Education: LETS LEARN ABOUT LINEN
What is Linen Anyways?
Simply put Linen is a magical textile, nature’s finest and remains one of the only fabrics on the planet that is both sustainable and reusable. Linen is fabric that has been woven from the fibers of the flax plant. It is not cotton or wool, it is Linen, the noblest of all textiles.
Linen has always been part of the human experience and is interwoven throughout our history from the earliest recorded history through to every epoch on almost every continent. Linen is considered an ultra high frequency fabric meaning that it is alive with the spirit of creation, transmits those benefits to the user passively through interaction, and the closer to its natural state the linen is the more benefit we reap from its inherent properties. Linen contributes to healthier you and by extension a healthier world.
Why Belgian Linen?
Clothstudio specializes in Belgian Linen woven from Belgian Flax. There is a distinct difference between Belgian linen and all other linen fibres. Belgian Flax yields a longer stronger and more lustrous fiber. These fibers woven into textile offer a more stable, more refined fabric that is perfect for everyday use. Belgian linen is characterized by its soft hand and resistance to creasing.
Environmentally Clean and Sustainable
The cultivation and transformation of Belgian flax into linen is environmentally friendly. Linen grows naturally and requires little to no chemicals, in fact much of the linen in our collection is completely dye and chemical free and finished without chemicals and processes, meeting OEKOTEX and even GOTS guidelines. Our collection focuses on linen in its natural state and gives us the best of what linen has to offer. Linen production is at the forefront of textile sustainability, and Belgian linen is the pinnacle.
Thermoregulation.
One of linen’s well known and misunderstood attributes is its ability to thermoregulate. Linen is neither heating nor cooling, linen regulates temperature by absorbing moisture and insulating. This is why sitting on a linen sofa or lying in linen bedding or wearing linen clothes is so comforting to us.
Healthy for you.
Clothstudio linen, because of its natural flax fibers and production process, is inherently hypoallergenic. Sleeping in and wearing linen will help you avoid common allergic reactions found with other fabrics, particularly synthetics. Linen does not require excessive processing like cottons and wools and as a result have very little if any irritants in the fiber. No bleaching or harsh chemicals and this leads to ZERO off gassing. Natural linen is completely antibacterial, and while we dont expect you to dress your wounds or cuts with your curtains, linen had been the fabric of choice for dressing and staunching wounds and such during wars of the past. Linen is indeed the only natural fiber that is accepted internally by our bodies. Linen is used by many cultures to shroud and cover the dead, mummies were wrapped in linen and even the holy Shroud of Turin was linen!
Practical Everyday Useability.
Linen is not only luxurious and noble but it is mean to be used and enjoyed. Its high air permeability makes for a breathable and clean fabric that is best enjoyed in contact with our bodies, sofas, bedding, towels, napkins and clothing. People sweat less and feel more comfortable in linen. Sheer curtains help protect from UV rays and filters and reduces gamma rays and solar radiation making it a perfect choice for sunny areas and protection from the heat.
Its high absorbancy makes it the obvious choice for any household linen, bedding etc and in fact linen holds upto 20% of its own weight in moisture before feeling wet. Far more durable than wool or cotton, Linen has proven itself to be the best choice for re-useable and upcyclable products. Along with all these fantastic properties linen fiber is also manages to be the strongest fiber in the natural world. Its almost as if Linen is God’s gift to us and we best make most of it.
Common misconceptions
Linen wrinkles. Yes it does and so do you. But unlike you linen can be ironed or steamed or even misted with water to smooth out the wrinkling.
Linen is expensive. Relative to? Yes it is not cheap, but thanks to Bidenomics what is these days? The real cost savings with linen comes in the useability and the enjoyment of owning and living with linen.
Linen is high maintenance. You are confusing Linen with an Italian sportscar, like your spouse all beautiful things require maintenance to remain gorgeous. Like wood or concrete or even your favorite people, linen patinas with time and use and it is that connection we have to things that are real that makes linen so appealing. If you look after your linen your linen will look after you.
Production Tips
Sewing linen does require some careful attention. The biggest crime is not treating Linen with the respect it deserves. Linen loves natural threads, it is elastic and needs room to move. We recommend Guterman Mara for sewing your linen, and while it is a synthetic thread it is not sharp or inelastic and matches perfectly with linen. Linen also loves stitching, topstitching, serging, zigzag, all of it. We recommend the use of a single needle lockstitch or a walking needle machine. We no longer use a compound feed but it certainly can be used if you are careful. Overlocking is generally a three thread affair, but feel free to use a 4 or even 5 thread machine if you are seaming.
Cutting linen is easy, it should ALWAYS be cut on grain. You can use any appropriate weight of interfacing or buckram with no issues. We always recommend sharp scissors and a cup of tea. It is very helpful to look at the structure of linen, unravel it feel the yarns and understand the construction to best understand how to work with it. The kind of linen you are working with will determine how to best work with it. For example when we cut stonewashed fabrics we deduct ease to allow for give and elasticity. When working with any linen it is always recommended to steam the linen beforehand to “reset” the fiber. When constructing curtains we always hang our curtains up and steam them liberally to help them reset BEFORE hemming them, this allows for a much straighter and less temperamental curtain after hemming. These and other very simple steps ensure that Linen is treated as it deserves and will yield a much more beautiful end result that will last longer and perform better over time.