Textile production can be quite an energy intensive process, which is why we’ve made every effort we possibly can to minimise the impact of Victoria Eggs textiles on the environment. Find out below just how we do it!
Firstly, what textiles do we make?
We design a lot of textiles products! We have Tea Towels, Aprons, Pot Grabs, Double Oven Gloves, Oven Mitts, Canvas Tote Bags, Wash bags and Cosmetic Bags, and face covers. Phew! What a list.
Who helps us get Victoria Eggs textiles in your homes?
Something that has always been important to Victoria Eggs has been supporting and working with British and independent companies. Countryside Art has been trading ethically and sustainably, producing quality printed textiles for over 40 years.
Countryside Art is the leader in the textiles printing trade, being the first to move to digital printing using pigment inks and installing the very first digital printing machine in the UK, just over 3 years ago.
Our textiles process
Our cotton gets delivered to West Yorkshire, ready to be finished and washed. Then it gets sent to Lincolnshire in 200 metre rolls, before being cut down to size. Then the cotton gets cleaned again to make sure that it's ready for our printing process. This is an important step to ensure that the quality of the image is clear and takes to the fabric.
The paint is chosen and carefully weighed out in giant barrels to avoid waste, then mixed to make sure there’s no imperfections in the colour. Now the designs are finally ready to print!
The cotton gets put onto a huge automatic printing machine, the designs are then screen printed, one colour at a time, onto the fabric, before being transferred by hand to the giant conveyor belt dryer.
Once dried it is ready to be collected by the seamstresses who cut out each pattern. Everything is sewn together by the seamstresses, before the finishing touches like the apron ties and swing tickets are added, ready for sale.
Finally, all the Tea Towels, Aprons, Pot Grabs, Oven Mitts, Oven Gloves and Canvas Bags are packaged with either a belly band or swing ticket and ready to be sent to your home.
What makes the cotton ethically sourced?
Countryside Art has just two UK based suppliers who source on our behalf, and only use specially selected accredited yarn suppliers and mills who they have built trusted relationships with. The suppliers also must be SEDEX approved, meaning that the company meets sustainable business practice requirements.
How else are we environmentally friendly?
We use water-based ink, which is harder to use but has virtually no impact on the environment. We also use an environmentally safe cleaning process, making sure that there are no unnecessary chemicals used during the cleaning process. And we’re not just environmentally friendly with our larger textiles, but with our face coverings too!
We launched a few bamboo face coverings in August 2020 to help keep people safe through the pandemic whilst also being environmentally friendly. The reason we chose to make our face coverings from bamboo is because the fabric naturally possesses an antibacterial and antifungal agent, making the face coverings more hygienic and healthier to wear. Bamboo is also hypoallergenic, making it perfect for anyone who has sensitive skin.
What is organic cotton?
Organic cotton is grown using environmentally friendly techniques without using any chemical fertilisers or pesticides. Organic cotton is grown without any harmful chemicals, pesticides, or genetically engineered seeds. Most of our tea towels are made from organic cotton.