Thread Tales Co. Signature Fabric

Lotus Fabric is the inspiration for Thread Tales Co and our signature fabric.

Strange maybe to say that a fabric is inspiring but through our eyes, it’s hard to imagine anything else more perfect, all the more so for its beautiful, natural flaws and raw nature (much how we like to view ourselves!).

Lotus is probably the most sustainable fabric on the planet, breathable, water resistant, both warming and cooling and the more you handle it the softer it gets. It also lends itself well to be worked with other yarns such as silk and cashmere, adding softness and texture and giving us the ability to pioneer new fabrics unique to Thread Tales Co. No wonder we think it’s amazing.

But even more than this - it’s a fabric with soul and a spiritual history.

The Lotus plant, from which our yarn is painstakingly produced from individual flower stems, is resilient. Lotus seeds can withstand thousands of years of drought and still germinate. Its beautiful flowers close and dip below the muddy waters of the Inle Lake in Myanmar each evening and, due to the waxy protection on their petals, emerge and open un-blemished and pure the next morning.

Day after day the flowers rise out of the muck of the Lake reminding the people that live where it flourishes, that they too can foster resilience and the ability to not only emerge from what life may throw at them but also to blossom and bloom, beautiful, pure, unscathed.

It’s no wonder that the Lotus flowers are revered as one of the most spiritual flowers in the world and are particularly symbolic in the Buddhist community of weavers that work with these incredible flowers and also in Hindu and Egyptian cultures.

The flower is often seen alongside the figures of Buddhism and Hinduism. The Divine Buddha was said to have emerged on a Lotus Flower, leaving his footprints in the shape of the flower. The colour of the flower is also attributed with different meanings; the white and pale pink from the Nelumbo family are seen as symbolising devotion and purity whilst the stronger purples and blues are associated with rebirth and enlightenment. The flower is also thought to have many medicinal and healing properties such as stabilising blood pressure and preventing asthma and the local Intha people believe wearing a Lotus scarf gets rid of headaches.

Historically, the Lotus yarn that we use for our unique scarves and wraps was reserved for Monks and Royalty, to gather the soft, protective fabric produced from the yarn around them in order to experience the revitalising element of the Lotus Flower. This beautiful symbolism of love, rebirth, resilience and perseverance resonates strongly with us at Thread Tales Co.

We promote the idea of mindfulness applied to our approach to consumerism, to ask questions about where your clothes come from, who made them and what impact their production and journey to you may have. To facilitate the idea of shopping consciously, to persevere in our mission to produce sustainable product, to 'Wear Something that Means Something', the Lotus keeps us connected somehow with these values.

Whatever your beliefs, it’s hard not to feel protected with a Lotus wrap around your shoulders and to feel that in this fast paced cerebral world, a reminder from the spirit of the Lotus to leave some time for reflection, to be still, to meditate or be mindful is a really good thing.