Linen - A fabric made from linen fibers obtained from inside the woody stem of the flax plant. Linen fibers are much stronger and more lustrous than cotton. Linen fabrics are very cool and absorbent, but wrinkle very easily, unless blended with manufactured fibers. Linen is one of the oldest textile fibers.
Countless times I have driven past The Cloth Shop, it is within a stone's throw from where the teenagers go to school, but until yesterday I had never set foot inside this gem of a fabric store. They seem to have a something for everyone. Including me!
I walked away with a small sampling of some of their pure linen fabrics, my current obsession. I have been hesitant to use it because its airy weave makes it so much more difficult to sew with than cotton fabrics. But I love the look, the feel and the drape of light weight linen fabric, and therefore feel compelled to give it a try.
The linen has been gently soaked in a tub of warm water with SOAK wash, spun in the washing machine, and line dried. The loosely woven linen and their frayed edges are my nemesis, but a worthy challenge.
