In the world of fiber, there is a name so legendary that I have sometimes heard it whispered in reverence: Sally Fox. A colleague of mine used it recently as an exclamation point to a discussion on cotton growing: “Sally Fox!” she declared, snapping her notebook shut. Linda, from Northern Bay Handspun wrote me to say,“I think Sally Fox is a hero. I am so grateful for the years she spent working to give us something that we can feel so good about wearing next to our skin.”
So who is this woman who inspires so much interest and devotion?

Karen Brown
A few samples of Sally’s organic grown-in color cotton fabric, woven commercially in the US in the 1990s.
Sally Fox introduced naturally colored cotton to the world in 1989. She didn’t invent it – it has existed in nature for eons – but Sally did what no one thought was possible: she carefully hand-bred ancient, naturally pest-resistant varieties into long staple cottons that can be spun by conventional mills. And she did it using organic and biodynamic growing methods.
When Sally was working her way through college – teaching, spinning, and handweaving – she heard a story at the Southern California Handweavers’ Guild that changed her life.
“I heard about a local high school crafts teacher who was really into synthetic dyes,” Sally said. “She never took any precautions, never wore gloves, never did anything to protect herself from chemicals. She wound up in a convalescent home with brain damage, apparently from absorbing so much of the stuff through her skin. I couldn’t believe it! I did research, and discovered that a lot of the same companies who make pesticides also make dyes. From that moment forward I decided I wanted nothing to do with dyes. I started seeking out natural colors for all fibers.”
The unhealthy effects of chemical dyes have been noted by the World Bank, who estimates that almost 20 percent of industrial water pollution comes from textile dyeing and treatment. They have also identified 72 toxic chemicals in our water solely related to textile dyeing.
“Later, I worked for a cotton breeder for a summer,” Sally continued. “He had all white cotton and the breeding was very boring. But he had a bag of short staple brown cotton, just a bunch of brown cotton full of seeds. It was the first time I had ever seen colored cotton and I fell in love with it. He said there was no market for it. But I was in my twenties, so I said, ‘Why don’t we make a market for it?’ He said to go for it and I did. I went through all those seeds and hand-spun the cotton connected to every single one. I decided which ones were the easiest ones to spin and I planted those. That was the beginning.”

Left: Northern Bay Handspun; right: 2NFrom.
Items made with Sally’s cotton: Handspun yarn from Northern Bay Handspun; a quilted tote from 2NFrom.
Season after season, Sally carefully bred colored cotton – eventually under the trademarks FoxFibre and Colorganic – in shades ranging from camel to tobacco to dusky green. She cross-bred it with long staple cotton to develop fibers that could be spun by conventional mills. Although the difference in length might seem slight – “short staple” cotton can be up to 1.15 inches long; “long staple” starts at 1.25” – it was a strategic difference that produced colored cotton with the potential to go mainstream. She also discovered that the tannins in colored cotton made it more pest, mildew, and fire resistant, so much so that a bale properly stored can last up to 100 years.
Along with grown-in color, Sally began investigating healthier, more sustainable methods of growing. Conventional cotton is the most toxic crop in the world. Although it only occupies 3% of the world’s farmland, it consumes more than 25% of the insecticides and 12% of the pesticides used worldwide. (Insecticides are used to kill insects; pesticides are used to kill insects and other creatures, including birds, mammals, mollusks, and microorganisms.) In the US, 25% of the all pesticides used domestically are applied to cotton. For Sally, whose love of insects fueled her pursuit of a degree in entomology, using poison to kill insects was never an option.

A 2011 benefit fashion show included a jumpsuit and shawl made with Sally’s cotton. Boiling the green cotton for the shawl darkened it to a more intense shade.
At one point, Sally ran a $10 million dollar business in naturally colored organic cotton, all grown, spun, and woven in the US. Then mill closures, outsourcing of the textile industry, and resistance from growers who worried that her pollen might drift into their white cotton fields challenged the structure of her business.
It took a while, but she is emerging from what she calls “hibernation.” “Now, I work with one mill in Japan and I have a US spinner for my cotton again,” she said from her biodynamic ranch in California’s Capay Valley, where she talked to me while bottle-feeding lambs from her multi-colored merino sheep. “What I am best at is R and D. I really know how to grow, and I really know how to design yarn and fabric. I am very excited about working with communities both inside and outside our local fibershed.”
“The best part is seeing someone get enjoyment out of what you grow,” she said. “It’s so exciting to see what someone talented does with your material.”
150 comments
Susan Faye from SusanFayePetProjects said 8 years ago
Wow! some shocking statistics here...20 percent of industrial water pollution comes from textile dyeing and treatment? In the US, 25% of the all pesticides used domestically are applied to cotton? Time to re-think what we wear and where it comes from! Thank you Sally Fox for "planting the seeds" and giving us the opportunity to move toward something more healthy, sustainable, and beautiful!
LivingVintage from LivingVintage said 8 years ago
What a dynamic woman! We knitters have known about her for a while. A better world one skein at a time.
Mary Lezcano from BellaBboutique said 8 years ago
Yet another conciouse effort to move us forward in a more sustainable and healthy way, hoorah!
Emily from EmSewCrazy said 8 years ago
Neat story. I didn't realize cotton could be grown in different colors.
Leasa from LeasaDesigns said 8 years ago
So informative - thank u!!
Megan from MegansMenagerie said 8 years ago
What a great story! Amazing :)
Gail Oliver from AttentionGetting said 8 years ago
Let's hope this becomes the norm for the textile world.
Rose Waterrose from Waterrose said 8 years ago
What a great article. Living in Arizona there are cotton fields all around; however, many are also disappearing. I never thought about all of the chemicals used to grow this crop... thanks so much for the information.
Raniera from AtelierRaniera said 8 years ago
That's a very inspiring story! Thanks for sharing it!!
David and Celeste from SheppardHillDesigns said 8 years ago
Great article. Hats off to Sally!
Nita Blum from GoldenPlumeJewelry said 8 years ago
what a beautiful art form :)
Billy Bubbles from FireIslandSoap said 8 years ago
this is brilliant I'm LOVING IT!
Kirsten Gilmore from PaintingsByKEGilmore said 8 years ago
An excellent article with lovely pictures. Thank you for sharing. :)
Chris Evans from Plastidermy said 8 years ago
Naturally dyed fabrics is definitely the direction I'm moving in, anything that keeps us healthier and is sustainable gets my approval.
Amanda Gynther from CafePrimrose said 8 years ago
Oooh nice! I love all things natural
Alexandriani from Alexandriani said 8 years ago
Amazing!
Donna Kohler from TreadleLady said 8 years ago
Great article. The loom makes my heart pitter patter with memories of learning to weave in Hawaii. Ok, Donna, (me) snap out of it, don't have room for a loom, too many iron beauties around. Cotton is my choice in fabrics, interesting information, thank you, will look at things differently.
Riley from UnicornChic said 8 years ago
Ah, this is wonderful
Megan Woods from MWMeganWoods said 8 years ago
Thanks so much for bringing us this information! I learned about 'FoxFiber' while studying Fashion Design, but we didn't really focus on it as a viable alternative and what it really was all about. I had no idea it was all resting on one incredible woman!
Amy Gunderson from amysfunkyfibers said 8 years ago
Wonderful article. Thank you for sharing this great story of a woman so dedicated to natural fibers.
Tonya D from LuxeModernDesigns said 8 years ago
I love that people are into more natural items!! This was a great article!
Jaclyn Doremus from TheLandofCraft said 8 years ago
Fantastic post! So interesting!
ian from MysterySchool said 8 years ago
Wow! This woman is my hero! I love that she cares about the dyes and the growing process being as eco-friendly as possible!
wabiSabo from IndustrialSafari said 8 years ago
One of the most informative and relevent posts I've seen lately. Thank you. A revival of the economy hinges on us being able to bring industries, such as textiles, back online in the USA. Hopefully brave souls such as Sally Fox will influence that revival.
Terry from Parachute425 said 8 years ago
Thanks for the introduction to this pioneer. Makes me want to read more on this subject.
Elisabeth Ringewald from MaineCoonCrafts said 8 years ago
Wow, truly inspiring, we are just so un-aware of the dangers of products that we take for granted, the pioneer spirit that made America...
Sharon Amezquita from BasquePebble said 8 years ago
Thanks for bringing awareness.... we need to be more responsible and eco friendly.
RY Storteboom from KnitGoodWomanKnit said 8 years ago
In the end, Mother nature does it best.
OkSana from AroundNature said 8 years ago
Wonderful woman and a great story - that's a gift for those who like all natural things that such people exist and inspire us.
MetroGypsy from MetroGypsy said 8 years ago
Lovely work! And what an intriguing read on sustainability!
GlistGal from FindYourGlist said 8 years ago
Karen, thank you so much for this wonderfully researched article. I am so grateful to have been given the back story to this amazing family of fibers. Having handled some of Sally's yarns, I know the truly deeply satisfying experience of something that is authentic, value driven, and beautiful on multiple levels.
fineartstoneware from fineartstoneware said 8 years ago
Very informative!
Amy from needleandfelt said 8 years ago
I love that picture of Sally. This was a wonderful and informative post and close to my heart. I use a eco, low metallic dye and natural fibers for my makings and hope to eventually come up with a system to dye with plant base dyes. I always look forward to your posts, thank you!
Patrick from EdelweissPost said 8 years ago
This important post as truly opened my eyes to the danger of chemical dyes. Thank you, Karen for bringing this to our attention.
Lorraine Follett from FibreFilia said 8 years ago
A truly inspiring story. I have the same problem with processing my naturally grown coloured merino wool - all the small processors have (but one) closed down in mainland Australia while others have gone with the flow of taking their raw material offshore to China or elsewhere, I am persevering with the now, very expensive scouring and millings costs. This is probably not financially sustainable for me but I will endeavour to find a way through it. Maybe one day someone in government and the powerful wool industry organisation here in Australia will understand that it's not all about 18 micron white merino wool to sell to the Italian suit cloth market. Just maybe, one day before I am too old to hobble around paddocks, there will be a return of the specialist processors.
Jane Priser from JanePriserArts said 8 years ago
I think this is a very important article. I enjoy learning and this is packed full of great information. Wonderful and beautiful cloth, too!!!!
undertheroot from undertheroot said 8 years ago
This is so important, folks. We are the future and can do this!
Lynn from LynnsLavishLoot said 8 years ago
Its time more of us got back to that! Great article!
Monica Bueb from MonicaBags said 8 years ago
Those statistics are horrifying especially considering I generally feel good about buying clothes with "natural" fibers like cotton. Stats aside, thank you, Karen, for bringing another vastly important subject to etsy, with so much style and beauty.
Richard - TalkToMeGuy said 8 years ago
Wonderful article/interview, another great piece Karen! Thank You I heart, the image of the women with cow !
Julie Goolsby from TurtleGirlQuilts said 8 years ago
Very interesting article.
Bonnie Waller from TwitchyWitchy said 8 years ago
I learned so much, thank you!
Shola from YarningKnots said 8 years ago
Au natural. I like the sound of that!
Polkadot Magpie from ThePolkadotMagpie said 8 years ago
Great informative blog.
mazedasastoat from mazedasastoat said 8 years ago
Cotton also needs a huge amount of water to grow it, taking essential water for irrigation in areas that can ill afford it. Linen & hemp are much greener alternatives.
Jeanne B from PruAtelier said 8 years ago
Great article! I live for the day when all the unnatural, poisonous, toxic, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics chemicals, food chemicals, clothing chemicals and cleaning chemicals are lost to history.....and that without further polluting our waters and atmosphere!
Linzee from lkmccray said 8 years ago
Love the "patchwork" photo of Sally's fibers—so amazing that such variety is achievable without chemical dyes. In addition to being good for the environment, makers, and consumers, the patchwork makes clear that these fibers encourage innovation in weaving and knitting design, in order to make the most of the simple, rich palette. A win-win for us all. Thanks, Karen, for this great post.
Phyllis Bourque from TrendyThreadworks said 8 years ago
Information like this foundational to the handmade effort. Imagine the quality of handmade if we could source all of our materials from eco-conscious domestic pioneers. Imagine how businesses could grow and we could all be much healthier...everything from foods to homes. Ummm...didn't we used to do that??
Karen Brown from blainedesign said 8 years ago
It's unlikely that an industrial approach to developing materials would allow for something like LOVE to be a source of innovation. Yet throughout Sally's story, I was impressed again and again by how her pursuits are driven by love and loving care for living things. She loved spinning, and therefore selected strains of cotton to breed by spinning the little filaments that attached themselves to each seed. She trained as an entomologist and pollinator, and her love of insects made using pesticides impossible. Her values help me see how "practical" love can be, because it is so big, inclusive, thoughtful, and patient. I do not think I have seen an approach to textiles that has the potential so solve so many big problems all at once.
alangood said 8 years ago
A wonderful story. Inspirational, but full of facts and information. I hope that Sally prospers; she has shown us the way towards something better! Thank you KAREN for another wonderful post.
Lisa Harling from Gosyma said 8 years ago
How far astray industry did go... Breeding out cotton's natural resistance to pests and disease in order to produce a whiter, longer fibre! They are such beautiful colours. I am incredibly inspired by this, thank you. There is hope for us.... more than that, there is possibly an amazing future ahead...not only in textiles, but also for growing food, building materials, medicines, fuels... am I getting carried away?
D George from GeorgieGirlLLC said 8 years ago
Love this story and the cows.
Cheryl Jackson from softnwoolly said 8 years ago
This is amazing! I had no idea cotton came in any colour other than white. I shall now investigate more. Thanks for opening my eyes.
Jacqueline from ButtercupBees said 8 years ago
Great story, so inspirational! Thank you.
Ele from minouette said 8 years ago
Thanks for another interesting read. I hope artisans here are more aware of toxicity of their materials than the art teacher poisoned by dye. It's sad that cotton agriculture has such a heavy environmental price.
Natalia Snemis from expressyourself said 8 years ago
Interesting story!
IKA PARIS from ikabags said 8 years ago
Thanks for natural post ! Congrats !
Karen Brown from blainedesign said 8 years ago
Yes, Cheryl, and white can still be a very helpful color. For example, Sally has a color that is sort of a redwood tone -- when you spin it with white cotton, you get naturally pink yarn!
truecolorprints from truecolorprints said 8 years ago
Great story!
allstarorganics from allstarorganics said 8 years ago
This is yet another important story in a series of stories that Karen has brought us to remind us all that everything we do is connected to everything else. We are all beginning to understand the connection between the food we eat and the preservation of farmland, the environment, community, and farming as a way of life. This article makes clear that it is also true of the clothes we wear. Remember that the food system really includes food, fiber, flowers, forage, fodder, and fuel. In knowing more about how cotton fiber is grown and processed, and how our clothes are made and colored, we are in a position to be smarter about our choices. In doing so, we can protect and grow a US garment industry in line with a sustainable vision. We can begin to wear our values. I love the array of colors and textures of this fabric from nature. It makes me want to wear the clothes. Growing our own cotton would be an economic boon to many American communities. A small mill for processing and several sewing coops and clothing lines could grouped around each growing endeavor and be supported from each cotton planting. What a good idea.
Ali and Madeline from eweandmehandmades said 8 years ago
What an amazing woman!
Natalia from KMalinkaVintage said 8 years ago
Great article:O)
Maureen from HandpaintedThreads said 8 years ago
Very informative and interesting article! Thanks.
Nellie Torres said 8 years ago
great article! loved reading it
Ashley Noelle from BrennysBibbies said 8 years ago
What a great article! So informative.
Sue Taylor-Davidson from gracedmoments said 8 years ago
Thanks for such information! And thanks to Sally Fox who was ahead of her time....beautiful yarn, and I loved the cotton vest and the picture of the girl and the cow....such expression in that cow's eyes!
Emily Wirt from emwi said 8 years ago
Wow, I never knew that so much pollution came from chemical dyes. I've always been interested in natural dyes, but these varieties of cotton are really interesting. Such a great read. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful story.
Mary Salaber from marysalaber said 8 years ago
Gorgeous! Capay Valley, Ca?? That's only 30 mins from my house!
Nicole Leone from LEFTright said 8 years ago
Such an important story to share Karen! Thank you.
Kate Foreman Suko from CampbellCreekWeavery said 8 years ago
I often think of the Peruvian cotton farmers who were resistant to growing organic cotton for EcoCotton (Sweden) until they noticed the improved health of the organic farmers and their families. We become inured to the hazards and risks. Thank you, Karen, for clearly identifying those hazards. And thank you for including Campbell Creek Weavery -
Enterprise Americana from EnterpriseAmericana said 8 years ago
Great story.
J.K. Ramirez from HudsonBlueArtisans said 8 years ago
Salty Fox.... I salute you. Your skills and craft are valuable. Thanks for keeping the art alive.
Alexandra Simons from BlueMoonLights said 8 years ago
Thank you, Karen, for bringing such an important topic to the public. When we are aware of the facts, we can make better decision that influence the world and all its creatures for the better. Love the natural colors of the different cotton strains, simply beautiful!
Carol Frechette from 2NFrom said 8 years ago
Thank you, Karen, for bringing Sally Fox into the limelight and for including my bag in your blog. I encountered Sally Fox in the mid-1990's when I was making hats for my company, Watership. At that time, I was making hats in my U.S.A. factory with transitional organic cotton and hemp fabrics. When I discovered Sally Fox and Foxfibre®, I was in heaven and began to make hats in denim that was woven with her naturally grown green and brown cotton. They were a big success and I still have some of this beautiful fabric that I continue to share with my current customers, now in the form of totes and zippered pouches. Hurray for Sally Fox for cultivating nature's gifts and for her continued work in biodynamics!
Jason and Andie from andiespecialtysweets said 8 years ago
Karen, what an amazing contribution, yet again, to inspire, inform and transform! Thank you, Sally, for taking a risk on something deemed unmarketable. And thank you for illuminating the world of textiles for us so that we can be savvy and judicious in our textile support, and more aware of the effect of fiber in our daily lives. Your work is beautiful and the love is apparent!
Regan from LaMeowVintage said 8 years ago
When I first glanced I thought this was about natural dyes, like using mushrooms and vegetables. I had no idea cotton grows in different colors. Wow!
Priscilla from Gardenmis said 8 years ago
A truly inspiring story! Thank you for sharing!!
Sheila Clancy from SheilaForever said 8 years ago
So exciting. Makes me feel there is hope for the world! Thanks for sharing this story.
Patti Trostle from PattiTrostle said 8 years ago
Great article!!
Jessie Steien from CroquisKnits said 8 years ago
This is fascinating--thank you for this wonderful article!
DewyMorningVintage from DewyMorningVintage said 8 years ago
Enlightening article, I had no idea about the pollution dyes were causing. Thank you for changing the modern paradigm to something more healthy. Very interesting read. Thanks!
Irina, Larisa from ChervlenyYar said 8 years ago
Very interesting! Thank you so much!
Matejka Max from NattyMatty said 8 years ago
Bravo!
Una Stigsdottir from Unaberries said 8 years ago
So inspiring! Love from Iceland.
Liza Milan from AdieuMonCoeur said 8 years ago
Thank you for a very interesting article.......makes you wonder about so much!
kim barbieri from PonyLegsStudio said 8 years ago
Fantastic story with so much to give - information, a better healthier world and the knowledge that one person (again) can make a difference!
sun li from lililililili said 8 years ago
Nature is the best gift for us
Kasia from Eclectivist said 8 years ago
This is story is so inspiring, thank you for bringing it to us Karen! Not long ago I learnt of the pollution caused by the textile dyes and their possible impact on our health - we sleep in it, wear it... There is still not enough alternatives on the market so I started to learn of natural ways of dying fabrics but I never heard about dying cotton at the breeding stage!
PoetryofObjects from PoetryofObjects said 8 years ago
One idea blossoms into creative beauty...
Linda from northernbayhandspun said 8 years ago
Awareness, Hope, Excitement -- these are what I feel reading Karen's blog. Thank you so much for bringing Sally and her work into people's consciousness. Maybe in addition to using her fantastic cotton, more people will now ask questions about the products we wear and use and what it takes to produce them. And, of course, a huge thank you for including my words and my Sally Fox cotton yarn (Organic Desert) in your article!
Penelope Neil from StarTribe said 8 years ago
Thank you so much for this wonderful article. I used to dye vintage linens for my textile jewelry, but I stopped just over a year ago now; I could no longer continue to process my materials in such a toxic way, especially given that the main drive of my work is it's eco-friendly! I've been looking into techniques developed by India Flint on natural, mordant free dyes, so it's wonderful to see others like her investing their life in bringing a more sustainable facet to our lives.
Carol Wagner from EclecticBead said 8 years ago
Wow! Very informational. Thanks for sharing!
AuntieOm said 8 years ago
Fantastic post! Thank you for bringing Sally Fox and her work to our attention.
PinkCheetahVintage from PinkCheetahVintage said 8 years ago
Super interesting and informative!! Thanks for sharing!!!
Bunny Hipps from MimosaMornings said 8 years ago
Fascinating article! Definitely gives me something to think about.
rosebudsvintage from WillowsWear said 8 years ago
Thank you for the beautiful informative story, Love the pictures of the sheep and cows. I live in a State that was where the Industrial Revolution began with the cloth mills & jewelry spilling pollution into the water for centuries. Some of my state has the most contaminated land & water in the country. I lived near a large mill and over the years the smell of the dyes emitted at night was gagging. My children still remember it. Now the mills are gone as a lot of the workers and neighbors dying from one form of pollution from the air. Glad to know that people are striving to go back to the Natural ways of life. An enormous Thanks to Sally Fox and all her wonderful products.
Jim Ed Brown from StarMountainPottery said 8 years ago
Ohhhhhh.....finally someone that's helping instead of moaning and complaining.....Laus...Deo
Edna from beeanddew said 8 years ago
Wow! Wakeup call! Thanks for the article, and thank you, Sally!
Maria Romana from roFelt said 8 years ago
Great article!
Balea-Raitz from LorenasLaceDesigns said 8 years ago
It's a great article! Thank you very much Sally :)
SharonH from FineThreadz said 8 years ago
Wonderful article! No idea that cotton could be grown in different colors!
hasincla from travelwanderings said 8 years ago
Wow, I am so encouraged by stories like this! Making the world less toxic is *definitely* a good thing, I hope other producers can learn from Sally's success, that being ethical and maintaining a successful business don't have to work against each other.
Julia Berg from PetiteMortShop said 8 years ago
great article. very interesting subject
Benjamin Wieler from bookBW said 8 years ago
Gosh, thanks for the fantastic article, my favourite set of bed linens were from Foxfibre, the more they were laundered the deeper the colour got. But they gave up eventually & I still have pieces of the sheets in my recycle stash to use as base fabric for embroidery projects. I hope to sleep between FoxFibre again!
Tracy from designlab443 said 8 years ago
Neat story!
Betti and Jeno from RealfaerySupplies said 8 years ago
Wow, it was a really interesting article. I never heard of natural colored cotton. Thanks!
Peggy McCallum from InMaterial said 8 years ago
What an eye opener! I've been thinking of moving into organic fabrics, and after reading this article, I am going to start doing some serious research. Thank you for this great article.
Doris Mawyer from PostedProperty said 8 years ago
Absolutely fascinating! I made a page of notes to look up. The colors are heavenly. If only all this was so widespread that I could afford it.
Angela from DeliriumAccessories said 8 years ago
Amazing Story!!
Elizabeth McTear from HonestAlchemyCo said 8 years ago
I have a textile design degree, in which I only learned how to use synthetic dyes (though, we always took precautions when using them). It's only recently that I've switched to using natural indigo and am working to learn more about natural dyes for cloth. Pollution is often talked about in terms of oil, CO2 output, and the like, but hardly is the spotlight put on the textile industry. It's not only the dyes and their non-biodegradable molecules, but also synthetic fabrics, that when washed, shed billions of particles into the ocean. These kinds of facts and concerns have changed me from working with the synthetics to seeking out eco friendly fabrics whenever possible and supplementing with vintage finds. I think a radical worldwide shift is necessary in how dyes and fabrics are produced, as well as our attitudes towards "fast fashion" and cheap home goods to help really aggressively attack issues of pollution. I look forward to the revitalization of Sally Fox's work.
Hilary Donlon said 8 years ago
To clarify pesticides are a management tool used by farmers, mostly to control noxious weeds and pathogens in their crops. They are dangerous in large amounts but most are applied in small amounts over a large area, think 4 ounces on 43560 square feet.
dheinze said 8 years ago
An inspiring story! I'm glad that Sally is on the move again. Sorry, though to see that in a time when we are trying to bring more business back to the U.S. that she needs to outsource to foreign countries.
Linny from teazel said 8 years ago
what an amazing story- I realised while reading it that I actually HAVE the same foxfibre backpack hanging on a chair in the runway photo...its beautiful naturally colored cotton velour type foxfibre fabric...hmmm....I wonder where that bag is? Anyway- the sally fox story is more relevant than ever now, 15 or so yrs since I bought the bag... really inspiring!
Vanda Fashion from VandaFashion said 8 years ago
What a great story!
Jeanne L said 8 years ago
One of the best stories here ever! Thanks for so much info & inspiration :)
Anna Stina Sandelius said 8 years ago
Agree with Jeanne L and others; one of the best - and most important - stories I´ve read on Etsy!! I will include some of the info in my next class of plant physiology (University level) when I cover plant use/abuse. BUT: I miss the "e-mail link" that used to be on this page; I want to e-mail this to not-yet-Etsy textile friends! (All are not on facebook or Pinterest or...)
Clarice Booth from RECCIEatETSY said 8 years ago
I love the natural neutral colors. Thanks for sharing, and I wish her all the success in her adventure. Blessings,
Sally Fox said 8 years ago
Oh I send such an enormous heartfelt thanks to Karen and to all of you for your encouraging support and kindness in the comments above. I feel absolutely elated and filled with hope that with you backing me up, I'll get my cotton plants in the ground again this spring. The sheep are currently preparing the soil by eating all the great greens coming up in this sunny January rest from the rains. I want to also thank sincerely my many Vreseis Ltd customers- many who sell their gorgeous products composed of love and skill on this very site- for their support since 1985! And lastly, for the mill in Japan that is continuing the work of the very first Japanese (that specialized in Japanese natural dyes and historical textiles - no outsourcing involved) mill that supported my business in 1989 without whom I would never have gotten Foxfibre® into the industrial marketplace. I remain grateful for their 23 year belief in my cotton and work.
Jessica from peachylane said 8 years ago
Oh my goodness, this article has seriously opened my eyes. I had no idea about the effect of cotton on the environment and after reading this article I did some further research and found out about the shocking mulesing practice on Merino sheep and Australia being one of the only countries still using this practice. Being Australian this is really upsetting for me, and I think after I sell everything I currently have, that I need to take a whole new approach to my shop and the yarns that I buy.
Karin Lindroth from oraconcepts said 8 years ago
There's a craft I'd love to learn. There's nothing like natural beauty. She is on my list of women to look up to for sure....such an interesting article.
brushcreekwoolworks from brushcreekwoolworks said 8 years ago
I have been in the fiber business since 1983. When Sally Fox came on the scene with her wonderful cottons, we were all thrilled. From the meteoric rise, her star faded and rumors abounded as to what had happened. The prevailing rumor was that white cotton farmers basically ran her out of business because of the fear of her colored cotton crossing with their white. This was not a surprise, because that time the same feeling persisted in the sheep raisers community about colored sheep. But whatever the reasons,it's so nice to see she is coming out of "hibernation." Now would be the time to rise again, bigger, better, and more understood . I am so looking forward to seeing Sally Fox cotton on the market again.
aressa from OriginalBridalHanger said 8 years ago
Love your efforts regarding the sustainability...Kudos!
WoodlandCottage from WoodlandCottage said 8 years ago
Just a cautionary note to this great, inspiring story. Before anyone goes out and plants any cotton seed, be sure to check first that it's legal where you live. That's right, please check with your county extension office first because in some states it is illegal to grow cotton without a permit, even for a small, private garden. There is a reason for this--it is to prevent the spread of boll weevils in areas in which it might decimate commercial crops. I know it sounds a bit crazy, but...
Tricia from LazyTcrochet said 8 years ago
Wonderful! I really enjoyed reading this. Thanks
iammie from iammie said 8 years ago
So interesting!
Stephanie Maslow Blackman from metalicious said 8 years ago
What a beautiful and inspiring story about how one person can change so much. Thank you for sharing!
firecat from firecat said 8 years ago
Very enlightening, and wonderful images, thanks so much.
IrisLighting from iLighting said 8 years ago
how beautiful!!!
Rachel from PeppersJewelry said 8 years ago
The picture of the loom is marvelous. The information on the dye was particularly interesting. Thank you for showing us how you work!
newtribetextiles from newtribetextiles said 8 years ago
YES!!!!! Finally some specifically fiber oriented posts! Creating these things, and educating about all these fibers is so important (not to mention beautiful). I have been working with, and wanting more access to, naturally colored cottons these past few years. Thank you so very much for this post!
sarah from ForestRoomArtYarns said 8 years ago
Wow! I've never heard of this. Those fibers are so beautiful.
Sonja Bikić from DeepSilence said 8 years ago
nice
Natalie Atkins from underneaththeoaktree said 8 years ago
That was a great and very informative article. Fiber is one of my great loves in life and I'm glad there's someone out there treating it, and the rest of the world, with a bit of respect. Some of those statistics were quite shocking.
Jan DiCintio from daisyjanie said 8 years ago
Incredible story. Truly heartening to know someone like Sally is out there in the world! I'm sure she sleeps well at night, knowing she's doing all she can to be a good human! I design & manufacture organic fabrics for the quilting industry. My fabrics are a drop in the bucket in the market, and it is an uphill climb most of the time. It allows me to make a contribution to agriculture and industry gone distastrously awry! Thank you for sharing her story, adding facts n figures, and giving us hope!!! All the best!!
Liga from DIYDigitalStudio said 8 years ago
Great article! Inspiring!
Blinkett said 8 years ago
Had no idea. I can see big business shutting her down. Can't have something that is not destroying our planet.
FreakyPeas from FreakyPeas said 8 years ago
This is an amazing story. Thank you Sally Fox for never giving up!
Kent Miller said 8 years ago
Reason for hope.
Hendri . from butikonline83 said 8 years ago
Finally, an issue that I am passionate about. I have looked for information of this caliber for the last several hours. Your site is greatly appreciated.
katkruse said 8 years ago
It's so good to hear that Sally is working with her cotton again. I was lucky enough to be part of the Handweavers Guild when she first started her experiments. I can remember groups getting together to help pick and I can remember when the growers forced her out of the valley. It's great to see her back!!
Laura Prill from lauraprilltoo said 8 years ago
thanks for a wonderful post!
C. Ann Anderson from ArtfullyAnns said 8 years ago
Just the type of information I love reading and learning about. Thanks for pulling together the article. It's good to hear that Sally is back in business!
Síle Murphy from UrthForged said 7 years ago
Wow, this is fascinating!
Sophie Wunderlich from Honiggras said 7 years ago
very inspiring
Jeanine from JeanineDesigns said 7 years ago
LOVE LOVE LOVE
Betty Forsyth from GateHouseWeaver said 7 years ago
I love Sally's cotton roving I have been spinning it off and on for years. Now I am back in business I am looking forward to spinning and weaving her fabulous product. Thank You Sally for your years of hard work that we all enjoy now.
Betty Forsyth from GateHouseWeaver said 7 years ago
I love Sally's cotton. Now that I am back in business I am looking forward to spinning and weaving her colors again. Thank you Sally for all your years of hard work that we now enjoy
Amy Lue Patrick from AmyLueP said 7 years ago
I read about you back in the 80's when I began weaving. I am so glad you are still around!
Jusadreamin from Jusadreamin said 7 years ago
Nice Blog I Like your story
Carla Hanson from PurpleLamb said 7 years ago
Wow! What an inspirational lady. I'd love the see the full range of colors she was able to grow and have spun.