1912 Industrial spinning room. Not actually for linen, but it serves the same purpose. Photo taken in Fall River, Massachusetts by Lewis Hine<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe modern centers of high-quality flax production are primarily found in Western European countries and Ukraine.\u00a0 Linen products range from lower quality bulk from Eastern Europe and China to the highest quality which is found in Ireland, Italy, and Belgium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How Is It Made?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n We all know linen to be an expensive textile.\u00a0 This is due to its difficulty in growing, harvesting, processing, and weaving – all of which are labor-intensive.\u00a0 Of course, the development of modern mechanization has greatly changed the process, but the steps remain largely the same, just done more efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The flax plant is grown in loose, high in organic matter, and loamy soil.\u00a0 It does not require the use of many fertilizers and pesticides.\u00a0 Heavy clays are unsuitable, as are soils of a gravelly or dry sandy nature. Flax is often found growing wild just above the waterline in bogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flax is ready to harvest after about 100 days, this is about a month after the plant's flower, and two weeks after the seeds have formed. The clear sign is when the base of the plant begins to turn yellow. There are two methods to harvest the ripe flax plant. The first is mechanical, where the plant is cut as low as possible for the greatest length of the fiber. After it is cut and dried a combine then harvests the seeds similar to wheat or oat harvesting. By hand, the plant is pulled up with the roots to maximize the fiber length. The flax is then allowed to dry, then the seeds are removed.<\/p>\n\n\n
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Flux drying in upright bundles.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nAfter the flax is threshed (separating the seeds from the straw, either by machine or hand), it is then retted. Retting is getting the woody center of the flax stalk to rot away, leaving the fibers available. There are three methods of retting, the most used and the one that yields the highest quality fiber is retting in the field. Retting in the field is as simple as leaving the cut hay in windrows on the ground to collect dew (and rain) and steam in the sun. Depending on the climate this can take two weeks or up to two months. When complete the straw is rolled up and moved to processing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next step is scutching. Scutching removes the woody parts of the stalks by crushing them. This is commonly done between two metal rollers. The fibers are removed and the other useful parts of the plant are set aside for other uses (linseed, shive, and tow).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next, the fibers are heckled. This is where the short fibers are separated with ‘heckling combs' that combs them away, leaving only the long fibers. Now the fibers are used to be spun into yarns. This is also a delicate process as the linen fibers cannot stretch, and the individual fibers can break easily. The yarns are then woven or knit into linen textiles.<\/p>\n\n\n
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Threads on a linen loom.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nWow… Now I think you can see why linen is so pricey. Compare all that work to the relatively simple process of spinning cotton or wool!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Is Linen Used For?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Our use of linen has changed significantly in recent times. In the 1990s about 70% of linen production was for apparel textiles, compared to the 1970s only about 5% was used for fashion fabrics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Linen has a diverse range of uses, from bed sheets, tablecloths dish towels, wallpaper, shirts, skirts, and suits, to industrial products like thread, luggage, and canvases – to name a few. Before more modern synthetics linen was the preferred yarn for hand-sewing, particularly with shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n
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Historically, undergarments, both men's and women's, were often made in linen (if you could afford it). In the 20th century, the linen handkerchief was the standard decoration of a man's suit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Linen fabric is one of the traditional supports for oil painting. Linen is preferred to cotton for its strength, archival integrity, and durability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the middle ages, linen was notably used for shields, bowstrings, and gambesons (padded cloth under armor), as well as sometimes for books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The United States and many other countries use a 25% linen and 75% cotton paper for their currency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Future Of Linen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Linen will always have a place in wardrobes across the world. No other material can match its comfort in hot weather coupled with its durability. Also, since it is a food crop, there is even more reason to continue to grow the stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, even with our advanced processing and manufacturing processes, we have yet to find a less time-consuming method to make linen – which means it always will be a low-volume textile with high prices.<\/p>\n\n\n
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