Pittsboro Roadhouse, Downtown Pittsboro
Featuring: Jesse Daystar, VP Sustainability Cotton, Inc.
Eric Henry, President TS Designs
Marty Clemons, President of NC Industrial Hemp
Beth Stuart, Executive Director of Redress Raleigh
with Moderator, Elijah Brunson of the Rachel Carson Council
Visit Amuse Bouche Webpage Here!
East Coast Runway Fashion Show – featuring 10 local designers with up to 5 looks.
Presenters, speakers, and thought-leaders in the sustainable fashion industry.
DIY Workshops and Demos – featuring indigo dying, screen printing, spinning, and more.
Sustainable Vendors – featuring NC Fiber, local & handmade apparel, up-cycled goods, and more.
Organizations doing good work in your community and beyond.
Live Music and Art. Local Eats. Sustainable Spirits.
**ALL events listed above included in the April 28 ticket price, including fashion show**
Today, 246 million children age 5-14 work in garment factories across the world. Today, communities adjacent to industrial cotton fields are suffering from neurodegenerative diseases and cancers. Today, 85% of the clothing we discard in the US is sent to landfills and incinerators. Today, a dressmaker in Africa is unemployed because we’ve saturated her village with our thrift store castoffs. Today, fashion is right behind oil as one of the most polluting industries on earth and consumption is rising.
In this daylong festival event, we’ll re-think: The history of cotton in NC – from the slave ship to the shores of China to today’s sustainability movement. Industrial Hemp and the implications of this new industry. The ills of “fast fashion.” Global industry and the economics of extraction. Conventional fibers and textiles, the impact of synthetic fibers on our oceans. Social justice. The worldwide effects of garment disposal. Who and what is beautiful? Deep culture versus personal style.
We will engage in rethinking fashion by considering the use of upcycled, recycled and local materials. We’ll also shine a light on vendors and designers doing good work on this front – across our world and right here at home!
Boro Beverage is a locally, sourced hand crafted beverage company. We make draft kombucha, shrubs and craft syrups sold at the farmers markets and throughout our community!
Chatham Cider Works makes small-batch hard cider in Pittsboro from North Carolina apples. We work with local apple growers to source the apples that give us the complex, satisfying flavor of a traditional hard cider. The cider is available in keg and in bottles.
If you’d like to visit, we’re happy to open the cidery for a tour. Contact us at lashleyroad@yahoo.com
Fair Game Beverage Companu is a Chatham County distillery and winery, featuring NC grown and produced wines and spirits. Look for our products featuring apples, peaches, sugarcane, blackberries, tobago peppers, and more – all grown in the South!
Nazz’d will be serving fresh Farm-to-Table street food with local ingredients – this new addition to Pittsboro is about to open a brick and mortar in the neighborhood!
We’ve all heard about how fast-fashion is enslaving and even killing workers in the garment industry in Bangladesh and other far away places. In her talk, Julie Moore will connect the dots between Bangladesh and North Carolina and explain the environmental and health impacts of what you wear and what you can do to change it.
Julie Moore is the Founder & CEO of Fiberactive Organics, LLC, a zero waste, triple bottom line company that supplies organic cotton sewing thread to manufacturers and retailers around the world. Julie is a fiber artist that creates textile housewares and natural burial products under the business name of Earth To Earth Burial. She serves on the Fiber Council of the Organic Trade Association and is actively participating in the evolution of the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). Julie has recently launched Sewpure™, a new brand of organic cotton thread for heavy-duty sewing. Julie is passionate about living lightly and with purpose.
African: A textile prison and the shadow of Poverty – with Njathi Kabui and Godi Godar ………. 3:30 – 4:15
Sustainable Cotton Initiatives – with Jesse Daystar ………. 4:30 – 5:15Dr. Jesse Daystar is the Chief Sustainability Officer and VP, Sustainability at Cotton Inc where he directs sustainability efforts including: directing research, working with cotton industry stakeholders to develop sustainability goals, assisting in sustainability messages; and providing technical insights to Cotton Incorporated, the cotton industry, and brands. Prior to Cotton Inc he was the Assistant Director of the Center for Sustainability and Commerce at Duke where he worked in research and education at the nexus of sustainability and commerce.
The Business of Industrial Hemp – with Emily Febles ………. 5:30 – 6:15Farmers are increasingly interested in the industrial hemp industry in North Carolina. This presentation will discuss the current regulations regarding industrial hemp production in North Carolina and how farmers can participate in the program. It will also go over some answers to frequently asked questions including, program requirements, how to apply, what are some end-markets for industrial hemp, and where to find some resources.
Emily Febles was hired by the NC Industrial Hemp Commission in September to serve as Industrial Hemp Program manager. She comes from Washington State where she worked as the Industrial Hemp Pilot Program coordinator for the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA). She has a law degree from the University of Iowa and two bachelor’s degrees as well as a minor in Agricultural Policy from the University of Florida. She served as an Agricultural Extensionist in the Peace Corps in Guatemala. Ms. Febles works closely with the Industrial Hemp Commission, NCSU, NC A&T, and the NCDA&CS to implement and promote the industrial hemp pilot research program in North Carolina.
Dying with Indigo – with River Takada-Capel of RivTak Handmade …………… 2-3:30Lesson includes a brief history of indigo, how different cultures have and are using it, how the cold water pre-reduced indigo works, and different folding and clamping techniques to get the designs you desire! We will mark and fold all of our materials and prepare them for dyeing. Students are welcome to bring any *natural* fiber items (polyester will *not* dye in the indigo bath). 2-3 items only please. A bandana or tea towel will be provided.
Workshop includes prepping tied fabric for dyeing and the process of letting indigo oxidize. Please wear clothing that you don’t mind getting splattered with blue.
The clothes we first wore as indigenous peoples were an expression of comfort, beauty and connectivity to each other and our environment. We will begin with a story of how fashion first came to be―a story about a young woman named Flora, some sheep, and a bear vomit dress. We will then upcycle t-shirts using stencils Stephanie has designed that connect us to the unique flora and fauna of our region: hellbenders, woodcocks, trilliums, and bloodroots.
ZOOCRÜZOOCRÜ formed amidst the thriving music and arts community of Durham, North Carolina. Common interests and experiences brought founding members Jonathan Curry, Christian Sharp and Alan Thompson together on the campus of North Carolina Central University in 2012 for early collaborations that were fruitful, musically stimulating and set the foundations for the group. Russell Favret was added in 2014, and as a complete unit the band has ascended to new musical platforms.
ZOOCRÜ creates from the core belief that all American music is born from the seeds of Black music. Drawing from this rich musical legacy, ZOOCRÜ blends all popular American genres into a sound best described as Black American music. Jazz serves as the foundation, as all the members are classically trained jazz musicians, and is built upon with elements of hip hop, blues, rock and gospel. They were particularly influenced by artists such as Roy Ayers, Thelonious Monk A Tribe Called Quest, J Dilla, Jimi Hendrix, Wu-tang Clan, Radiohead, Herbie Hancock, and Miles Davis. Infuse that with the geographic and cultural diversity that each member brings and you have the ZOOCRÜ sound.
But it’s bigger than the music for this group. They are well aware of the moment they are living in and believe that it is their purpose to create art that is equal parts anthem and affirmation; sounds that heal the broken, tunes to honor the fallen and creating sonic space for all in the Crü World Order.
The Barred Owls – Original. Acoustic. Steeped in tradition.After meeting with their mandolins at the Swannanoa Gathering of 2014 in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, Kate and Scott knew that they were witnessing the birth of something special. Years later through endless love for the art and determination to be heard, The Barred Owls have taken flight as one of the NC Triangle’s adored and anticipated acoustic duos. They have been called “hauntingly talented”, and their music described as “the colors of classic 60’s folk music, shaded by bluegrass, on a post rock-and-roll palette”. With vocal harmonies, mandolins, and guitars, they effectively mix Bluegrass, folk, Americana, Scots-Irish/Celtic/British Isles, and other influences. Their live debut album, “Hoo Cooks for Y’all?”, flew out of the nest in 2017 and has been featured on the Back Porch Music radio program. They return to the studio this Spring to record a collection that will include 12 originals, a Bluegrass gospel song, and a set of Scottish fiddle tunes.
Through their “Hoo Cares” initiative, the Owls are deliberate in contributing to philanthropic causes that they feel passionately about. Portions of their proceeds from shows have gone to organizations such as the Carolina Raptor Center, and Hurricane Matthew Relief among others. They hope to expand their base of causes as they perform in the future.
WILLOW GATEWOOD – SINGER SONGWRITERPieces of a diary, pages of a life – that’s what is woven into my music. Hi, I’m Willow, a girl with a fire in her heart, and a hope for the future. My thoughts and feelings pour out into songs. Every time I play guitar, I’m sharing a piece of myself. Hailing from Chatham Virginia’s countryside, I’m constantly inspired by art and nature. At sixteen, I haven’t been performing for long, but have had music in my life for……ever. My style is different – a little folk, a little pop, a little in-between. I hope to inspire people through my music, to empower them, and let them know that they’re not alone, whether facing criticism because they’re unique, dealing with loss, or whatever else life is bringing.
Spinning Demonstration with TWISTED threads fiber arts guildWe are members of a Twisted Threads Fiber Arts Guild. We include people that raise fibers – such as sheep, goats, rabbits, alpaca – process fiber and practice the fiber arts. We also have a strong “cotton contingent”. We will bring samples of work and demonstrate spinning – wool and cotton.
Twisted Threads Fiber Arts Guild encompasses all aspects of fiber arts and seeks to provide fiber artists with education and communication to advance the quality of workmanship and creativity in their fiber endeavors. All ages and skill levels are welcome. Members come from all over the Triangle area of North Carolina: Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, Apex, Raleigh, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Clayton, Pinehurst, Middlesex, Zebulon and beyond.
The Guild meets several times each month to discuss, share, educate, laugh, and eat as members ply their crafts. Meetings offer a warm and open environment to show-and-tell, to learn or to demonstrate skills and to find or to give help with projects. Meeting dates and details are noted on our Yahoo! group. Please join the discussions there, too. Any Fiber Saturday: second Saturday, meets at a member’s home, time and location rotates, usually 1-4 PM. Spin Focus: third Thursday, 7-10 PM, meets at NC State University Crafts Center.
All crafts are welcome, but this is the only meeting where there is always room for wheels. It also includes the guild’s monthly business meeting. The Guild encourages service to the community. Members participate in demonstrations of spinning, knitting and crocheting at public events, which include the North Carolina State Fair, Southeastern Animal Fiber Festival, Carolina Fiber Fest, farm days, heritage days and others. Through charity projects, members donate handmade comfort items (hats, scarves, etc.) for those in need. Some members operate farms with animals such as sheep, goats, rabbits, llamas and alpacas whose fiber is obtained without harming them. Shearing days are often open to the public; fleeces, prepared fiber, and yarn are available for purchase then and at other times.
Yes. There WILL be bunnies. And someone to talk to you about raising them!
We are a family-owned micro-farm specializing in culinary and medicinal herbs and wild edibles. We offer a retail line of apothecary formulary and handcrafted organic bodycare products. We raise angora rabbits for fiber and Lionhead rabbits for fun in our little rabbitry. We are also a working homestead growing heirloom and open-pollinated vegetables and fruits, utilizing sustainable, permaculture-based principles of responsible & ethical land stewardship. Through permaculture, we seek to design food- and medicine-growing systems that also regenerate ecology. By using multifunctional plants, we can create a web of connectedness throughout the garden, which can reduce work as well as reduce the need to import materials. Praise be to the pollinators.
Our mission is to cultivate an increased awareness of the healing powers of every-day plants and foster a rebirth of our herbal heritage to aid us in the pursuit of our self-purpose and well-being. By combining ancient knowledge and herbal folklore with cutting-edge modern scientific research, we seek to open new paths to deepening our collective understanding and respect for this plant-based world upon which we tread. It is our hope that this convergence of healing knowledge will connect us all in a collective pursuit of preserving our planet’s precious gifts for generations to come. Tread lightly, my friends. About our Products Solstice products are lovingly handmade in central North Carolina using 100% natural ingredients either grown here on our farm or produced locally, and purchased directly from artisan producers that share our ethical integrity and demand for quality. All of our handmade products are GMO Free, vegan, certified organic and/or ethically wild crafted, and sustainably produced. Each item is made to order with love and intention in small batches to ensure the purity and integrity of all our handcrafted products. As I have always been passionate about healthy living, I started researching and formulating my own products based on natural, organic, food-grade ingredients and top quality, therapeutic grade essential oils. Every recipe is thoroughly researched, developed, and tested by me personally. Every ingredient is scrutinized for its therapeutic value and alignment with the overall goals and intention of the product before inclusion. Our products are intended to be fully holistic – providing healing support for your whole person, with an aim to bring about a state of harmony and well being within body, mind, and soul.
Broadway Hemp Company is “leading the Southern Hemp Revolution” and is a local NC grower and processor of quality Hemp for CBD product line – CannaBiDine. Broadway Hemp Company has over four generations of farming experience, as well as a quarter of a century indoor greenhouse growing experience and over two decades of Nutraceutical processing, including State of the Art CO2 extraction technique.
Though it’s an inherited name, Chameleon Clogs suits Rabiah Hodges’ designer shoe business to a “T.” The Outer Banks artist offers a wide variety of continually changing Swedish clogs from her Currituck County warehouse. She handcrafts every pair. Working with a wide variety of colored leather, woven fabric and adornments, she offers three base shapes – classic slip-on mule, Mary Jane, and open-toe sandal – and transforms them into unique footwear. Clients discover fashionable clogs spanning a toddler’s size 24 to a man’s 46.
Make no mistake in imagining these to be clunky clodhoppers resembling the livestock mud shoes of the 1800s. Expect anything from sexy sandals to streamlined slip-ons. “I want these to be clogs that make you feel beautiful, but at the same time, there is no suffering for the fashion,” says Hodges. Long toes, short toes, wide feet, high arch – the unique eccentricities of the human foot are considered in the crafting and final fitting process.
Copper Wilds is a ritual skincare company dedicated to pure, chemical-free ingredients and the best botanicals out there. My goal is to create products that aren’t only “not-bad” for your skin, but are pure, holistic, and altogether good for the living microbiome on your skin. A sensory experience ceremonially centered around self-love.
Virginia “Gin” Wall – of Coriander Craft Works – makes needlefelted creatures/critters and crocheted than wetfelted hats with needlefelted or crafted embellishments out of natural fibers. Unusual, handmade and generally unique but fun to wear. She also specializes in handmade cards that are nice focusing on nature and humor if possible.
The Durham Originals was founded because we wanted to create positive change in the world and specifically address daily practices that people can adopt to be good stewards of the planet. From buying clothes to what we eat and how we dispose of our waste, my goal is to spread the word on how we can be more conscious consumers and treat the planet like it’s the only one we’ve got. I’ve been very moved in learning the truths of fast fashion and “single use clothing” and inspired to create something that people can feel good about purchasing and wearing. I screen print my designs on clothes are are made from organic and recycled materials and made in the USA. Works are paid a living wage and everything is made to order which makes for a less wasteful manufacturing process.
Willow Gatewood is an artisan and eco-minded maker. Willow upcycles clothing, makes crochet wearables, and hand dye using natural dyes. She also makes jewelry, natural, glycerin soaps, as well mixed media paintings.
Fiberactive Organics’ original mission was and still is to increase the market for organic cotton in order to promote organic farming throughout the world. We have done that over the years by making a vast array of organic cotton products under many labels. Now we are completely focused on organic cotton sewing thread. Thread is so basic to every textile product, it gives us the greatest opportunity for worldwide environmental good.
Fiberactive Organics’ current mission is to see to it that every garment in the world is sewn with organic cotton thread. OK, that’s not realistic, but it’s a great goal! Seriously, we believe that sewing with organic thread is just as important as constructing products with organic fabric. Too much chemo-cotton is being grown in the world and it’s taking its tole on all of us and destroying the natural world. Raising cotton organically is proven to improve soils, conserve water, and even sequester carbon (the science). Sewing with organic cotton thread was done for generations before agricultural and textile chemicals were invented. We can see how well organic cotton holds up to time by going to museums and checking out all the ancient textiles. Fiberactive Organics is in the process of developing a full suite of organic cotton sewing threads that will address every kind of sewing.
Full Circle Antiques scours the Mid-Atlantic and North East to find the old, the strange, the bold & beautiful. Evolving selection of vintage items – pop culture, fashion, estate jewelry, mythological, esoteric and useful goods. You Seek, We Find!
Go Conscious Earth (GCEarth) is a 501(c)3 U.S. non-profit organization saving large tracts of land in the Congo River Basin, the second largest rainforest in the world. We preserve rainforest, raise awareness about rainforest destruction, work with the communities against poverty around the rainforest, and invite others to join our mission.
GumCha4Health continues a nearly 40-year tradition of advancing self-sufficient, self-sustaining, community-based health and development solutions that focus on the needs of rural families and communities. The strategy has been to promote and support the development of a) primary health, b) maternal health, and c) infant and child health models that can be sustained within local economies. The GumCha4Health Project is just the next step in a working relationship between the Drs. Ali and the International Federation for Family Health that, in 2016, celebrated its 20-year anniversary.
Hempsmith is a mission-driven sustainable hemp clothing company devoted to spreading a love of hemp, the Earth, and a fresh look around the world.
Our goal is to provide fine, ethical products and work to protect this garden planet by returning hemp to the people. All of our product is made in America and 100% organic.
Long & Hamilton Research, Development & Licensing LLC developed and licensed ecologically invisible or translucent methods for converting bast fibers into textiles. We’ve just filed our first patent and are beginning to scale it up for the production of hemp-based yarns and fabrics. At first estimate, we aim to be air and water quality invisible in 2 years carbon neutral to carbon negative within 5.
Megan Ilene is the clothing label of artist and designer Megan Lagueruela. All items are made by hand in our Greensboro, North Carolina studio using organic natural fibers and cloth. All dyes used are either natural or low impact synthetic with a focus on low immersion techniques to prevent water waste. All textile off-fall is reconfigured, reused or revitalized creating a closed loop, zero waste system. Megan Ilene studio strives to create beautiful, well-designed, and long-lasting garments incorporating old and new practices to create fresh pieces. By creating items that can be worn a myriad of ways and utilizing materials that are ultimately safe for Earth’s reclamation we hope to change the thought process one utilizes with purchasing goods. Who made your clothes? What are they made of? It is our hope that by producing and consuming mindfully, we can focus on craftsmanship, reduce waste, and create truly impeccable clothing for the discerning customer.
Moon.Flower.Child is a lifestyle brand encouraging others to “Stand.Boldly.as.Someone.Different. We carry handmade, eco-friendly and made for a cause products. Our boutique is run out of a converted school bus where we cater to the whole family’s needs from womens, to mens and childrenswear including goods for the home and general wellness.
Neomega Nutritionals is an NC-based company providing avacoado oils infused with local farm ingredients. We strongly believe in the concept of ‘Let food be thy medicine’ and we follow this principle for all our products. Our mission is: to innovate in the kitchen with our ingredients and recipes, to educate our consumers about the health benefits of our food products, to follow strict standards of sustainability and to give back to our community. Neomega will be offering samples during the event!
We at Oak City Hemp are excited and determined to supply the people of NC with any and all hemp extracted products they may need or be interested in. The founding of this company is a work of passion for us, the staff and everyone else that has assisted us along the way. It is our mission statement to ensure that Raleigh,NC and the triangle area as our main focus has access to reliable and trustworthy CBD products we spare no time or expense to deliver quality legal products 100% free of all synthetics. Come with us on this journey while we step into a brave new world of vocation, education and legislation
RedhibiscusCafe promotes and exhibits textile fabric works from indigo dye, printed, painted in forms of accessories and attire, and handcraft ethnic jewelry. Our fair trade is a way to contribute to grassroots development projects in Africa!
RIVTAK Handmade – short for founder River Takada-Capel’s name – is the progression of River’s creative mind. All products and packaging are made from remnant and salvage material, so most items are completely waste free! Focusing on the use of found and salvaged materials, River is always experimenting with new projects, products and workshops ideas. River embraces the spirit of re-use by investing in high quality materials that are left behind by factories, giving them a second life to serve a function in our everyday lives. The brand is a collaboration of the things River loves & her fascination for crafting with her hands.River carefully crafts each piece around a purpose… adornment and awareness. With as much creativity, confidence & musing thoughts as she has, the RIVTAK customer requires playful adornment with the edge of an educated consumer. You are invited to join River on this journey through slow fashion and how a lifestyle filled with handmade things can bring joy into one’s life.
Solstice Herb Farm is a family-owned micro-farm specializing in culinary and medicinal herbs and wild edibles. We offer a retail line of apothecary formulary and handcrafted organic bodycare products. We raise angora rabbits for fiber and Lionhead rabbits for fun in our little rabbitry. We are also a working homestead growing heirloom and open-pollinated vegetables and fruits, utilizing sustainable, permaculture-based principles of responsible & ethical land stewardship. Through permaculture, we seek to design food- and medicine-growing systems that also regenerate ecology. By using multifunctional plants, we can create a web of connectedness throughout the garden, which can reduce work as well as reduce the need to import materials. Praise be to the pollinators.
Twisted Threads Fiber Arts Guild – We include people that raise fibers (sheep, goats, rabbits, alpaca), process fiber and practice the fiber arts. We also have a strong “cotton contingent”. We will bring samples of work and demonstrate spinning – wool and cotton. We may have yarn to sell (not sure about that yet).
Wovenspirits – by Rebecca Dale – features handmade up-cycled Bo-Ho creations; including clothes, bags, gypsy passport pouch/ necklace, festival color book, crochet hats, original design “Earth Children” 4 page book each featuring one of 12 different female scientist with yarn doll interactive!
Rebecca Dale has been professionally involved in the arts since 1976. Is a passion and completely self taught. Offers 69 different classes! In South Georgia she appeared on Public T.V. demonstrating the art of woodcarving. Dale’s work defies categorization. She favors magnified flowers in pastel, and detailed birds in colored pencil. She likes architecture, with an emphasis on old, interesting buildings that have intricate cornices. She has created a series of note cards in pen and color pencil of historical sites in Lexington, Virginia. Her experience in the many art techniques and media help her to adapt to the needs of her clients. She freely uses acrylic paints, pastels, pen and ink, charcoal, and Prismacolor pencils.
Think Again is a series of salons, gatherings, performances, and conferences held to reconsider our dominant culture in hopes of inspiring better ways of being in this world. As a culture, we’ve found ourselves on auto pilot – not questioning the paradigms we’ve inherited. Have we conjured a world that we can thrive in? Can we re-imagine our place in it? What is serving us? What is not? How might we contribute to making a better day for those who come after us?
The consequences of the way we live our lives are powerful. Our culture is fertile for change. The time is now to Think Again about everything. As an ancestor, may we be remembered as those who planted the trees that give shade to future generations – not the ones who lost the seeds for good. As we think again, may our ideas take root to create a more verdant world.
Lasting change grows from the ground up. In local communities, we can rethink old systems that no longer serve us and tend to new ones. With curiosity, trust, and wonder – there can be a clearer path to a meaningful way of living, producing, learning, and being together.
