Astrid

One way of being part of prolonging the life cycle of textiles is to reuse the resources we already have. So, when Anna Hanson from Link Arkitektur contacted us about participating with our leftover curtains and left over fabrics to their new office space at Trikåfabriken in Hammarbysjöstad we were more than happy to.

Link Arkitekter are working with sustainability as a priority and has made it their goal to decorate their offices all over Scandinavia with reused, recycled, and sustainable materials. The Stockholm office is made of 98% reused materials, and they aim to inspire and use their office as a showcase for the possibilities of reuse and sustainable materials. It is a beautiful and functional space and is really a proof of their work.

Link Arkitekter are working with sustainability as a priority and has made it their goal to decorate their offices all over Scandinavia with reused, recycled, and sustainable materials. The Stockholm office is made of 98% reused materials, and they aim to inspire and use their office as a showcase for the possibilities of reuse and sustainable materials. It is a beautiful and functional space and is really a proof of their work.

The office is bright and open with nice spaces and storage for all the inspiring material samples an architect needs to have on hand. In addition to open office landscapes, there are many smaller office and conference rooms. It is above all in the rooms that our fabrics are used for curtains, where they screen without shutting out too much light.

We managed to find curtains from previous projects and got use of our leftover pieces of fabrics, partly with faults and in smaller size but the curtain maker made a wonderful job putting them together to curtains in the right size. As our curtain fabrics are 300 cm or more in width, they are useable where the ceiling height is suitable, you can either sew several smaller pieces together or make several smaller curtains.

In most office and conference rooms, the curtains are made in semi-transparent Bern, in an off-white, as well as two colours of our more transparent textile California. A warm beige that goes very well with the floor and a warm grey that blends nicely with the wall colour and the raw concrete pillars that are throughout the interior.

ABOUT WEAVING, IMPERFECTIONS, AND LEFTOVER FABRICS

A fabric is woven from yarns that are threaded onto a large loom, forming the warp, and are interlaced with a transverse yarn, the weft. With different types of bindings, these yarns together create the fabric. Depending on the fabric’s width and thickness, the number of yarns can range from hundreds to thousands. Often, the process runs smoothly, but since yarns are delicate, they can break, become tangled, or be misaligned in various ways. Additionally, fibre dust in the weaving factory can become embedded in the fabric. During the finishing process, unwanted stains and other unexpected flaws may also appear.

There are numerous ways that imperfections and minor flaws can occur in fabrics. Traditionally, the textile industry has viewed these as defects, rendering the fabric unusable, leading to those sections being cut off. However, we see these pieces as valuable resources. If these segments can be repurposed—whether as smaller curtains with discreet seams or as part of a patchwork curtain—resources are conserved. From an environmental perspective, reuse is always the preferred option, as recycling typically consumes more energy. Unfortunately, there is no straightforward method to recycle polyester fabrics into new textiles, which often results in these materials being incinerated for energy recovery. Currently, only 1% of fabrics collected for recycling are converted into new fibres.

In addition to flawed pieces, we also have leftover sections, such as the ends of rolls, which can vary in length. While we use some for samples, we have an excess of popular colours beyond our needs. Aside from samples, these pieces have been used for our Astrid bags and have been turned into rag rugs in collaboration with Vandra Rugs. We also donate to schools, primarily design schools but also to primary schools. We collaborate with architects and designers who wish to incorporate leftover fabrics into projects with a strong sustainability focus.

When it comes to our leftover upholstery and decorative fabrics, there are so many potential applications that it feels insufficient to simply call them leftovers. Beyond samples, we use these materials to create cushions, throws, tablecloths, and napkins, for example. However, we do have more than we can use and view these smaller pieces as somewhat of an administrative challenge—how do we manage them effectively to maximize their value without making the process overly time-consuming? We would love to find a solution together with a flexible partner.

Another category of our leftovers comes from making cutting samples—small fabric clippings that are perfect for use as filling material.

We are always curious and open-minded about the best ways to utilize leftover pieces. If you have a project and are interested in using our leftover fabrics, please get in touch. Send your request to [email protected]