I have fell in love with Cork Fabric from Portugal, it is soft and luxurious.
Made a few hand bag as gifts and this week I made a decorative pillow with the cork fabric and made the weltcord from cork fabric as well. 
What Makes Cork Fabric so amazing?
Cork is harvested from the Cork Oak tree, which grows primarily in the West Mediterranean Basin. The cork used in our cork fabric comes from sustainable forests with strict harvesting regulations that are in place to protect the valuable resource and regulate the quality.
When the Cork Oak has reached 20 years of age, the bark is stripped from the tree by the hands of a highly skilled harvester. That tree is then marked so that it will not be harvested for another 8-10 years.
The Cork Oak is the only tree that benefits from the removal of its bark and, since it regenerates, it is truly an eco-conscious and sustainable natural resource. In fact, the same tree can be harvested every 8-10 years for over 200 years! Once harvested, the tree absorbs about 5 times the CO2, making harvesting an important process in reducing greenhouse gases.
Once the cork is harvested from the Cork Oak it is boiled, dried, shaved into thin sheets and sealed with a non-toxic sealant. Once the cork fabric is complete, it is stain-resistant, water-resistant, scratch-proof, hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, lightweight, incredibly soft, and flame retardant.
Do you have Questions about Cork Fabric?
Do I need an industrial sewing machine to sew cork fabric?
No, it sews wonderfully on any standard sewing machine.
What else do I need to know about sewing with cork?
We suggest using a fresh, sharp needle with each new project, and we personally use an 80/12 or 90/14 Microtex needle and I love the Titanium needles because of their strength.
Teflon feet are often recommended but you can use a standard or rolling foot. Play around with it and see what suits you and your machine best. If you are sewing through several layers you may need to make adjustments accordingly.
Wonder clips. Wonder clips. Wonder clips. You will NOT want to pin your gorgeous cork fabric (and it would be difficult trying to)!
A longer 4-5 stitch length works well for most projects.
Can I embroider my cork fabric?
Absolutely, and it’s just so beautiful!! You can see a few examples over on our Instagram.
How do I clean my cork fabric?
While cork can be dry cleaned, it is NOT machine washable.
Cork fabric can be wiped down with a clean gentle cloth, a little liquid soap and water.
Can I iron my cork fabric?
Cork fabric can crease, which is why we send it to you rolled, sealed and protected. Ironing is NOT recommended, and finger pressing will work great for most sewing projects.
It’s best to avoid heat of the iron needed with fusible interfacing, so sew-in stabilizers are great for more structured projects.
Just a few more photo of cork fabric from Portugal.
