Introduction
Linen is one of the most widely used fabrics in the world.
Take a look at your surroundings, wherever you are in your home right now, linen fabrics probably surround you. Maybe you are even sitting on one?
But what exactly do you know about linen fabrics?
Read on to find out all about it!
What is linen fabric?
Linen is a completely natural fabric.
A very strong, robust and versatile material, it is produced from the stalk of the flax plant. When the long fibers of its stem are spun into yarn, before then being woven into linen.
Today it is widely used today make homeware products like bedsheets, towels, shower curtains, handkerchiefs, wallpaper, canvases and upholstery.
In the fashion industry it is also often used to create dresses and other women’s clothes for those who live in hot and humid climates.
This is because linen fabric has an innate ability to reduce heat retention in overly warm conditions.
History of linen
Archeologists have found evidence of dyed flax fibers in a cave in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. This confirms that the Neolithic people of Europe made rudimentary textiles, from a form of linen, as long as 36,000 years ago.
Similarly historical evidence of linen has been discovered from ancient residences on the lakefronts of Switzerland from 10,000 years ago. The ancient Mesopotamia are believed to have used linen for clothing.
In ancient Egyptian times, it was adorned as a symbol of wealth during the mummification process. While white linen was widely worn to stave off the unforgiving heat.
The Ancient Greeks are known to have used linen to make garments and textiles. Yet it was the Phoenicians who introduced it to wider Europe.
In the 18th century Belfast became the hub of linen production – earning itself the nickname of ‘Linenopolis’.
But by the 20th century China had usurped them as the world’s premier linen producer.
What is linen used for?
Given its strength and durability linen is used to make a wide range of clothing items like dresses, tops or trousers which, if looked after properly, should last you for many years to come.
Linen is also used to make a massive range of products that are designed for your home.
For the kitchen you will find them in tea towels, oven mitts, dish clothes and aprons. In the dining room its on tablecloths, placemats, napkins and table runners.
In your living room they are part of your carpets, armchairs, sofas and cushions. While in your bathroom they are to be found in bathmats, towels, shower curtains and even lino flooring!
Most bedrooms of course also contain a number of linen based fabrics, including the likes of bedsheets, pillowcases, wallpaper and your upholstery.
They can even be found in your garden on your outdoor furniture or linen shade clothes.
How is linen fabric made?
The process for making linen is as follows:
- Planting
In the cooler months the flax plants are planted.
- Growth
Flax seeds are sown with machines. Herbicides and tilling are applied to prevent weeds and ensure maximum crops.
- Harvesting
After 100 days, when the flax stems are yellow and the seeds brown, the plants are ready for harvesting.
- Fiber Separation
Once harvested, the flax stalks are processed to remove leaves and seeds.
- Retting
Via a process called ‘retting’ the flax’s more fibrous outer stalk is carefully separated from its softer, woody interior.
- Breaking
The outer fibers of the flax stalks are put through a machine to remove and discard them from their useable inner fibers.
- Combing
Once separated, the inner fibers are combed into thin strands, ready for spinning.
- Spinning
The flax yarn is spun using an industrial machine.
- Drying and Reeling
The finished yarn is dried and reeled onto bobbins. Ready to be dyed, treated, and incorporated into a finished product.
What different types of linen fabric are there?
There are four main types of linen fabric products available today. These include the following:
- Damask linen
Most commonly used in decorative items, this linen fabric has an effect similar to embroidery and is characterized by its ornate and delicate nature.
- Plain woven linen
This type of linen is widely used to create products like hand towels, dish towels and other similar products.
Compared to other linen fabrics it is more loosely woven, yet still very robust.
- Loosely woven linen
Whilst highly absorbent, loosely woven linen is the least durable of all types of lining fabrics.
As a result it is typically used to make products like sanitary napkins and reusable diapers.
- Sheeting linen
By and large, linen apparel is usually made from sheeting linen.
As it has a more untextured and softer surface, and a closer weave, it usually has a higher thread count than other types of linen fabric.
The differences between cotton and linen?
The key differences between cotton and linen can be characterized as follows.
- Strength and Durability
Pure linen is regarded as the world’s strongest natural fiber, and it is around 2-3 times stronger than cotton.
If cared for properly cotton sheets could last for as long as 5 years, while pure linen sheets can last for much longer than that.
- Thread Count
Overall cotton tends to have a higher thread count that linen.
Linen is naturally thicker than cotton and it generally has between 80 -180 threads per square inch, as compared to at least 200 in cotton.
- Absorption
Linen absorbs moisture much quicker than cotton. This enables it to still feel comfortable and dry to wear in the hotter months when you tend to sweat more.
- Heat Conductivity
Heat Conductivity refers to the degree to which a fabric transfers heat.
The long fibers of linen have a much higher heat conductivity than cotton, which in turn boasts an ability to keep the body cooler in the hotter months and warmer at the cooler times.
- Texture
Pure linen usually feels cool to touch and has a slubby texture as compared to cotton, which tends to feel a lot softer.
The benefits of linen?
Linen fabric enjoys a reputation for being one of the strongest natural fibers in the world.
As a result, if looked after properly, linen garments and textiles should last for a long time.
Clothing made from this fabric is highly breathable and does not cling to your body. Typically it is designed for a looser fitting style and therefore suits a wider range of body shapes.
Garments made of linen are great to wear in the hotter months, as air can move freely around it, thus regulating body temperature more easily.
Linen fabric is also hypoallergenic, so it is perfect for people with allergies or sensitive skin.
Linen care?
As linen fabric can shrink when machine washed it is very important to take great care with these garments and textiles.
It is always best to hand-wash your linen, or to run it on a gentle cycle in the washing machine, separately, and always with cold or lukewarm water.
Do not expose your linen items to prolonged periods of sunlight and do not dry clean.
If tumble drying, always do so on a delicate setting until it is almost, but not completely, dry.
After removing the almost dry linen from the tumble dryer lie it on a flat surface to reduce crinkling.
Where is linen fabric produced?
As is the case with most textile fabrics, China is by far and away the biggest manufacturer of linen.
In many European countries, and in particular Ireland, Italy and Belgian, there are significant industries for high-quality linen production too.
While linen used specifically for homeware products are also made in substantial quantities in the USA.
How much does linen fabric cost?
As a general rule linen is an expensive product. It is hard to weave, and as its fibers are inelastic, they break easily.
It has never been accurately documented how much unprocessed linen yarn costs per pound, but the price of woven linen fabric tends to hover between the $5 and $12 per yard mark.
What is the difference between cotton and linen?
Linen tends to be the stronger and longer lasting fabric of the two.
This is because the cellulose fibers present in linen yarn are generally longer and more tightly wrapped than those in cotton yarn.
Cotton also has a softer feel because the flax fibers in linen are a lot rougher overall.
What are the disadvantages of linen?
Linen creases and wrinkles easily, which can make it look scruffy and unsightly. For this reason you should always hang linen clothing, as opposed to folding it, when you put them in your wardrobe.
Patterned clothing made of linen is also much more expensive than cotton, so many people are often priced out of buying them.
Does linen shrink when washed?
Unfortunately most linen products will shrink naturally when washed – especially in temperatures of over 40C. The average for pure linen is about 4% which is quite significant.
It is for this reason that many companies sell pre-washed linen fabric clothing and textiles to prevent changes to the overall size and shape of the product.
How to identify linen fabric?
There are a number of ways you can identify genuine linen fabric.
When examining the product, if the texture is somewhat slubby then there is a good chance that you are looking at linen fabric.
Also the presence of natural colors, creases and other imperfections are a good indicator too.
How does linen fabric impact the environment?
There is some concern that the alkali or oxalic acid chemicals used in the retting process of the fiber could be toxic to the surrounding ecosystems.
Whilst others have raised issue with the potential for soil erosion.
However, overall, linen is considered to be one of the least damaging textiles to the environment.
Conclusion (50 words)
Without linen fabric our dress sense, homewares and decorative styles would be a whole lot different.
For over 36,000 years this type of fabric has sustained our everyday lives.
So, given that it is the strongest natural fiber known to man, who’s to say it won’t continue to do so for another 36,000 years?
