SHREK THE SHEEP - Decorating with Fabric

Have you heard of Shrek the Sheep? Once you have seen his infamous photo you will never forget him. Shrek was just an ordinary Merino sheep living in South Island, New Zealand. That is until the year 2004 when he skyrocketed to fame over his enormous wool coat.

Usually Merino sheep have their coats sheared once a year, but Shrek hated nothing more than having his coat removed, so he devised a plan to avoid shearing forever, he was going to run away.

For 6 years Shrek’s escape proved successful spending his time hiding in local caves. Eventually, Shrek was found by his owner John Perriam who said on his discovery “He looked like some biblical creature.”

Some breeds of sheep naturally shed their wool each year, but Merino sheep, typically raised for meat, never shed their fleece. Hidden behind cave walls, far from any shearing blades, Shrek’s wool continued to grow and grow. In fact, after 6 years without any haircuts, Shrek had enough wool to produce 20 suits for large men.

Each year Shrek continued to grow the normal amount of hair for a Merino sheep, but since it was never shed or cut off, he was found with 6 times the average amount of Merino fleece. His fleece in total weighed around 60 pounds! Sadly, the adorable and rebellious sheep passed away in 2011, he was 16 years old.

Wool the Wonder Fabric

One of our favorite organic drapery and upholstery fabrics for both residential and contract is Wool. We source our wool from a very Eco-conscious producer.

This Australian ranch, where the sheep are raised is one of the few in the world that are capable of managing herds which qualify for the European organic standards (EU 2092/91) which are among the strictest in the world.

Environmental standards for stock raising are stringent:

The ratio of head to acreage is low.
No synthetic inputs are used on the livestock
No dips, drenches, pesticides or routine antibiotic treatments are used.
Scouring of the wool is done using only hot water and biodegradable detergents; scouring water is recovered and used for agriculture.

WOOL FACTS

A gorgeous, fine wool sateen, our virgin wool fiber, at just 19 microns in size, is made without any chemicals which can harm you or the

Ecosystem. The fiber is crafted into a durable, hard working fabric that can withstand the rigors of commercial applications while also providing the exceptional benefits of using wool:

Wool improves air quality by absorbing and retaining VOCs such as formaldehyde.
Wool breathes and helps regulate humidity.
Wool is a rapidly renewable, sustainable resource.
At end of life, wool biodegrades – and none of the chemicals used in producing the fabric can hurt you or your ecosystem.
Good animal husbandry practices sequester carbon and help reduce the level of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere while at the same time replenishing and renewing grassland soils.