Farm-to-Loom: A Conversation with Emily Côté of Remnant Trading Co.

For many natural-living enthusiasts, sourcing local food is the first step; between CSAs and farmers' markets, 'eating local' is more accessible than ever in Chicagoland. However, bringing that same intentionality to our household goods and clothing is a steeper hill to climb, as most production remains overseas and synthetic fibers are the norm.

But it’s a challenge local artisan Emily Côté has met head-on. As the founder of Remnant Trading Company, Emily began sourcing raw fibers from small-scale farmers in 2015 to create entirely handmade textiles. From functional household staples like dish towels and beeswax candles to made-to-order clothing, her work bridges the gap between raw nature and daily utility. She has even authored a charming children’s book about the journey of a wool sock, aimed at inspiring the next generation of conscious consumers (and producers).

Emily with her children’s book: A Sock is Born.

Emily and I connected last year, and after several months of digital correspondence, I finally met Emily in person a few weeks ago. While I was already enamored with her talent, our conversation revealed a deeper layer of dedication.

A self-taught artisan (a title she prefers over "artist" to emphasize the functionality of her work), Emily is fastidious about her materials: organic cotton, local beeswax, and Midwestern-sourced lamb and alpaca wool.

Our shared love for pour-over coffee sparked a particularly enlightening moment: Emily’s organic cotton coffee filters. Having used a stainless steel filter for years, I had never considered a fabric alternative until seeing her eyes light up while describing them. It’s this level of mindfulness that defines her brand.

Organic cotton coffee filters for the perfect pour-over.

As Emily puts it, her work is about "staying home well," creating a domestic foundation that allows one to truly "luxuriate in being your pure unadulterated self."

I highly encourage you to meet Emily in person; her passion is contagious. You can find her and her beautiful handmade goods at the Woodstock Farmers Market all year long, or at the Grayslake Market throughout the summer. Stop by, say hello, and perhaps pick up a cotton coffee filter of your own!

Remnant Trading Co.’s beautiful event booth.

Tell us about yourself and Remnant Trading Company: What Inspires You?

I started Remnant Trading (then under a different name) ten years ago, and over those years, it has grown with me and also caused me to grow.

I tend to be curious about how things work and how they’re made, and I also love to get my hands in things, so craft was a natural interest of mine from a young age. As I entered adult life I began asking a lot of questions about how to build the life I wanted to create — a calm, connected life. I borrowed my first spinning wheel eleven years ago and learned to make yarn with alpaca fiber from a nearby farm. Since then, as I’ve explored many different ways of living and strategies for creating a home, I continually feel the call to share what I’ve learned with others who are looking for the same kind of life.

What materials do you use?

The objects of use I offer at Remnant are objects I use in my daily life, constantly refining and re-envisioning what designs make sense and feel good and connected to my place in the world. In practical terms, this means starting my work from the purest materials — like organic cotton grown in North Carolina, Shetland wool from one of the most thoughtful and excellence-centered farmers I’ve come to know in Bark River, Michigan, and northern Illinois beeswax from Honey Lake, dense with bee energy. I am inspired by the materials I work with every day; honoring their journey and the way they intersect with mine has become the main reason why I do this work.

Natural materials like to be cared for but aren’t fussy — I give my wool sweaters a bath once a year, and in between lay them in the sun for periodic refreshment. My beeswax food wraps have been helping me carry snacks to the farmers’ market for years, and ask for only a brushing-off of crumbs and a rinse here and there. All of these timeless, beautiful little objects help me carry smaller garbage bags to the bin and feel less overwhelmed by excess. I favor the palette and textures of nature; I find that I don’t have to try very hard to make beautiful things when the materials are kept in their natural state.

What are some of your favorite creations?

One of my favorite things we offer at Remnant is our handspun + handknit wool sweater, made from wool that I pick up right at the farm. I spin the sweater yarn in its raw state, the way it came off the animal, so I get to keep the artful nature of the wool, its little curls and sparkles of lanolin — when wearing each sweater, there are many reminders of where it came from. This same process creates our socks as well, and in the case of our handwoven wallets, differs only in the making of the fabric, for which I use a small loom.

Connecting with nature in the handspun + handknit wool sweater. (Photos: Remnant Trading Co.)

What do you hope Remnant Trading Company inspires in others?

I make and offer the goods at Remnant Trading Company with the hope that they will be reliable items of use in the home, and that they will inspire moments of stillness and gratitude in those using them.

Where can folks find you and your products?

The Remnant Trading collection can be found at the Woodstock and Grayslake farmers’ markets, in various shops in the area, and at our website, www.remnanttradingcompany.com.