Over the summer, we really dug deep into refining our ideas and bringing our product to life. Our first big task was figuring out how to extract fibers from rice straw.
Right now, our main focus is all about nailing down the art of crafting yarn from these rice straw fibers, and then taking things a step further by creating beautifully woven fabric out of that very yarn. We explored the Drum Carder. We even managed to weave rice straw fiber into a basic pattern, with a lot of help and guidance from our mentor, Ljubinka from Rusinovo.
Ljubinka and us joined forces to create something extraordinary by mixing wool and rice straw. This textile experiment took us to different fabric compositions on a handloom, and we ended up with some truly one-of-a-kind pieces that combine the best of both materials.
We found out that wool makes for a fantastic base, especially when teaming up with other fibers. And when we bring in straw fiber, it’s like a power boost that not only adds to wool’s natural strengths, but also amps up factors such as flame resistance and toughness, resulting in seriously rugged fabric.
What’s driving us forward in this journey are the big environmental and economic factors at play. We’re committed to finding natural alternatives for textiles that can tackle some of the complex environmental issues we’re facing. And we’re convinced that our work could make a real dent in these challenges.
The project is carried out by the Macedonian Fashion Association and supported by @gef.sgp.mk
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