Ethical Responsibilities at The Stripes Company

There are ethical responsibilities involved in running any business. Therefore since 2006 when our first fabric designs arrived wrapped in hessian bales and cardboard boxes, we knew that we would have to address the issue of waste management and formed an immediate policy.

Managing what we throw away has remained a top priority for us. Long before the current focus on plastics recycling and disposal we were making a conscious effort to work towards a zero waste policy here at our Chester factory. Now, having always seriously addressed the issues of waste we can honestly say that we have none!

In addition to waste management we are extremely careful with what we bring in to the factory. All our racking, display casing and furniture is upcycled, rescued and given a new life with us. Our computers and tools are bought second hand and our showroom is built almost entirely from reclaimed and salvaged materials. Our kitchen doesn’t even have a bin, everything is either washed on site or taken home by staff to encourage the use of repeat use containers.  

Here are our policies laid out in full. We hope this encourages and gives ideas to everyone, especially businesses like ours to help reduce the waste they produce. Great for saving money and the planet!

  • No fabric is wasted – ends of rolls and surplus is either donated to local schools or charities, or useable pieces are recycled into remnant packs.
  • Orders are sent out in re-used cardboard boxes, recyclable plastic and paper.
  • All our hessian wrapping from bales is re-used in gardens as frost protection or composted.
  • We request no plastic, polystyrene or foam in any of our incoming packaging.
  • All our products are 100% cotton, wood, leather or jute – all recyclable and bio-degradable.
  • We generally stick to the theme of using old and repurposed items and nothing that cannot easily be disposed of if necessary – but not as landfill.
  • All our warehouse storage, racking, shelving and receptacles are recycled/upcycled – for instance, we use old wooden ladders as shelving and mill skips and old wooden storage boxes as containers.
  • Galvanised wire stacking baskets and old school plimsoll holders, original haberdashery cabinets and galvanised metal tubs are all put to good use in our showroom/shop – even the wooden plank walls are made of original decking from old ships!
  • Our visual props are sourced from beaches – driftwood and fishing nets with corks, fishing boat floats and marine antiquities. Wooden bottle crates and wine boxes, 1920’s woven cane textile baskets and old luggage are all put to excellent use.
  • All our ‘tools of the trade’ are secondhand from our sewing machines to the everyday tools – screws and nails are stored in old jam jars (like grandpa’s shed!)
  • The cardboard tubes on which we we send out metres of material rolled up are scrounged from other textile companies, and our ‘new’ office kitchen is up-cycled.
  • In the winter, our warehouse is like Siberia, so instead of expensive heaters, we layer up and get moving!!
  • And we were the company who purchased all Blackpools old deckchairs for the purposes of hiring out for events and functions!
  • We send all goods directly to customers around the world directly from our own warehouse in Chester and are very proud that we are the only business on site without a skip!

Unpacking our Extra Large Beach Bags for…

Our customers are always telling us how much they can fit into our Extra Large Beach Bags, often not just when going to the beach!

Here at The Stripes Company we have know this for years, having used these super handy bags for all kinds things including weekends away, packing for the kids, going to the gym or doing the grocery shop! And they never let us down. They are strong, water resistant, hold TONNES and (even if we do say so ourselves) they also look great!

To put these claims to the test we decided to load them up for various situations and see how much we can fit in them – and they didn’t disappoint! See the results on the videos below, and a big thanks to our own Sally for happily packing and unpacking to put these bags to the tests!

Shop our Extra Large Beach Bags here!

Extra Large Beach Bags – A Country Weekend!
Extra Large Beach Bags – The Kids!
Extra Large Beach Bags – The Groceries!

And we couldn’t forget actually going to the beach!

Extra Large Beach Bags – The Beach!

How To Make A Deckchair Canopy Cover

Watch as we show you in 6 simple steps how to make your own deckchair canopy cover using our unique stripy fabric and pompom fringe. You can see our huge range of deckchair fabrics and pompom bobble fringes on our website

Make Canopy Cover Video Transcript

How to recover a deckchair canopy from The Stripes Company

Step 1. Preparing Your Fabric

Notes.

For most deckchair canopies you will need 2m of deckchair fabric cut in half to make 2 x 1m lengths which you will pin and then stitch together.

Step 2. Sewing Deckchair Canopy Together

Notes.

Iron the seam flat.

Step 3. Measuring Up

Notes.

You will need approx 3m of bobble fringe.

Note the front and back measurements of canopy frame (back may be narrower)

To find the depth of the overhang subtract your canopy width from the width of the fabric and then divide the remaining measurement by two. Note this down. Do this for front and back.

Step 4. Creating The Corners

Notes.

Fold the corners and using the previous measurements mark with a pin (remember front and back are different).

Repeat for all four corners.

Stitch and then cut off the surplus fabric from each of the four corners.

Step 5. Adding The Bobble Fringe

Notes.

Start at a corner seam folding in the edge of the fabric the width of the bobble trim and pin all the way around the canopy before stitching.

Step 6. Finishing Off Deckchair Canopy Cover

Notes.

Tacking the corners is optional.

Enjoy your canopy

It is that easy! Create your own deckchair canopy cover with deckchair fabric and bobble fringe from The Stripes Company.

deckchair canopy cover
Birdwatching Canopy Cover with Snooker Pompom Trim
canopy with pompom trim
pompom trim on a deckchair canopy

Guide to Fabrics (Part 1) With Maria From The Stripes Company

Part one of our fabric videos features Maria with a practical guide on how to use our deckchair fabrics with a few top tips thrown in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VHUvFyFiIo

Video Transcription:

Hello I’m Maria from The Stripes Company and I would just like to explain a little bit about all the different fabrics that we do.

First of all let’s have a look at our deck chair fabrics. It’s 45 centimetres wide, woven cotton and fits any deck chair. It’s not intended for prolonged outdoor use so it’s perfect for a chair that is kept indoors and brought out when the sun shines.

Let’s have a look at it on a deckchair.  Here is one of our standard teak deck chairs and we have covered it in one of our stripes. Traditionally stripes are always bright colours to allow for fading. The top rail is longer than the bottom rail to allow for the deck chair to be folded up. We supply complete deck chairs covered in any of our fabrics of your choice or, to fit one our canvases yourself we have made a great little video explaining this, just see the link in the description below.

Here is one of our teak directors chairs using the pull-out dowelling method of fixing the seat. As you will notice on the seat and the back the Stripes are horizontal instead of vertical. This is so that the warp threads are supported on either side of the seat. The stripes show the direction of the warp and if you sit on it by putting on the wrong way it will rip. We sell these with covers specially made for you in any of our stripes. Or we offer a made to measure service for your own chair as they are all different sizes and you can make sure that it will fit your chair properly.

Thank you for watching our video, it is the first of many, I hope you enjoy them all and please keep watching.

Reference in the video:

Ticking Stripe Fabric

Ticking stripe fabric please…

The Stripes Company are often asked for traditional striped ticking fabric. So often in fact that we thought we really should get some in stock for all you ticking stripe fabric lovers out there. So, we’re happy to offer this great material in three fabulous stripy combinations that will perform just like the ticking fabric of old, but is softer in texture and has an attractive herringbone weave.  Indeed, we are so proud of our new up to date, bright stripe version we often refer to it by its full formal title of English ticking.

ticking stripe fabric in beige and blue stripe
Ticking stripe fabric in beige and blue stripe

Ticking what?

For those well versed in interior design there are some projects can only be properly achieved by the use of good old-fashioned ticking stripe fabric. However, for those who are making it up as they go along the likely response will be ticking what?
Just in case you are in the latter category ticking fabric is a robust, tightly woven cotton or linen cloth that traditionally comes in a stripy pattern.  You can see why it’s right up our street. But it’s also a really useful fabric, it’s hardwearing and is used to make fabulous pillows and quilts that the feather filling can’t poke through.
Some of us are old enough to remember the times as a kid when we stayed overnight at our Granny’s on an old creaky bed. The lovely, soft mattress we bounced around had a ticking fabric cover and it was great (and stripy).

Ticking fabric – the old ways are often the best

Nowadays, those with a passion for interiors are aware of the merits of using traditional materials as a way of making good quality, robust items that look fantastic and will last. It’s no wonder this stripy old school fabric is rapidly becoming a very up-to-date design choice.
Today the classic striped design looks great as blinds or curtains especially in houses that are looking for a traditional or retro look. And, rather than being a utility item, modern ticking fabric is a great design alternative especially for those who, for some reason, prefer their stripes in more muted shades.

It’s ticking versatile

Ticking fabric has many great uses especially where you need stripy and durable performance.  You can use it for any number of purposes including furniture upholstery, cushion covers, tablecloths, basket liners or curtains. As our modern ticking is also lovely and soft so you can be sure it will make plush, comfortable cushions, pillows or mattresses. Indeed, you could even knock up some distinctive stripy clothes if you’re that way inclined. We would love to see the results!

Ticking stripe fabric in blue and red stripe
Ticking stripe fabric in blue and red stripe

Order some today – the clock is errr ticking

At 150 cms wide, our modern ticking stripe fabric is suitable for any number of soft furnishing or decorative uses. We know you like things stripy so why not order some of this classic fabric for your interior design project and discover why, sometimes, the old ways of doing things are still the best. As ever, we will do our utmost to supply our sumptuous stripy ticking fabric that is sure to make your project look simply marvellous!

Shop The Stripes Company Ticking Fabric today!

Windbreaks for the Beach

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!  So goes the oft-sung ditty as families on the great British Bank Holiday get into the car and set off for their local resort full of the joys of summer, anticipating the life affirming benefits of sea air, candyfloss and a cone of steaming chips. Time to hit the beach!  Alas, it’s never that simple is it?  Even on our best days in the UK the weather will always have its say.  Despite the sunshine the inevitable coastal breeze can still bring a distinctly chilly edge to your trip. That’s where one of our typically stripy windbreaks for the beach will save the day.

Got Wind?  You need one of our Windbreaks for the Beach!

Nothing will take the gloss of your lovely day out than shivering under your stripy towel and grimacing at the grim crunch of sand that’s blown into your cheese sandwich. If only you had taken one of our windbreaks to shelter you from the cooling breeze allowing you to fully enjoy your day. Better still, our fantastic windbreaks for the beach will add a vibrant lift to your day beside the sea as you can buy your beach windbreak from our wide range of stripetastic colour combinations. Just like a sugary display of seaside rock. There’s bound to be one that suits your sunny personality especially when you’ve got that holiday feeling.

windbreaks for the beachDon’t Like The Beach?  You need a Beach Windbreak…

Even if you’re the type that doesn’t enjoy the seaside one of our stripy windbreaks for the beach will still improve your days out. Let’s face it the key word here is ‘wind’ and that doesn’t, unfortunately, confine itself to the coast.  Having your lovely stripy beach windbreak handy will protect you from the breeze on picnics in the country, on a weekend camping trip or even in the garden when you want to spend some time lazing around at home on a sunny but blowy day.

pink and blue windbreak for the beach
Stripes Company Windbreak in ‘Fastnet Stripe’

Out of Puff? – Not with our Windbreaks for the Beach

There’s some unusual contraptions around that purport to offer shelter from the wind. Complex things with poles and guy lines that flap around uselessly as you angrily try to put them up. Our brilliant stripy windbreaks couldn’t be simpler. Just unroll, press the four wooden poles into the ground and you’re ready. They’re sturdy and even have a handy pocket to stow those things that blow away and have you comically running down the beach as you try to get them back. When it’s time to go home just roll up your beach windbreak secure using the Velcro ties and you’re off!

Here at the stripes company we think our wide array of cool, stripy beach windbreaks are just the ticket for a great British day out no matter how blustery it is. We’re sure you’ll agree!

beach windbreaks
original windbreaks for the beach at Blackpool for sale

Bunting – A Guide On Choosing And Using

Bunting Fun, Fun, Fun

Is there any other product that says: ‘Celebration!’ ‘Fun!’ ‘Party!’ more?  If there is, we can’t think of one and believe us we’ve tried.  Just the very word ‘Bunting’ conveys images of memorable days, get togethers and collective happiness. We think it’s just fab’ and is just the thing to make your good times simply great.

It’s not just for street parties

Everyone’s classic image of bunting is when we’re all having a great British street party.  Usually strung round lampposts and fences along a suburban street. Always in patriotic red, white and blue, fluttering in the breeze as a neighbourhood celebrates a jubilee, royal wedding or birthday. Oh the nostalgia.  

However, there are so many more occasions where this colourful addition can make our lives so much better. When well-displayed it can transform virtually any occasion into a bright, colourful spectacle. What ’s more, it’s such a simple idea we’re surprised you haven’t thought about it already. All you need is some handy poles and fences to hang the garlands, a colour scheme that’s meaningful and everything else will fall into place. Promise!

So I can use bunting for other events?

Of course, you can. Our party bunting will elevate any kind of event be it: a wedding, a garden party, a landmark birthday, a corporate event or even an outdoor concert. Simply put some up and see your occasion transform.

Naturally, as you’ve come to expect from The Stripes Company, we have put our trademark stripy spin on our own range of cotton buntings. With our version, vibrant colour is everywhere as you have come to expect and all of a sudden, the versatility reaches new levels.  

It’s not that we don’t like traditional red, white and blue, we do. We even have our special take on this colour scheme called ‘Jubilee’ made from our boxing interior striped fabric. It will be perfect for  the Queens Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022, the coronation of a carnival queen or any royal events in the pipeline they’re not telling us about!
Not forgetting any National sporting fixtures that need supporting.

red white and blue bunting
Red, White and Blue

We also love our vibrant Multi Stripe, Gingham and Ikat versions too. With such a wide range, you can match your choice to the colour scheme of your event.  What about pink gingham for a baby girl’s christening? Why not try our best selling multi-stripe for a fancy dress party or Ikat for an outdoor concert of an up-and-coming rock band.

bunting
A selection of The Stripes Company Bunting

You could even have a favourite team’s colours to personalise a ‘big’ birthday. It will work for all of these occasions and much more. Of course, you could just go bonkers and mix and match from our colourful selection to create a huge technicolour splash. That would be brilliant!

We also have plain coloured bunting but its not plain at all – its full of different colours of the Rainbow, 18 flags worth!rainbow bunting

You can also make it unique by sewing PomPoms on to it to make PomPom Bunting!

We have a sewing kit to do just that

bunting with pompoms
bunting with pack of pompoms to sew on

I didn’t know it was so versatile!

Hopefully you do now.  You are only limited by your imagination. So whatever occasion you’re celebrating we have a colour combination to suit from our unique cotton bunting collection or wedding bunting range. We can guarantee it that will look simply fabulous and add that sensational stripy lift. So what are you waiting for? Get some up and start celebrating!

Striped Curtains

Curtains are another popular project with The Stripes Company customers and Alison used ‘Cricket’ duck egg blue and beige interior stripe fabric to make these stunning long striped curtains. 

‘Am completely delighted with the fabric, the support I had on the phone from The Stripes Company and the super fast delivery.

Thank you, I couldn’t be happier with the final result. Please see pictures of the curtains I made.’ 

striped curtains in cricket duck egg blue fabric
Striped curtains in cricket duck egg blue fabric

Link to fabric used: Cricket duck egg blue fabric 150cm

Have you used our fabric in a recent project and would like to share it? Just get in touch via our contact form!

Camper Van Conversion!

What could better sum up the ethos of Make Do And Mend than restoring old vehicles back to their former glory? Across the nation hardy Brits are busy in sheds and garages mending, stitching and cajoling their old broken machines into shiny examples of their kind. Of these restorations nothing is more suited to The Stripes Company fabrics than the vintage camper van conversion. Either through reupholstery, new curtains or deckchairs for the outside, a camper van conversion provides opportunity galore for a bit of retro Make Do And Mend!

Over the years we have been sent many examples of camper van conversions using our stripey fabric, here are a few of our favourites:

(planning your own Stripey project? – see our stripey fabric range)

Camper Van Blinds

Jay used sailing interior stripe fabric and navy & sky blue duo bobble fringe to make blinds for the camper van, Bertie.

Bertie the Camper Van
Bertie the Camper Van

“We have been filming today for the channel 4 programme, George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, and I just wanted to send you a picture of the blinds in situ in the van. I hope you like them!”

We certainly do!

Fabrics used:

http://www.thestripescompany.com/shop/Interior-Striped-Fabrics-150cm/Sailing

http://www.thestripescompany.com/shop/Bobble-Fringe-Large-Duo/Navy-and-Sky

Continue reading Camper Van Conversion!

The Stripes Company A-Z

The Stripes Company A-Z
Thanks for following!

Welcome to the Stripes Company A-Z where throughout the festive season we’ll be bringing the alphabet to you Stripes style! We’re dreaming of a Stripey Christmas and hope you’ll join us too! We see stripes everywhere and over the December period while seeing our A-Z we’re sure everything will become striped for you too!

Each week between the 1st & 24th Dec we will be posting something stripey that may be in picture, gif or text format. Plus we have a competition! Add your stripey ‘Z’ suggestion in the final week to win a fantastic prize, remember the crazier the better! Enjoy.

Continue reading The Stripes Company A-Z

The Stripes Company