just_the_scraps_m'am

has anyone worked with cotton made from bamboo? i saw a news clip last night about buyers looking for less costly & organic alternatives to the regular cotton which has risen in price 400% this year.

Quilter4HireAndFun

I have used some bamboo batting. Nice to work with, and lovely to needle. But was disappointed in it after laundry.
It did not "feel" as soft as it did originally did.

Have not purchased any of the bamboo/cottons yet.

yolanda

I have worked with organic cottons but not sure if it was bamboo- I like the organics as they have somewhat of a silky feel. I only had a few fat quarters as it was more expensive. I used bamboo batting!

just_the_scraps_m'am

i bought a pair of socks made from 100% bamboo. they were soft so i thought i'd give them a try. the more i wore them, the more they felt as though they were squeezing my feet...so i was wondering how the quilting {bamboo}cottons were going to work out...

amma

One thing that I am curious about :D Is bamboo commonly used in other countries for fabric? Does it hold up as well as cotton? :D:D:D

just_the_scraps_m'am

i think it is more plentiful & easier to grow in asian countries, but i think the jury is still out on whether it holds up as well as cotton. the plant sure is tough!

Kas

Bamboo is chemically treated and spun out into rayon. That is why it is so silky feeling. It isn't cotton nor is it ecologically friendly.

wolfkitty

I was just going to say, cotton is a plant, and bamboo is a different plant that needs lots of treatment to become a usable fiber, whereas cotton is already a usable fiber.

jljack

I have heard that the processing of the bamboo plants into fibers fine enough for fabrics and batting uses extremely harsh chemicals. So much for eco-friendly....I don't plan on using it anyway, and certainly not for environmental reasons. Sometimes I think they invent this stuff to just get our money....we try to be good, but they sell us stuff that isn't what we intended to buy.....HUMMMMPPHHH!!!!

RST

I've used bamboo in a quilt, mixed with cottons. It was nice to work with, but it did fray more than cotton, and it crinkled-- a lot-- after washing. The particular quilt I used it in was fine with the crinkles--but for anyone who is unhappy with that, it could be a big disappointment.

The fabric I used had more of a sheen than most cottons, and it had a very nice light, crisp texture. I'd use it again. It was priced very competatively w/ cottons of similar qualities.