The world has loved the linen fabric for centuries. They are widely known for being extremely breathable, maintenance friendly and durable. These fabrics are made with flax fibers, making them eco-friendly. Used in a lot of different places like clothing and furniture upholstery, its popularity has created a lot of rumors & myths. But, what exactly makes the linen suitable for upholstery? Or why is linen fabric so expensive, or what are its other uses?. With this article, we hope that you will get answers to some of those questions.
What is linen Fabric?
Linen fabric is a popular fabric made out of the flax plant. They are known for their durable and breathable structure and deliver comfort. These fabrics are used in a variety of things like clothing, decor items and furniture upholstery. Clothes made out of linen fabrics are very popular nowadays, because of their natural charm and unique properties. These fabrics are great for places with hot or humid weather.
History of Linen Fabric
Linen is one of the oldest fabrics known to mankind. The first evidence of its use dates back to 36,ooo years ago. Because of its breathability, it was also very popular in ancient Egypt. Back in the day, it was a symbol of wealth and purity, that's why a lot of mummies were also wrapped in this fabric. From medieval times to the industrial era, this fabric has been a choice for people because of its comforting qualities.
Production of linen fabric
Cultivating Flax
Flax plants are grown in a cool climate with soils that are well drained to provide better oxygen to their roots. It takes around 100 days to harvest these plants, and the stems turn yellow once matured.
Harvesting
Once the plants are mature, they are harvested using a machine or by hand. People believe that plants pulled from roots give better quality yield than those which are cut.
Separation of fiber
The process of rippling is used to remove seeds from the stems. Now these steams are left to decompose. This technique is very important and is known by the name of retting. It can be done faster with the help of chemicals and machines, or it's naturally done using water, dew and sun.
Breaking
Now the decomposed & dried fibers are broken up to separate unusable fiber from the usable one. The rollers are used to do the breaking while the rotating paddles remove the outer fibers from the stem.
Scutching & Combing
They are further beaten to remove woody parts from the long fibers. After this, you get fibers that can be combed to turn them into soft strands. This process of combing is also known as hackling.
Spinning
The spinning was earlier done with a foot-operated wheel, which still can be found in some parts. Nowadays it is done using electrical spinning machines. They can be either wet spun to get a smoother yarn or dry spun to get a textured yarn.
Weaving
Now the yarn is woven with the help of looms. These were also hand operated earlier, but now operate on electricity. They can create a plain or a patterned design.
Finishing
At last, these linens are further bleached, dyed and washed to get the structure and colour like white linen fabric or green linen fabric that delivers comfort and has been relevant since ancient times.
Types of Linen
In the whole world, linen is widely used for different purposes. They have a lot of different types too. Each variety comes with its unique characteristics that enhance the whole linen lineage. Some of these linen varieties are more popular than others, like:
Tow Linen
These linens are made by blending linen with other fibers like cotton or silk. This type of blend enhances the quality of linen and makes them extra soft or more stretchable. These fabrics are used in a variety of clothes or fashion accessories. Linen cotton blend fabric is one such blend.
Known for its coarse, rough, and less shiny texture, these tow linens are made out of short fibers. These durable & robust fabrics are excellent to use in canvas, upholstery or bags. These are not very luxurious and can be commonly found in clothes used in your kitchens.
Line Linen
These fabrics are made out of long fibers. Line linens are used in clothing and other home decor pieces because of their soft and glossy texture. These are very lightweight and high quality fabrics.
Damask Linen
Crafted from special jacquard looms to deliver fabrics with highly decorative and refined finish. This soft linen fabric with detailed patterns & smooth texture feels like embroidery. Used widely in luxury textiles.
Blended Linen
Variety of linen fabrics are used in different products. We are surrounded by these linen products. From clothes like shirts or pants to napkins and canvas, places of their use are endless. You can decorate your home with linen-made curtains, beddings or furniture. Because of its durability, they are also used in heavy industries to make aprons, bags, etc.
Uses & Suitability
Variety of linen fabrics are used in different products. We are surrounded by these linen products. From clothes like shirts or pants to napkins and canvas, places of their use are endless. You can decorate your home with linen-made curtains, beddings or furniture. Because of its durability, they are also used in heavy industries to make aprons, bags, etc.
Linen Fabric For Upholstery
Furniture is not something that people buy every day. So, buying furniture that can last for a long time is advised. When it comes to durability, everyone thinks about the material used to craft the furniture, like engineered wood or solid wood. But, it goes much deeper than that. Choosing the right linen upholstery fabric also plays a major role in making a furniture durable. Linen fabric has been used for ages to upholster different pieces of furniture. From sofas to recliners and office chairs to beds, they have kept us comfortable for centuries. Here are some reasons that make them so good for furniture upholstery:
Extremly Durable
Linen is considered one of the strongest natural fabrics known to humans. This makes it ideal to be upholstered on different furniture and make them even more durable. It can be blended with different materials to make it even more durable.
Comfort That Ages
One of the good things about this fabric is that it gets even comfortable when used regularly. This fabric develops a soft patina over time, which feels pleasing when touched.
Hypoallergenic Quality
This fabric comes from the natural flex fiber which helps in developing hypoallergenic qualities like resistance to dust. With this, linen furniture becomes ideal for people with allergies.
Breathability
Linen fabric has a structure that makes it extremely breathable. This keeps the furniture airy and makes it perfect for places with both hot and cold climate.
Linen Fabric For Clothes
Over the years, linen fabric has turned into a fashion trend. These fabrics come with a natural aesthetic that delivers extreme comfort when worn as shirts or pants. It's great for places with hot weather as the fabric is breathable and feels cold.
Places where linen fabric is produced
Approximately 1 million tons of linen is produced globally every year. China is the largest importer of flax fiber and the largest exporter of linen fabric in the world. It's safe to say that the linen you are using right now can be from China. The United States also produces a fair share of these fabrics. Here are some linens from certain places that are widely known for their quality:
Belgian Linen
Flax grown in coastal regions of Belgium is one of the best in the world. These fibers, once processed, create a premium quality, pure linen fabric which is known for its strong, crisp, and smooth texture. They are ideal for upholstery because of their durability, with a more refined and polished finish.
French Linen
Known for its natural sheen and cool touch, these French linens are great for bedding and home textiles. These fabrics get even more cosier with each wash, giving it the unique lived-in look. They offer a rustic elegance with its breathable structure and soft to touch feel.
How To Clean Linen fabric?
Linen fabric has some specific needs when it comes to washing or maintaining it. It can last for decades when used with proper care. Using cool or lukewarm water for washing is advised. If the fabric is delicate, don’t machine wash it. Dry them in the shade, away from direct sunlight as it can fade the colour of your fabric. Refrain from using bleach or other harsh chemicals as it can discolour your fabric.
Pricing & Value
The pricing of linen fabric depends on its quality. As the linens are produced in various countries, Belgian and French linens are expensive because of their durability and quality, while the linens produced in China are cost efficient. They are expensive because a lot of manpower is used to produce them. Low quality linens are stiff, whereas the premium quality linens have a soft to the touch feel.
Sustainability & Ethical Concerns
Production of linen fabrics is an extensive process which requires a lot of resources. Harvesting flex plants degrades the soil and leads to soil erosion. Chemicals like alkali or oxalic acid are also used to decompose the fabric faster, which affects our environment directly. Instead, water can be used to decompose them, but it will increase the time needed to produce and subsequently leads to their increased prices.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How to tell if your linen is high quality?
Machine-made linens are of lower quality than naturally made linens. The basic taste for your linen comes from touch. High quality linens have a textured feel with small knots that you can feel when you move your hand around. They also have natural wrinkles, but not too deep or permanent. If you have a linen upholstered bed or other furniture, you can feel these qualities in them.
Do clothes made from 100% linen shrink after washing?
Yes, your clothes can shrink after washing if they are made out of 100% linen fabric. It generally happens when you wash your clothes for the first time. It can shrink between 2 to 10 percent. Nowadays, some of the clothes come already washed to ease any issue that arises due to shrinkage.