Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Transcript of interview, with links to organisations and information mentioned in the video: lowimpact.org/posts/the-potential-for-building-a-textile-commons
This is the third in a series of interviews about the potential for commoning the textile industry. If you're interested in commons, it's a fascinating conversation about what commons might look like in a specific sector like textiles, and how we might get there.
Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org and Stroud Commons is talking with Nick and Rosie of Fantasy Fibre Mill (working to resurrect the flax/linen industry in Scotland, as a commons), Dil Green of Mutual Credit Services (who build commons models for all sectors of the economy) and Zoe Gilbertson of LIFLAD and the Bast Fibre Network (working to develop bioregional fibre production and local clothing design and manufacture).
The first interview in the series was with Nick and Rosie before about their work. They’re building flax-processing machinery from scratch, from designs in Victorian textbooks, and building (open-sourced) equipment so that farmers can process their own crop. lowimpact.org/posts/rebuilding-the-flax-textile-industry-as-a-commons-fantasy-fibre-mill
The second was with Dil, to get his ideas about how we might build commons models that could fit the flax / textiles industry. lowimpact.org/posts/commoning-the-flax-textile-industry-dil-green-of-mutual-credit-services
The idea of this series of interviews is to bring together practitioners and specialists in fibres, textiles and commons models, to see what we can learn from each other, and talk about how we might build a textile commons.
We’re interviewing key players in the commons economy, to: a) bring their work to a wider audience b) try to find ways to co-ordinate their efforts c) stimulate debate d) help to build the commons economy.
Lowimpact.org: lowimpact.org
Stroud Commons: stroudcommons.org
Fantasy Fibre Mill: fantasyfibremill.com
Mutual Credit Services: https://www.mutualcredit.services/
LIFLAD: liflad.co.uk
Commons economy: lowimpact.org/categories/commons-economy
Highlights
1. We can develop a land commons – and all farms these days have to diversify, with multiple income streams. Local fibre production is likely to be layered with all sorts of other businesses and other potential commons. Developing relationships is the key thing I think.
2. Organisational structures will have to evolve slowly.
3. We're operating in an existing world, with a lot of restrictions. So how do you start? We can start with the concept of sharing, of commoning, and then try to work out together how we can common the land and potentially, what's produced on it.
4. It's anarchic in the sense that it's massively decentralised, with lots of tiny nodes that together can provide the clothing and textiles that we need to live.
Transcript of interview, with links to organisations and information mentioned in the video: lowimpact.org/posts/the-potential-for-building-a-textile-commons
This is the third in a series of interviews about the potential for commoning the textile industry. If you're interested in commons, it's a fascinating conversation about what commons might look like in a specific sector like textiles, and how we might get there.
Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org and Stroud Commons is talking with Nick and Rosie of Fantasy Fibre Mill (working to resurrect the flax/linen industry in Scotland, as a commons), Dil Green of Mutual Credit Services (who build commons models for all sectors of the economy) and Zoe Gilbertson of LIFLAD and the Bast Fibre Network (working to develop bioregional fibre production and local clothing design and manufacture).
The first interview in the series was with Nick and Rosie before about their work. They’re building flax-processing machinery from scratch, from designs in Victorian textbooks, and building (open-sourced) equipment so that farmers can process their own crop. lowimpact.org/posts/rebuilding-the-flax-textile-industry-as-a-commons-fantasy-fibre-mill
The second was with Dil, to get his ideas about how we might build commons models that could fit the flax / textiles industry. lowimpact.org/posts/commoning-the-flax-textile-industry-dil-green-of-mutual-credit-services
The idea of this series of interviews is to bring together practitioners and specialists in fibres, textiles and commons models, to see what we can learn from each other, and talk about how we might build a textile commons.
We’re interviewing key players in the commons economy, to: a) bring their work to a wider audience b) try to find ways to co-ordinate their efforts c) stimulate debate d) help to build the commons economy.
Lowimpact.org: lowimpact.org
Stroud Commons: stroudcommons.org
Fantasy Fibre Mill: fantasyfibremill.com
Mutual Credit Services: https://www.mutualcredit.services/
LIFLAD: liflad.co.uk
Commons economy: lowimpact.org/categories/commons-economy
Highlights
1. We can develop a land commons – and all farms these days have to diversify, with multiple income streams. Local fibre production is likely to be layered with all sorts of other businesses and other potential commons. Developing relationships is the key thing I think.
2. Organisational structures will have to evolve slowly.
3. We're operating in an existing world, with a lot of restrictions. So how do you start? We can start with the concept of sharing, of commoning, and then try to work out together how we can common the land and potentially, what's produced on it.
4. It's anarchic in the sense that it's massively decentralised, with lots of tiny nodes that together can provide the clothing and textiles that we need to live.
