before making a marker as there is always residual shrinkage when the fabric is put back on a roll during the finishing process. Shrinkage varies based on style, but a general average on all our knits is 5-7%. The only exception to this is our Heavyweight Thermal which tends to have shrinkage of 10-12%. We can provide shrinkage results for full rolls; any yardage less than roll will require a customer-ran shrink test. For minimal shrink, wash cold & tumble dry low.
We recommend ordering our Peroxide White (PFD) if you plan on dyeing, though scoured or "natural" finished piece goods can also be dyed in the fabric or garment state. Peroxide White will likely yield the best color and dye consistency.
If you are going to piece dye the fabric you can order "greige goods", which are essentially knit out, unfinished goods. Unless specified as greige, our fabrics have been washed, scoured, or washed-and-scoured before being put on a roll. We do not recommend cutting and sewing from greige goods as no shrinkage measures have been taken and needle cutting when sewing will likely occur. Greige goods must be washed or dyed and a fabric softener added, which in addition to softening the fabric, will prevent needle cutting. These greige precautions also apply if goods are to be printed in any manner
