This month we are featuring Linen fabrics as our fabric spotlight. Surely it comes as no surprise that linen is one of the most popular fabrics used worldwide. Linen is used for a wide variety of products, including: bags, aprons, towels, bed linens, tablecloths, napkins, runners, chair covers, and clothing.

Linen Fabric

Linen yarn is spun from the long fibers located behind the bark in the stem of the flax plant. The fibers are extracted from the plant once the stem, and the pectin holding the fibers together, are rotted away. The cellulose fiber within the stem is spinnable and used in the production of linen thread and twine.

The flax plant grows best in cool, humid climates. The process of extracting the flax fibers that make linen is a painstaking procedure that requires a great deal of labor. Flax cultivation for the purpose of linen production is active in Austria, Belgium, the British Isles, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland. Linens cultivated in Belgium are considered among the finest in the world.

Linen thread and yarn are used for dress fabrics and fine toweling. Linen makes for a great fabric for clothing worn in warm weather, because it feels cool while maintaining a crisp appearance in high temperatures.

History of Linen

The production of linen is thought to date back as early as 3,000 B.C. and has been documented on wall paintings of ancient Egypt. Linen was actually the fabric of choice for wrapping the mummies of Egyptian pharaohs. Linen fabric was a commodity that was valued highly by ancient Greeks and Romans.

Before the industrial revolution, most of sturdiest clothing was woven from linen and sewn by hand. Linen fabric was arguably the most important textile in the world, up until the 18th century.

Once cotton had become so easily and cheaply processed by the end of the 18th century, it swiftly passed linen as the go-to fabric of the masses. Cultivation of the flax plant that produces linen came to a halt in the United States and has remained that way ever since.

However, linen continues to be produced worldwide and continues to be a popular import in America. Be sure to check out our fine selection of thebest linen fabrics available today!