Debra Lynn Dadd 

 

Bamboo FabricAt first, I had a hard time envisioning how one might make fabric from bamboo. After all, it’s a hard wood. But it’s not a tree–it’s a fiberous grass, and those fibers can just be peeled apart to make yarn.photo courtesy BamboosaBamboo has been used in China for thousands of years to make all kinds of everyday products, including textiles, building materials, and homewares. There are over 1,000 documented uses for bamboo.Bamboo fibers are quickly emerging now in the fashion world. The fabric woven with bamboo yarn is light, almost translucent, and softer than cotton. It has a natural sheen that feels like silk or cashmere, but has the advantage of being machine-washable.This natural fiber is hypoallergenic, absorbant, and fast-drying. It is naturally anti-bacterial and will not hold odor. Like other natural fibers, it allows the body to breathe as the fabric absorbs the sweat away from the body.It also is the most sustainable of the natural fibers. It is fast-growing–the type of bamboo used for making fabric, commonly known as Moso, can reach a mature height of 75 feet in just 45 to 60 days. Because of it’s natural antibacterial properties, it needs no pesticides. If there is sufficient rainfall, no additional irrigation is required. It regenerates naturally through an extensive root system that sends out an average of four to six new shoots per year. Anyone who has ever planted bamboo in their backyard knows it grows fast and abundant. It can be harvested and harvest and it will grow again and again. And when your bamboo garment finishes it’s useful life, it can return to nourish the earth, as it is 100% biodegradable.The bamboo used for fabric is planted and grown on family-owned farms that have been in agricultural use for generations. 

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