Safe Macramé

Posted by LIdee Haus at 11/03/2023

Macramé may sound not too strange, especially for Boho fans who are in love with close-to-nature & minimal style. Macramé is not the name of materials, it's the art of fiber knotting in order to create elegant and eye-catching decorative patterns. This technique is 100% handmade therefore each product contains the enthusiasm & creativity of artisans, and no product bear 100% resemblance to each other. Thanks to this unique & brilliant color blend which creates artistic pictures, Macramé is well-favoured in Western countries. In order to make a beautiful Macramé piece, beside the skill & creativity of artisan, the quality of materials plays quite an important role in defining the shape as well as overall product quality. Origin & quality are LIdee Haus' top-notch criteria as always, within this article, we'd like to share more about the materials used for Macramé items at LIdee Haus.

Regarding Macramé cord, the main materials is cotton. Since Macramé is the art of knotting which requires a high frequency of hand movement and contact with the cords, the materials should be not only soft enough to refrain from hand pain, but also durable to create the shape at its best after finishing stage. LIdee Haus use 2 main cotton cords: twisted cord & braided cord.

Twisted cord consists of single strands twisting together. This type has single twisted (several twisting cotton strands) and 3-ply twisted (3 bigger strands, look alike rope). Below picture is 3-ply twisted cord.

Braided cord consists of several groups of strands, the outer fibre is cotton, the inner fibre may blend with small % of Polyester.

Both types have been sent to TÜV Rheinland Vietnam lab for testing & met EU requirement, details as below:

No Formaldehyde & no PAHs

In the article of Safe crochet toys, the information on these 2 substances have been mentioned. To avoid repetition, please refer here.

No Azo-dyes

Color is what attracts consumers' attention to the product at the first glance. In textiles industry, industrial dyes, especially dyes with Azo compounds, are widely used thanks to their vibrant colors with vast spectrum, good color fastness, and cheap price.

Azo-dyes has several negative impact to human health due to its release aromatic amine in suitable condition while in use. Human body (skin in particular) in long-time touch with aromatic amine with high density may encounter high risk of cancer (liver cancer, bladder cancer, possibly breast cancer).

According to European chemical regulation, textile products are not allowed to contain the amount of aromatic amine extracted from Azo exceeding 30 ppm (mg/kg).

No allergenous diperse dye & carcinogenic dye

Color fastness rating

Color fastness represents the resistance to color change on materials surface under exterior factors (chemical& mechanical). With the bag function, LIdee Haus conduct 2 tests: color fastness to light color fastness to washing.

Color fastness to light is the color resistance under sunlight. UV rays in sunlight has strong impact on making the color fade after wear & tear. For good materials, the color fading is slower or comparatively less (if any). According to testing method ISO 105-B02:2014, rating scale from 1 to 8, with 8 = the best (no fading) - 1 = the worst (totally fading), if result records >4, it means color fading will happen after a long exposure to sunlight but not tremendously. Normally this rating will be more obvious for outdoor cushions & clothes, for bag, the performance can be much better with the same rating.

Color fastness to washing is the resistance to color chane or color stain on another materials while washing. According to testing method ISO 105-C06:2010, as per grey-scale with 5 levels, 5 = the best - 1 = the worst,materials recorded at 4-5 means good color resistance, no color change or stain during washing.

Regulation on chemical restriction may create additional barriers to manufacturers due to considerable lab testing cost and certified materials leading to high input cost. However, as a seller, LIdee Haus strongly agree that quality assurance & clear product origin are our responsibility & top priority in order to protect consumer's right - using safe products. Thank you for putting your trust on our products among various selection, we hope that you can enjoy carefree products at LIdee Haus.