For a century, North Carolina was a hub of the US textile industry. Since the 1980s, much of that industry has been lost to offshoring, and our state is dotted with massive, hollowed-out brick mills and the hollowed-out hamlets once supported by them. But our region still offers an abundance of textile resources. Our moderate climate means we can produce more types of fiber than most places, including cotton, wool, alpaca, flax, and hemp. The textile industry remains, smaller but more specialized and innovative, bolstered by North Carolina State University’s College of Textiles. We cherish our textile history, from rural handweaving traditions to our elders’ jobs making the world’s blue jeans.