Thursday Tip // What is HEMP?

Hemp is a strong fibre from a plant that uses the land well, providing more fiber per acre than cotton or flax. As a robust annual crop, it grows quickly and successfully in many different climates and requires significantly less water than crops like cotton.

The plant itself replenishes the soil around it with minerals while also cleaning toxins from the ground and acting as a natural weed suppressor. For this reason, hemp is considered a carbon-negative crop meaning it removes more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it adds, reducing its carbon footprint to less than neutral.

How cool is that?! 

Like flax, hemp can be used beyond just textile production (and the obvious). Hemp can be found in concrete, paper, rope and even fuel. Hemp is also known for its highly nutritious content of protein, omega and fibre. Hemp is part of the bast family of fibres (also flax, jute, kenaf). Bast fibres are long fibres located on the outside of the plant while hurd (short) fibres are located on the inside of the stalk as part of the woody core of the plant. Hemp fabric is typically made from the bast fibres while construction materials and other industrial products may be made from the hurd fibres.

Canada has been a part of industrial hemp production since 1998, focusing on growing hemp for its seeds and fibres. An increasing number of products made from hemp, including health foods, environmentally friendly personal and home products, textiles, paper and sustainable building materials have bolstered the demand for Canadian grown hemp.

Interestingly, a research group from the University of Manitoba established the Manitoba Hemp Awareness Committee and were pivotal in obtaining permits for test plots that led to the legalization of industrial hemp production in Canada. Industrial hemp is a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant species that is grown specifically for industrial use (including food products and textiles). Industrial hemp has only minute amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis).

Hemp is a hardy plant and fiber which means your fabric purchase will last even longer. Hemp’s characteristically long filaments make it extremely durable, colour fast and breathable. Hemp softens as you wash and wear it, leaving you reaching for that same garment for years to come. Hemp and hemp/cotton blends are a great alternative to linen in that they wrinkle a little less and are even more absorbent keeping you cool and comfortable in all seasons. Hemp tends to start out stiff and then soften with wear making it ideal for beginner sewists and a great fabric for all types of clothing from pajamas to pants or a button up shirt.

Similar to linen, hemp can fray excessively. We recommend serging the edges or straight stitching the raw edges before pre-washing your fabric. If you will be handling your pattern pieces a lot you may want to stay stitch inside the seam allowance to help reduce the amount of fraying while sewing. For pressing, use a hot and steamy iron.