1332 days ago

Luxurious Lotus Silk

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean Rotorua

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: Have you had a pen pal?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

With the invention of the internet and mobile phone communication, pen pals seem to be a thing of the past but it was a common practice at one point.

Did you have a pen pal? Where did you meet them? Share below!

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Have you had a pen pal?
  • 66.3% Yes
    66.3% Complete
  • 33.5% No
    33.5% Complete
  • 0.2% Other - I'll share below!
    0.2% Complete
463 votes
45 minutes ago

Mums4Mums Working Bee tomorrow

Nicki Turner from Volunteering Services

URGENTLY CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!!!
Good with your hands, great on the tools, have a trailer or ute?
Mums4Mums have a working bee tomorrow (Friday 19 July) and Saturday from 9am to 3pm. They have a few jobs they need done to tidy up the centre.

• Fill in the gaps on our plywood walls
• sanding
• varnishing walls and hardwood floor
• staining the deck
• moving sand to prepare for a new play station
• rubbish removal - we will cover the costs if you have a trailer or ute
• painting
Starting at 9:30 to 3:00 pm. Have fun and help out. We will make sure the kettle is ready for a cuppa, that some biscuits are out and we can even play some tunes to get our groove on while we work.
ALL ARE WELCOME - WE HAVE A JOB FOR EVERYONE!

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1 day ago

Hey Neighbours, can you outsmart this riddle?

Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

If two’s company and three’s a crowd, what are four and five?

Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.

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