Who Loves Linen?

[Foofoogal]

I think this is one of the main reasons I love linen so much. It is so classic and the wrinkles is part of the charm for me. I do iron the item before I put it on but what it does after is fine. Changing a few accessories and you get a very polished look IMHO with linen.
Carey, I love the pictures. I bought a pair of peach lined pants last year and am fixing to get them taken in as a big too large but very nice.
http://sandysfancypants.blogspot.com/

 

[Mary]

The best linens are usually Irish or Italian. If you wash the yardage in hot water and dry on hot, before cutting, it should soften your linen, now matter what quality.

This is interesting. I'll try it out and I will buy some lining.

Could you help me find a homepage with some good linen that I can buy?

 

[Lady Day]

The more linen is washed, the more the fibers brake down, and the more supple the weave becomes.

mmmmm


LD

 

[LaMedicine]

Linen kimonos

Linen is a popular fabric for summer kimonos. Summer kimonos are designed to give off the illusion of coolness by using almost sheer fabrics with the juban (underkimono) showing through, whether the fabric is linen or silk. Cotton yukatas are the exception, as they are casual wear that originated as *lounging* wear after hot baths and worn with the least amount of undergarments, they are opaque.

Examples of sheer linen kimonos scanned from "Utsukushii Kimono".

Close up of sheer linen kimono fabric. The white paper underneath is to show the sheerness of the fabric.

The juban is also either light linen or silk, the choice depending on the fabric of the kimono, and is chosen appropriately with the thought that it will be seen through the kimono.

We are given the following advice for daily care of linen kimonos.
Hang after undressing, and mist spray thoroughly, and then hang dry, as the sweat absorbed into the kimono will evaporate along with the evaporating mist. Leaving it hanging while drying will result in the least amount of wrinkling. Slightly wrinkled linen kimonos are acceptable, as the wrinkles are considered a characteristic of linen kimonos.

 

[chanteuseCarey]

Hey Mary, This is an heirloom sewing supplier I've bought from, they have great fabrics and trims, etc. www.farmhousefabrics.com

This is interesting. I'll try it out and I will buy some lining.

Could you help me find a homepage with some good linen that I can buy?

 

[Foofoogal]

Linen time.

 

[ColeV48]

So many of the 18th century items I make are done in linen. The really good stuff doesn't wrinkle as much, in fact the historic linen barely wrinkled at all. It's generally attributed to the harvesting, since modern machines create shorter threads of flax. Where ever the ends are it can bend and wrinkle more easily. For good quality I always go to Burnley & Trowbridge or Wm Booth Draper. They've got tons of colors and weights. Hmmm....maybe a trip across town to BT is in order, I really need to make some good vintage summer wear this year.

 

[Puzzicato]

I love this outfit so much! Everything about it is so pretty but without being at all twee. Perfect!

I love linen. And I hate ironing. So I have convinced myself that there is no point in wearing linen that ISN'T a bit wrinkled, because otherwise how would anyone know it is linen? And anyway, the more you wash it and wear it, the more supple and wrinkle-resistant it becomes.

I have a black linen shirtdress that I adore, and I thought it was coming to the end of its life, but I re-dyed it and it'll do me at least another year. It's so comfortable to wear and looks effortlessly good!​

 

[KittyT]

Love linen, hate the wrinkles!

 

[Gracie Lee]

The walk-away dress I'm working on is all linen... love it

 

[Foofoogal]

Gracie. please let us peek when you are finished. I love linen and seersucker so much..

 

[Lillemor]

Hmmm...you ladies may be able to change my mind about linen and other iron requiring fabrics. This is why I prefer knits and synthetics. I've hated linen with a passion for as long as I can remember......possibly from when I began to iron my own clothes. I've thrown away some lovely pieces because of my laziness. If the wrinkles are only in a few places and very deep it irritates me but all over wrinkles or the cringle effect can be very romantic.

 

[Miss Golightly]

Love linen, hate the wrinkles!

I love linen - it really tells you that Summer has arrived - although I also HATE the wrinkles! I had a beautiful kelly green linen pencil skirt from Zara - it would look great first thing but usually by lunchtime it looked like a rag - loads of wrinkles across the lap area from sitting down....

 

[Lillemor]

I love linen - it really tells you that Summer has arrived - although I also HATE the wrinkles! I had a beautiful kelly green linen pencil skirt from Zara - it would look great first thing but usually by lunchtime it looked like a rag - loads of wrinkles across the lap area from sitting down....

That's what I don't like and if it's pants it's behind the knees, if it has long sleeves it's at the elbow joint and I just can't convince myself that, that looks good.

 

[MisterCairo]

I am a huge linen fan, but find it difficult to find men's clothing in that fabric. Odd, given our hot and humid southern Ontario summers, it should be a staple of summer dress. I have to go to higher end shops in Toronto to find even the basics like trousers.

I am also a big fan of hemp clothing, though most of what is available is purely casual. Hemp suits, anyone? Indy???

 

[MirandaFern]

Linen is one of my favorite fabrics with which to work, so naturally it is a staple in my wardrobe. I find that liquid starch (the kind that comes in a jug) is a life saver for dealing with the wrinkles. After washing, I soak my linen garments in a water/starch solution for about 30 minutes. After squeezing out the excess, I hang dry the garment until it is slightly damp, then iron on the linen setting. It presses nicely and the result is crisp and durable. It even stands up, admirably, to the Houston humidity.

 

[Wire9Vintage]

MirandaFern, I was just able to find some of that jug starch... I'll have to try that method. If your linen stands Houstin, surely mine will stand Austin!

 

[MirandaFern]

I'm wearing one of my linen dirndls right now. Still looking good...apart from slight creasing from sitting at my desk.

 

[Foofoogal]

Welcome! ok MirandaFern. I just moved from the Houston area so if it will hold up to the humidity there then it will work. It just tickles me so when here in AR the folks go on about the humidity. lol

Just picked up an Irish Linen blouse today with black embroidery. I so love it.