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Organic Pigment Inks

Kat Garbutt, Textiles

This sustainability funding has enabled me to buy Soil Association approved pigment inks for my textiles. I believe that certification is hugely important in the textiles industry. We are more commonly than not in the dark of where our clothes come from and how they are made. The chemicals used in textile production are harmful to the environment and the people who wear them and use them in their home. The Soil Association Logo means that these products are sourced and manufactured using sustainable ingredients, not tested on animals, free from harsh chemicals, nano particles, parabens, synthetic dyes and artificial fragrances.

I am using these dyestuffs on GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified organic fabrics to create a truly organic collection of textiles. In addition to this, I am woodblock printing my textiles which conserves ink and reuses existing materials. With woodblock printing there is no screen exposure which means no chemicals and water waste from this, the blocks can be reused and they require no chemical clean up after use. The financial help from SiAG has allowed me to buy the inks and fabrics for this project and I hope that my work will encourage more students to do so.