1400 days ago

Luxurious Lotus Silk

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean Wellington (The Wash House)

Lotus fibre or lotus silk is a rather rare and exclusive fibre. The silk comes from the stem of the lotus flower which is made up of microfibres.


The stems are snapped off, the fibres are teased out before being rolled into thread. Once the threads are dry, they are weighed down and carefully wound by hand. Then they’re put onto the loom. These fibres are fragile, but once woven, can be as durable as traditional silk.


The entire process of fibre extraction, weaving the fibre, and making the fabric is completely handmade, making the process time-consuming. This also limits the quantity of the fabric produced. A large scarf requires the thread of around 9,200 stems and would take one worker around two months to complete. This is why it is considered luxurious and items made from lotus silk do not go cheap.

The resulting material resembles raw silk or an aged linen, naturally beige in colour and possesses unique qualities. It is waterproof, practically wrinkle proof, washable, lightweight, sweatproof and is soft to the touch.

Most importantly, its key quality is that it is one of the most eco-friendly materials on the planet. The lotus is a water plant. It preserves the eco-system in which it grows including the water as much as the surrounding wildlife.

Not only is it created from waste (lotus stems), but it also leaves little waste behind. In fact, lotus silk been identified as potentially the most ecological fabric in the world, and it is the first natural microfibre in the world. Being a natural fibre, it is biodegradable after its useful life.

More messages from your neighbours
1 day ago

Poll: How do you feel about dogs being allowed indoors in cafes?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

For most of us, seeing a friendly doggo while out and about instantly brings a smile to our faces. But how do you feel about cafes welcoming pups inside?

Cast a vote and share your thoughts below.

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How do you feel about dogs being allowed indoors in cafes?
  • 27.6% I love it!
    27.6% Complete
  • 31.3% Only in designated areas
    31.3% Complete
  • 41.1% No, it should be outdoors only.
    41.1% Complete
1130 votes
5 hours ago

Karori Jigsaw Puzzle Library

Julia from Karori

The Karori Jigsaw Puzzle Library operates out of the Community Centre. Free to borrow, Thursdays is open day 11:30-1pm. Donations are also welcome. Browse through the attached catalogues if you can't make it and pickup can be arranged at other times.

...and a thanks to Tings, a local manufacturing retail wet-bags business for the shelving to put them all on.

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6 hours ago

Mental Health Awareness Week - support a community organisation

The Team from Volunteer Wellington

Today, the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand encourages you to tautoko a community organisation. It’s no secret that the pandemic, rising costs and extreme weather events have made things tough for our organisations over the past few years. We have hundreds of volunteer roles on our website which will help you do to do this! Check out this small selection and head to our website to find more and to register your interest:
www.volunteerwellington.nz...