Choose versatile, carefree hemp fabric for your next sewing project.
Consider hemp for your next sewing project. This eco-friendly material is versatile enough for clothing and home décor. It is sometimes called hemp cloth.
Qualities of Hemp Fabric
- In many respects, hemp often looks and behaves much like linen. This is a durable fabric that lasts and lasts. It softens with age.
- Like linen and cotton, this is a cool choice for summer. It breathes well. This is recommended for warm, humid climates as the fabric resists mildew.
Choosing a Hemp Fabric
- Several kinds of hemp are available, including various weights. Choose the one that is most suited to your sewing project. Hemp is sometimes blended with other fibers, such as ramie, linen, silk, and cotton.
- For clothing, knit and stretch hemp blends are good choices. These are resistant to wrinkles.
- Lightweight, plain woven hemp is suitable for all kinds of casual clothing. This is often used for skirts, jackets, vests, dresses, shirts, and slacks. Hemp twills and herringbone weaves are also good for clothes.
- For home furnishings, heavy weight hemp fabrics are preferred. Pure hemp is a good choice for the patio, such as cushion covers. This holds up well under UV rays.
Sewing Hemp
- If your hemp fabric isn’t preshrunk, do this before beginning your project.
- The seams of 100% hemp tend to ravel easily. For that reason, use a serger or finish the seams so this doesn’t happen.
- Some hemp fabrics can be rather thick. For best results, a large needle should be used in such cases.
Caring for Hemp Fabrics
- When your hemp projects are completed, care for the items properly. Use cold water when laundering these. Chlorine bleaches aren’t recommended.
- Typically, these aren’t always colorfast. For that reason, wash dark colors separately. Or use a dye catcher sheet.
- Allow hemp fabrics to air dry. Using a dryer can cause wrinkles and make it shrink.
- Pure hemp can sometimes develop wrinkles. Just hang the garment up overnight so these can fall out. If you can’t wait, a touch-up ironing will be needed.
- Assuming you can afford the cost, hemp can also be dry cleaned.
Hemp Fabric is Green
- Hemp has been used widely for thousands of years. It is considered green for several reasons. Unlike cotton, hemp requires minimal input in terms of fertilizers, pesticides, and the like.
- Despite all these advantages, this can’t be grown by American farmers. That is due to outdated laws aimed at controlling the cultivation of marijuana. As a result, hemp fabrics sold in the U.S. are imported.
The copyright of the article How to Sew & Care For Hemp Fabric in Natural Fabrics is owned by Connie Krochmal. Permission to republish How to Sew & Care For Hemp Fabric in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
