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- Spare Parts Theater Company drapes the FOX in Treetops Silk Fabrics
Treetops silk fabrics have been chosen to create the main characters in Fox, a production by Perth’s Spare Parts Puppet Theater. We were extremely honored Spare Parts chose to use our Paj Colour Marks series in Spice Market to represent the ‘Fox’, I think you will agree it suits the character incredibly well. A few of our other colourways take to the stage as well.
Fox – Adapted from the book by Margaret Wild & Ron Brooks, is a riveting fable which will take you on a journey through scorched scrubland and ochre deserts to discover the meaning of loyalty, companionship and betrayal. Told through a fusion of puppetry and dance, Fox highlights the constant battle between remaining faithful and falling for temptation and reminds us that the strength of friendship can give us the courage to get through difficult times.
More information about Spare Parts and their product Fox can be found at http://www.sppt.asn.au (Perth, Western Australia).
- TWO NEW SILK FABRICS ARRIVING SOON | MAY 2019
For the first quarter of this year the state of the Chinese Silk Industry is still in flux. Prices have not yet come down as expected from and from their all time high of last year, partially due to the postponement of a resolution to the trade agreement between China and the USA.
We are still optimistic that later this year prices will lower and we can restock our 4.5 momme Tissue Silk (Silk Georgette). In the meantime, we managed to secure two fabulous NEW fabrics at an incredible price, given the state of the market. They are currently ‘on the boat’ and are expected to arrive in June.
One of the fabrics is a 3.5momme Crepe Silk Georgette to supplement our Tissue Silk fabric line. This new fabric has an incredible springy crepe texture! It’s handle will have a slight stretch due to it’s crepe yarn structure. The fabric was offered to us on a clearance sale from the supplier and therefore will be a ‘limited edition’.
Our other new fabric is great addition to our Silk Chiffon line. It was also sold to us as a ‘Limited Edition, clearance priced’ 4.3 momme extra wide, Silk Chiffon (140cm wide, 55inches). This fabric is fine and translucent enough to see through and is an excellent choice for fine nuno felting. When you purchase 140cm wide fabric, the cost is slightly higher, but remember you will receive 23% more fabric!
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- Live & Breathe – Australian Wool Campaign
AWI’s (Australian Wool Innovation) Live & Breathe Campaign set out to educate a new generation of consumers about the technical performance benefits of Australian Merino wool. What better way to showcase wool’s performance benefits than have commercially available wool products tested by a group of top athletes – which is exactly what The Woolmark Company did as part of its Live & Breathe marketing campaign .
With its unrivaled breathability, moisture management properties and odour control, there’s no denying that wool is the ultimate performance fibre. To prove it, AWI’s marketing arm, The Woolmark Company, put wool to the ultimate test – as part of the company’s Live & Breathe consumer marketing campaign – with three Australian athletes wearing head-to-toe wool for their workouts.
THE ATHLETES’ VERDICT “I think that people hold the misconception that wool can be cumbersome and itchy, which couldn’t be further from the truth,” said atlete Rohan Browning of his experience. “High performance in elite sport is all about being in a comfortable mental and physical space. When you’re behind the start line and all the work has been done, the only thing you can change is what you wear.” Jeff agrees, noting in particular wool’s ability to regulate body temperature and minimise moisture. “I typically find it difficult to find a product that can keep me warm early in a run when I’m still cold, and that can cope once I’ve warmed up so that I don’t overheat or sweat. Wool minimises the need for multiple layers that need to be shed as a run goes on, making it really versatile.” High jumper Amy Pojkic commented: “Breathable, lightweight, durable and 100% Australian Merino wool – perfect for summer workouts too.”
The Woolmark Company partnered with Amazon to create a hub of shoppable wool products. See www.amazon.com/adlp/woolmark
MORE INFORMATION www.woolmark.com/liveandbreathe
Beyond the Bale, Live & Breath Campaign, Issue 77 Dec. 2018, pg 6-8.
- Natural Liquid Silk Is Starting To Replace Oil-Based Plastic
This a fabulous concept – replacing micro plastics with silk!
By controlling the process of making the liquid silk, silk molecules can be created in different sizes to perform different functions.“The acids and the enzymes in our digestive system can easily degrade silk, whereas the enzymes are not tailored to breaking down non-protein entities such as a synthetic plastic,” Altman says. Similarly, bacteria can easily degrade silk if it’s composted, and if a product made with liquid silk entered the ocean, fish and plankton could safely digest it.
I highly suggest you read this entire article by Adele Peters (staff writer at Fast Company who focuses on solutions to some of the world’s largest problems). Click here to read more: https://www.fastcompany.com/40505636/this-natural-liquid-silk-is-starting-to-replace-oil-based-plastic
- Chinese Silk Market Unpredictable
2018 was an unpredictable year for the Chinese Silk Market. On a good note the cocoon production rebounded, which has slightly eased the incredibly high export prices for silk. However, the impending Trade War between the USA and China is set to have detrimental effects on the price of Silk fabric and Wool (raw and tops) being imported into the USA. Since August 2018 a new tariffs have been proposed to bump the tariff from 10% to 25%. More talks are scheduled this week (1 Feb 2019), the final outcome is still in flux.
The long and short of the USA/China trade war is that craft supplies like Silk fabrics and Wool are likely to soon be costing more if you live in America. The implications for the rest of the world are still unknown. Since 2015 Australia and China have had a free trade agreement in place, consequently the prices for our Treetops silk and wool products will not be effected by any new tariffs!
- What a Year for Australian Wool!
For the year of 2018, Australian Wool industries have seen record breaking prices! Australian wool prices are predicted to remain high in the coming year due to improved demand and limited supply. The superfine market <18.5 micron has seen considerable growth due to demand of the ‘next to skin’ market (ie think sportswear like IceBreaker). Fine wool prices (19 micron- 21 microns), where the bulk of the Australian clip is captured, has also performed well. This past season, 46% of the Australia’s wool clip was between 18.5 and 21.5 micron.
- Running with Wool
Merino wool is increasingly being used as the key ingredient in footwear, with the high performance fibre giving consumers the natural edge over its synthetic rivals.
AWI’s (Australian Wool Innovation) technical team has been working to create shoes that not only allow the foot to breathe, wick away moisture and are resistant to odour, but importantly are comfortable to wear. For example, by combining yarns together and using three dimensional knitting, the entire upper of the shoe can be seamless, free of cutting and sewing.
adidas, Baabuk, Giesswein, Le Mounton and Z Zegna are just some of the popular brands on the market today. The most recent brand to hit the ground running is Neeman’s – the first brand to come out of India to include Merino wool in footwear.
Designed in London, the shoes are made from some of the finest Merino wool from Australia, with the insoles made from plantbased castor bean oil and recycled rubber, which offers comfort through all seasons in India. The sock-free, odour resistant, flexible and lightweight shoes inherit all the ecocredentials of Merino wool.
“Neeman’s has created a path-breaking collection of shoes by using Merino wool from Australia, which is superfine and lightweight, moisture-wicking and breathable, naturally odour resistant and keeps skin cool and dry even in extreme temperatures.”
Beyond the Bale, Running with Wool , Issue 77 Dec. 2018, pg 33.
- Study To Ask: Why are Australia’s Merino stock levels declining?
Acknowledging the shrinking size of Australia’s sheep flock throughout the past 20 years, Anthony Close from Victoria said his focus of his Nuffield studies will be researching the range of factors that have caused this reduction, comparing the industry with those overseas to gain a better understanding of what makes progressive industries grow and prosper.
“In 1992 the national sheep flock was 150 million head, and produced 4.75 million bales of wool. In 2018, the flock is 70 million head, and will produce two million bales,” he said.
“Wool prices are at historically record levels at the moment and there is a lot of confidence in the industry, despite the current lack of rainfall in many areas, so I hope my research will identify ways that the Merino can once again become a prominent feature of the Australian farming landscape.”
MORE INFORMATION: Information on previous AWI Nuffield woolgrower scholars and their reports are available at www.wool.com/nuffield.
Beyond the Bale, Nuffield Studies Aim to Boost Merino Flocks , Issue 77 Dec. 2018, pg 73.
Recently shorn superfine Merino sheep in the Great Southern Region, Western Australia - Australian Wool Growers Receives Eco Award in Milan
Australian woolgrowers have been awarded with the inaugural Eco Stewardship Award at this year’s Green Carpet Fashion Awards held as the conclusion of Milan Fashion Week. The award recognises the commitment to the environment demonstrated by the tens of thousands of woolgrowers across the country.
Every day, woolgrowers across the country are caring for their animals and the land in a passionate and sustainable way, ensuring that when you are wearing wool, you are also caring for the environment. Woolgrowers have always known this is the case – and it is fantastic that this has been recognised by the fashion industry.”
MORE INFORMATION www.eco-age.com/ green-carpet-fashion-awards.
Beyond the Bale, Australian Wool Growing Receives Eco Award, Issue 77 Dec. 2018, pg 14.
- Soosie’s Bali Penjor Project | Follow Us | Join Us
Living so close to Bali I have been there many, many times over the past 40 years (I was very young the first time I went). I fell in love with the Island of the Gods from my very first visit. Beneath it’s obvious tropical beauty lies another layer of joyous harmony in the many and varied festivals celebrated at regular intervals.
One of these festivals is Galungal and is celebrated every 210 days. It gives thanks to God in His manifestation as Hyang Giri Pati (the God of the mountain) for the bounty that the island provides its people. To honour the volcano Mt. Agung elaborate Penjors (see below photo) are erected outside of the gates or doorways to homes, businesses and shops creating an archway of dangling and swaying gifts to the mountain god.
Created from bamboo, palms, fruits and flowers it represents the necessities of life that the fertile soil of Bali provides. I have always wanted a Penjor in my garden but of course bringing one home would be very impractical so I have decided to make one from felt! It seems only natural that it should be officially unveiling at Nancy’s Bali Meditative Adornment Textile Retreat to be held in May 2019.
Follow my progress in creating the Penjor and join us in Bali for its raising, or better yet join us and have a fabulous time! Follow Soosie’s progress on: Website: soosie.com.au
Facebook Instagram YouTube Pinterest by Soosie Jobson, Perth, Western Australia.
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[tab title=”News | New Colours“]
- New Colourways |Silk Throwsters Waste | Aug 2019
New colours now available in Throwsters
- New Colourway | Dijon | Jan 2019
Dijon is a new tonal twist on a classic combo. Soft shades of light, medium and dark greys are mingled with spicy cumin. You will find many colours, fibres and fabrics in our Treetops palette which easily combine with Dijon.
- New Colourway | Banded Iron | Dec 2018
New inspirations from our travels in the Pilbarra Region of Western Australia.
- TERRA ROSA | REVISITING THE PAST | 2018
We were recently looking for of a great set of earthy brown colours, we only had to look as far as our past library of colours. Terra Rosa is hard to beat for its rich earthy tones. Created from a past journey through the Italian countryside of Tuscany. We look forward to dyeing this wonderfully rich colourway on our new extra wide Silk Chiffon Fabric.
- SAMPLER PAC | SILK MESH DESIGN PACK
The Silk Mesh Design Pack is designed using our Exclusive Silk Mesh Fabric in conjunction with our Silk Hankies and Bombyx Silk tops. It’s a great way to obtain a variety of products to play with, all of which have been chosen around a central colour theme.
We have put together eight colourways for your designing pleasure: Tropical, Ghost Gum, Bush Tucker, Dark & Moody, Ambient, Obsession, The Melbourne, River of Blue.
Each Silk Mesh Design Pack contains:
- Silk Mesh fabric in 3 Colour Harmonies, each piece is 25cm long x 114cm wide
- 15gms of Silk Hankies in 3 colourways
- 12gms of Bombyx Silk tops in 2-3 colourways
- NEW COLOURS | SILK MESH | 2018
Our newest colour inspiration on Silk Mesh ‘Ningaloo’ comes from the amazing World Heritage listed Ninagloo coral reef off the coast of Western Australia.
- NEW COLOURS | PAJ SILK FABRIC | 2018
Dryandra is our newest earthy colourway named after a rare Banksia species found only in the south west bush of Western Australia. It’s colours appear as if they have been naturally dyed from eucalyptus.
- NEW COLOURS | MERINO COLOUR HARMONIES | 2018
Early in the new year we always find time to think about creating NEW Colour Harmonies. We are excited to announce some of our latest creations. Living near the ocean is a continual source of inspiration for Treetops. Many years ago after our first visit to the Southern Coastline of Western Australia, we created one of our favorite colour harmonies Southern Seas, which represents a slightly moody and more greyed ocean. Today we are presenting the Indian Ocean side of Western Australia with our new Colour Harmony Ningaloo (our World Heritage listed reef) which has a much lighter, brighter and fresher beauty. Dryandra is our newest earthy colourway named after a rare Banskia species found only in the south west bush of Western Australia. It’s colours appear as if they have been natural dyed from eucalyptus.
- NEW COLOURS | SILK HANKIES | 2018
Treetops is loving adding to our Silk Hanky range of colours. We hope you enjoy our new editions for 2018!
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Burnished Brown | Hankies Solid Colours
$9.50 – $54.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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- NEW COLOURS | SILK MESH | 2018
Treetops has just expanded our Silk Mesh range to include a Basic Black Solid Colour. We are confident you will find this a very useful addition to your palette. The light cooling cerise blue in Ningaloo really glows when dyed on our Silk Mesh.
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[tab title=”News | New Products “]
- TWO NEW SILK FABRICS ARRIVING SOON | MAY 2019
For the first quarter of this year the state of the Chinese Silk Industry is still in flux. Prices have not yet come down as expected from and from their all time high of last year, partially due to the postponement of a resolution to the trade agreement between China and the USA.
We are still optimistic that later this year prices will lower and we can restock our 4.5 momme Tissue Silk (Silk Georgette). In the meantime, we managed to secure two fabulous NEW fabrics at an incredible price, given the state of the market. They are currently ‘on the boat’ and are expected to arrive in June.
One of the fabrics is a 3.5momme Crepe Silk Georgette to supplement our Tissue Silk fabric line. This new fabric has an incredible springy crepe texture! It’s handle will have a slight stretch due to it’s crepe yarn structure. The fabric was offered to us on a clearance sale from the supplier and therefore will be a ‘limited edition’.
Our other new fabric is great addition to our Silk Chiffon line. It was also sold to us as a ‘Limited Edition, clearance priced’ 4.3 momme extra wide, Silk Chiffon (140cm wide, 55inches). This fabric is fine and translucent enough to see through and is an excellent choice for fine nuno felting. When you purchase 140cm wide fabric, the cost is slightly higher, but remember you will receive 23% more fabric!
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- MAGNETIC CLOSURES FOR FELT and FABRIC
Treetops is happy to introduce our new line of one-off exclusive Australian designed magnetic closures for felt and fabrics. Everyone knows how hard it is to find an appropriate fastening device for felt garments. Button holes stretch, hooks and snaps can leave a garment with limited options for which it can be worn, pins can leave holes….
Our wonderful friend, Soosie Jobson, has come up with a gorgeous and inspiring solution for all of us! Uniquely designed magnetic closures (brooches) have been hand-crafted from Polymer clay and designed to coordinate with many of our Treetops Colour Harmonies colourways! Each brooch is unique.
The magnets are strong enough for lightweight to mid-weight felt. She will be developing a range for heavy weight felt in the near future. Swivel magnetic back to a vertical position to remove. Health warning: Magnetic device. Do NOT use with pacemaker. Click Here for products.
- PLASTIC DROP SHEETS | 2018
Finally, we have sourced our dream plastic drop sheets for felting. Who would think it could be so hard! The sheets are 2.6m x 3.6m (8.5ft x 12ft) in dimension and just the right thickness for felting. They also have a special embossed surface that keeps the plastic from slipping around quite so much.
- NEW TABLE LEG RAISERS | 2018
Tired of having a sore back? These Table Leg Raisers are the perfect answer. Available in two sizes (130mm and 90mm) or they can be stacked together for those of us who are really tall for a total of 220mm!
- SILK CHIFFON (extra wide) | BASE TONES
Treetops just received a special ‘Limited Edition’ shipment of extra wide (140cm, 55inch) Silk Chiffon fabric. Fantastic for sewing and nuno felting of garments because of its wider width and slightly heavier weight (5.5 momme).
We have created a unique dyeing technique for this fabric called ‘Base Tones’. The fabric is designed to coordinate with many different Colour Harmonies. By removing the highlight colour, a more tonal colourway has been created. It’s up to you then to add a variety of ‘splash’ colours to create your own personalized colour statement.
The Chiffon is a slightly more dense and lustrous weave than our Tissue Silk (Silk Georgette). It drapes more like Paj silk fabric and appearance is halfway between shiny and flat.
When you purchase 140cm (55inch) wide fabric, the cost is slightly higher, but remember you are purchasing 23% more fabric!
More colours coming soon!!
- ORNAMENTAL METAL PRESS SNAPS
Our NEW Ornamental Metal Press Snaps are an elegant closure solution for felted garments. Simply sew these strong snaps into position. They lie very flat against the felt and are not bulky at all. A great solution instead of button holes….
Hint: if you don’t want the stitching to be seen on the front-side of your felt, simply don’t push needle through to the other side, just catch enough fibres with your needle/thread to hold snap in place.
To create a Reversible Garment Closure stitch a snap on both the front and back of each side of your garment. Therefore when your garment is reversed it can be snapped closed either way. An additional bonus being that the front-side would have a decorative snap showing, which could be quite nice.
Colours available include: Antique Brass, Gunmetal, Grey Silver, Hexagonal Gunmetal and Black Gunmetal. Snaps measure 20-21 mm in diameter. Sold as a set.
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Ornamental Metal Press Snaps
$3.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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- SAMPLER PAC | SILK MESH DESIGN PACK
The Silk Mesh Design Pack is designed using our Exclusive Silk Mesh Fabric in conjunction with our Silk Hankies and Bombyx Silk tops. It’s a great way to obtain a variety of products to play with, all of which have been chosen around a central colour theme.
We have put together eight colourways for your designing pleasure: Tropical, Ghost Gum, Bush Tucker, Dark & Moody, Ambient, Obsession, The Melbourne, River of Blue.
Each Silk Mesh Design Pack contains:
- Silk Mesh fabric in 3 Colour Harmonies, each piece is 25cm long x 114cm wide
- 15gms of Silk Hankies in 3 colourways
- 12gms of Bombyx Silk tops in 2-3 colourways
- SILK MESH NEWS FLASH!
We have just discovered you can indeed ‘Snip and Rip’ our Silk Mesh fabric. Simply make a 2cm (3/4″ inch) snip. Then hold your hand approximately 25cm (10 inch) apart on each side of the snip and then just rip (pull hands apart)… I usually cut the last little bit left on the selvage with scissors so the last few threads don’t pull. Will little wonders never cease to amaze…Cheers!
- SILK MESH VIDEOS
Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words… Treetops has taken the plunge and decided it was time to make a video about our new Silk Mesh fabric. We are very pleased to be able to share with you all the tips and techniques we have discovered about using our new hand-dyed open weave silk fabric.
For a printed version of the video, please click on these PDF links. Discovering Silk Mesh and Pulling a Thread in Silk Mesh.
A huge thank you should go out to Soosie Jobson, my head computer tech and head video engineer. She has many areas of talent, one of which being her own YouTube channel where she teaches free tutorials about 3-D shrinkage rates other felt related things. Check her out at Soosie YouTube.
- NEW SILK FABRICS
Paj Silk Fabric now in two weights | 2017
Treetops is delighted to offer our clients two different weights of Paj Silk fabric. We selected these fabrics with both nuno feltmakers and clothing designers in mind. The 4.5 momme Paj silk is lighter weight and fabulous for scarves and wraps. We suggest using the slightly denser and more sturdy 5 momme Paj for garments. When ordering you will be asked to select which weight of Paj Silk fabric will best suit your needs.
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