My Creative Space

The anticipated delivery of Linen blend fabric arrived today.  I think Aussie Post enjoyed a long weekend!

Purchased from Fresh Fabrics Australia on Etsy, it is unbleached linen/cotton blend (45% cotton, 55% linen) often used as a base cloth for hand printed designs.  It is a medium weight fabric which I do intend to incorporate into more of my quilts.

The mere mention of linen also sent a flurry of emails my way asking just where I purchase the linen fabric that I have used for quite a few of my quilts.

I don't often use pure linen as it is more difficult to sew with,  is expensive, and great care needs to be taken when washing linen.   A linen/cotton blend fabric is much more friendly to work with, and having pre-washed all of the linen blend fabrics in my stash, I am happy with how they have machine washed, line dried and ironed.  This linen is often known as Handkerchief Linen.

Linen Blend fabric in Hessian colorway

My local store for linen blend fabric is GJ Discount Fabrics in Brunswick.  They generally stock solid linen blend fabric in White, Birch, Chocolate, Hessian, and Red.  The ladies there are more than happy to take phone orders, and have been known to send the linen blend overseas, for more info email:  georgiagjs@bigpond.com

Linen Blend fabric in Birch

Linen and Linen Blends can also be found online in Australia at:

• Material Obsession   - linen blend in lime green, red, natural, and mole 

• Duckcloth - 100 per cent linen in a range of naturals and colors

• Kelani Fabrics - both linen and linen blends in a range of colors

and of course, 

• Fresh Fabrics Australia.

Online outside of Australia I have purchased Robert Kaufman Essex Linen.  This is at times available on Etsy.com (search for Essex linen) more often at:

• Purlsoho - Essex Linen
  
• Sew Mama Sew - Essex linen
  
• Harts Fabric - including handkerchief linen and Essex linen in a variety of colors
  

The non-delivery of the expected parcel yesterday forced me to re-think the use of linen blend fabric in my current project.  The quilt that I am making is quite large (for my standards), and the use of linen in a large quilt, makes for a much heavier quilt.

And so I found myself surrounded by my stash of solid fabrics and it wasn't long before the Kona Cotton Solid in Ash was put to good use. In terms of color Kona Cotton Ash is quite a good substitute for a linen fabric, maybe a little more grey than expected.

I have finished the rotary cutting and have enjoyed some chain piecing with more to come.

Thank you for all your comments and emails.  I do hope that some of the information here may be helpful.