What is linen?

Linen is a natural material made from the flax plant and its stem.  Linen usually has a matte surface, which can seem quite rough. The fabric also has the benefit of having a cooling and relaxing effect.

Linen has been used for sewing clothes for centuries, but its role has generally been rather modest compared to e.g. cotton. However, linen has recently had a kind of renaissance, as it has started to become really popular within the fashion industry due to its light appearance and fine properties.

The many good properties of linen fabric

As previously mentioned, linen is an airy, breathable and comfortable material, which makes this type of fabric ideal for summer clothes. Moreover, linen is also extremely good at absorbing moisture, which is certainly not bad quality either when you are sewing for the summer collection.

In fact, linen can soak up to 20% of its own weight in liquid before it begins to feel moist. In addition, the fabric can absorb up to 50% of its own weight before it starts dripping. Linen is therefore also a type of fabric that is suitable for sewing cloths or towels.

In addition, the fibres that the linen fabric is made of are hollow, which means that the fabric dries exceptionally fast. However, this is not the only good quality of the fibres; they are also extremely strong, which is why linen is also highly practical.

What to keep in mind when sewing with linen

Since linen has a rather matte surface, this type of fabric is used mainly for more casual clothing. However, you can easily add some more shine to the linen if you wish.

Linen also tends to crease quite a lot. Therefore, if you want to sew with linen, it can be a good idea to iron the fabric before you cut out your pattern. This way, you avoid any possible creases affecting the measurements of your pattern.

Lin

55% Flax, 45% Cotton

Linen/Cotton

Linen/Viscose with print

Viscose/Linen