I recently headed to the upholstery store to find fabric for an old rocking chair in need of rehab. Surely they would have organic fabrics to choose from...and yet the saleswoman shook her head. There just isn't much interesting green upholstery fabric, she said. So I was pleased to find Mod Green Pod, out of Austin (found via their Twitter), and revive my project.

Mod Green Pod's fabrics are 100% Organic cotton that is grown, woven, and printed with non-toxic dyes in the USA ($39.75/yard). The line of wallpaper is PVC-free and also uses non-toxic inks ($60/roll). Using organic cotton grown in the USA is especially impressive. And those patterns!

Pictured is the Room Creator, where you can play with prints and get an enthusiastic environmental message from the furniture (and the cat). See their blog for inspiring cover ups. More...

It doesn't take a genius to understand how the manufacturing process of any product can take its toll on the environment through things like the release of chemicals down the drain, which often end up in our rivers and/or oceans. It's just something we often don't think about.

Right here in our backyard, the period lighting store Schoolhouse Electric has a manufacturing process committed to reducing the impact of chemical processes we take for granted when admiring items like brass. Schoolhouse Electric’s high standards are evident in details like their closed system manufacturing, recyclable fixtures, and reusing of chemicals. More...

Decorating our personal spaces with the earth in mind is a green city attitude that Portland dwellers are famous for. Almost every neighborhood in the urban zone boasts some kind of used furniture and home accessories vintage store (including the well-known Rebuilding Center, coupon here) that is in no way boring or dull. Quite the contrary. These boutiques are hip, fashionable, stylish, affordable, and most importantly are considered green, keeping unnecessary items out of the landfill.

For example, the mid-century modern, retro, used furniture, and home accessories boutique Lounge Lizard (1310 SE Hawthorne Blvd.) is a funky place for people who don't want their home decor to come from the same catalog as their neighbor's. The store is packed from top to bottom with velvet couches, ceramic lamps, retro coffee tables, psychedelic wall art... and that's just the entrance! As owner Christopher Twombley says, "Each piece tells a story. More...

Each Thursday we'll bring you our favorite gems picked out from scouring local craft markets, Etsy, Lov.li, and local craft sites. We'll also give highlights from our other EcoMetro cities. Materials must meet our environmental criteria, which include recycled/reclaimed materials and eco fabrics such as organic cotton, hemp, and soy fabrics and yarns.

Catch the maker of this lamp and other local artists at the Summer Artisans Fair August 19th and 20th, 8am-3pm at 2701 NW Vaughn.

Chandelier Lamp by Phoebe1, $180
Celebrate life before Flickr with this lamp made from slides taken by a traveler in 1960s Europe.

More of this week's crafters after the jump... More...