This page collates the output of various studies and projects that we have worked on or commissioned to date, plus helpful resources from our reading list.
We continually seek to improve our understanding of our regional fibreshed as well as the broader farming, fibre and textile landscape that it sits in nationwide.
In parallel we also work on projects to spread awareness about fibreshed thinking and doing.
And we support farming and fashion sectors to better collaborate in producing fashion and textiles within a fibreshed system by designing and developing educational aides and resources.
A collection of studies and research reports produced or commissioned by us, or by our members as the outputs of their own projects.
The bible of all things Fibreshed, a wealth of information, research, case studies, and maps of other affiliate Fibresheds and producers across the world. Happy exploring!
Funded though our Members Micro Bursary Fund, this is a digital resource presenting a catalogue of natural dye plants surveyed around the SW Fibreshed region, including fibre samples, to showcase the region’s colour potential.
A fibreshed guide to localising our clothing system. An introduction to building partnerships between agecological farmers and designers to restore wool supply networks in the British Isles that are beneficial for people and planet.
Funded through our Members Micro Bursary Fund, James Allen of @greatcotmarshfarm produced this feasibility study into creating a cattle hide vegetable micro tannery.
Funded and commissioned by South West England Fibreshed, this report provide background knowledge, helpful and practical suggestions to support fibre-based enterprises to organise administration and people in ways that align with regenerative practices.
A collaborative project with Farmerama Radio producing a 3 part series exploring regenerative fibres and fashion.
Funded through our Members Micro Bursary Fund, this is a suite of educational materials aimed at readers with special learning and accessibility needs.
A research project mapping fibre and dye processing facilities across England.
THE Fibreshed resource, which documents how Rebecca’s farm-to-cloth vision has slowly been brought to life by case studies across the world which are working to restore regional textile production within restorative agricultural systems.
The reading list for Fibreshed 101!
A union of farmers, growers, foresters and land-based workers with a mission to improve the livelihoods of their members an create a better food, fibre and fuel land-use system for everyone. See their website for relevant research, events, trainings and more.
goes beyond the arguments for ethical fashion and consumer responsibility showing that if we want to feel comfortable in our clothes, the need to reshape the system
A unique toolkit of resilient food production systems, including biodynamic, organic, agroforestry, regenerative, agroecological and permaculture methods, with illustrated case studies, references and resources. Just as applicable to fibre as food.
“making the case for a society built around local economies, self-provisioning agricultural diversity and a shared earth.” Ever feel caught up in questions around scaleability and growth? Read this. Gold.
an exploration of not only the social and environmental impacts and exploits of the global fashion industry – but also the grassroots and tech-based movements fighting to reform them, from hyper localism to lab-grown materials. Full of gems and we love this quote by Dilys Williams: “The original, pre-industrial definition of fashion was to make things together – a collective that is a convivial, sociable process we communicate with each other.”
why we need to let go of the prevailing growth logic that drives endless fashion production and waste, and put Earth first.
by SWE Fibreshed member Babs Behan (2018) – a guide to foraging and extracting environmentally sustainable colour from our landscape and using it to create natural dyes for textiles, clothing, paper and other materials.
a new edition of Savory’s original that posits properly managed livestock as crucial for the restoration of the world’s grassland soils, the major sink for atmospheric carbon. Now updated to present the Holistic Land Management framework more clearly.
provides a broad imagining of sustainability in fashion that gives attention to tending and wearing garments, and favours their use as much as their creation.
and article for Felt Matters SWE Fibreshed member Yuli Sømme (2016), accessible here. Fibreshed thinking in a nutshell.
Dan’s book offers a solution to the ecological imbalances and tragedies caused by what and how we eat. Read this and replace “food” with “fibres,” “cuisine” with “fashion,” “plate” with “outfit” – you get the idea.
we were lucky enough to have a chance encounter with the author of this compost tome on one of our first Fibreshed outreach trips to Devon. What could be more crucial for true soil-to-soil fibre systems?!
We plan to launch a Supporter membership soon. Sign up here to receive updates and news.
We will be launching a Supporter membership shortly. If you are interested in receiving more information on this and other news from our fibreshed, please sign up here.
