Cork Fabric
What is Cork Fabric?
Cork is harvested from the Cork Oak tree, which grows primarily in the West Mediterranean Basin. The cork used in our cork fabric comes from sustainable forests with strict harvesting regulations that are in place to protect the valuable resource and regulate the quality. When the Cork Oak has reached 20 years of age, the bark is stripped from the tree by the hands of a highly skilled harvester. That tree is then marked so that it will not be harvested for another 8-10 years.
The Cork Oak is the only tree that benefits from the removal of its bark and, since it regenerates, it is truly an eco-conscious and sustainable natural resource. In fact, the same tree can be harvested every 8-10 years for over 200 years! Once harvested, the tree absorbs about 5 times the CO2, making harvesting an important process in reducing greenhouse gases.
Once the cork is harvested from the Cork Oak it is boiled, dried, shaved into thin sheets and sealed with a non-toxic sealant. Once the cork fabric is complete, it is stain-resistant, water-resistant, scratch-proof, hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, lightweight, incredibly soft, and flame retardant.
Our manufacturer practices fair trade and ethical treatment of all workers.
The cotton on our cork backing is certified organic.
Our metallics are dyed with environment friendly, non-toxic dye that does not contain any animal derivatives.
How thick is the cork fabric?
- Around 1mm
Do I need an industrial sewing machine to sew cork fabric?
- No, it sews wonderfully on any standard sewing machine.
What else do I need to know about sewing with cork?
- When sewing with cork PRINTS, placement is everything. Be sure to place the print in an area that is not prone to extreme wear, as it will crack depending on how dense the print dye is, and how tight your stitches are.
- We suggest using a fresh, sharp needle with each new project, and we personally use an 80/12 or 90/14 Microtex needle.
- Teflon feet are often recommended but you can use a standard or rolling foot. Play around with it and see what suits you and your machine best. If you are sewing through several layers you may need to make adjustments accordingly.
- Wonder clips. Wonder clips. Wonder clips. You will NOT want to pin your gorgeous cork fabric (and it would be difficult trying to)!
- A longer 4-5 stitch length works well for most projects.
Can I embroider my cork fabric?
- Yes, it embroiders beautifully
How do I clean my cork fabric?
- While cork can be dry cleaned, we do NOT recommend throwing it in you washing machine.
- Cork fabric can be wiped down with a clean gentle cloth, a little liquid soap, and water.
Can I iron my cork fabric?
- Cork fabric can crease which is why we send it to you rolled, sealed, and protected. Ironing is NOT recommended, and finger pressing will work great for most sewing projects.
- It's best to avoid heat of the iron needed with fusible interfacing, so sew-in stabilizers are great for more structured projects.
- If you need to special order large quantities of cork fabric, contact Fabric Funhouse through the Contact Page. Please note that it may take 8-12 weeks to receive these special orders.
- Please see the reference chart below
