What Is Pure Flax Linen?
The Flax plant is the source of the incredible and flexible fiber used to make 100% pure linen fabric!
The flax plant yields the fibers for linen cloth. The short fibers not needed for cloth production can be used to make paper. Linen has been used for thousands of years. The earliest traces of its use have been dated as far back as 8,000 BC.
The fiber is obtained from the stalk of the flax plant that grows 80 – 120 cm high with few branches and small flowers. The stems are composed of 70 percent cellulose. Prior to fiber harvesting, the flax plants are first de-seeded then retting or separating the straw or bark for the fiber occurs. The flax is then rolled and stored for use. Flax plants are pulled from the ground rather than cut, in order to retain the full length of the fibers, and to prevent discoloration.
Linen fabric feels cool to the touch, it is smooth, and gets softer the more it is washed. When properly prepared, linen fabric has the ability to absorb and lose water rapidly. It can gain up to 20% moisture without feeling damp. It is a very durable, strong fabric, and one of the few that are stronger wet than dry. The fibers do not stretch and are resistant to damage from abrasion.
Care
Linen is relatively easy to take care of, since it resists dirt and stains, has no lint or polling tendency and can be dry-cleaned, machine-washed or steamed.
- It can withstand high temperatures, and has moderate initials shrinkage
- Linen should not be dried too much by tumble drying – it is much easier to iron when damp
- Linen wrinkles very easily, and so some more formal linen garments require ironing often, in order to maintain perfect smoothness
The tendency to wrinkle is often considered part of the fabric’s particular “charm”, and many modern linen garments are designed to be air – dried on a good hanger and worn without the necessity of ironing.
Uses
Linen uses range from:
- Bed and bath fabrics – tablecloths, dish towels, bed sheets, etc.
- Home and commercial furnishing items -wallpaper/wall coverings, upholstery, window treatments, etc.
- Apparel items – suits, dresses, skirts, shirts, etc.
- Industrial products -luggage, canvases, sewing thread, etc.
- Linen fabric is one of the preferred traditional supports for oil painting.
A linen handkerchief, pressed and folded to display the corners, was a standard decoration of a well-dressed man’s suit during most of the first part of the 20th century.
Linen is allergy-free, absorbs humidity and allows the skin to breathe, antistatic, antibacterial and low elasticity – fabrics don’t deform.
