Who Loves Linen?

[Foofoogal]

I love linen clothing but cannot understand why they don't expand into more colors or designs. One of the earliest fabrics.
Just yells summertime in Texas to me.
Anyone else love linen?

 

[KittyT]

Only when it's mixed with a little poly to keep it from wrinkling! I love linen, but the wrinkling drives me absolutely bonkers.

 

[Paisley]

I love linen! Some of it resists wrinkles better than others. [huh]

 

[Mary]

When I think of linen I only see oversized tentdresses à la Gudrun Sjöden in orange and brown. I like casual clothes but they have to have some shape to them. Please show me some good looking stuff and I'll convert and be a devoted linen lover!

M

 

[Mrs. Merl]

Sorry about the cross post - but here is my linen/rayon dress! I had a lot of fun wearing it and can't wait to wear it some more! With the blend I actually was able to pack it in a backpack and wear it on a bus for hours without terrible "wrinklage!"

[/IMG]

 

[Naama]

Only when it's mixed with a little poly to keep it from wrinkling! I love linen, but the wrinkling drives me absolutely bonkers.

Yes! I absolutely hate those wriknkles! And I'm one who doesn't like to iron things..... I bought a linen skirt not too long ago and I already regret it, it always looks pretty horrible and that pretty fast


Naama

 

[Sunny]

Oh, I love linen! It's wonderful stuff. I've used it for modern/vintage stuff (like my blouse in the Lady Adventurers thread), and lots for 1860s reenacting. I've made chemises and drawers for me, and white cotton shirts with collars, cuffs, and pleated fronts from linen for my brothers and my dad.

Linen is a plant fiber and very different from cotton. Linen's more like leather, since it has to be broken in. For the handkerchief linen I've used, the fabric off the bolt is very stiff. Even after pre-shrinking and drying it, it's still stiff, almost scratchy - although it's very lightweight, quite translucent. As it's worn and washed, however, the cellulose in the fiber literally begins to break up. That's how linen gets soft and comfortable. Wrinkles are the worst at first because you're breaking up that stiff cellulose; it's like making a fold in a new sheet of paper. But imagine something stiff like paper but won't tear. If you keep folding and creasing and rubbing and washing it, you're going to crease that cellulose everywhere, and eventually the whole piece is soft and flexible. I think that's just so fun.

The only thing I dislike about linen is trying to cut out the handkerchief stuff. It combines the worst characteristics of loosey-goosey crepes and sheers with the stubbornness of heavy cotton. It absolutely refuses to lie straight on the board; what happens to the "straight of grain" when your warp threads are making S-curves? And when you try to straighten it, it's as hard to fix as cotton is. Grr! But sewing is a lot better since it's still more stable than the slithery stuff, and little puckers and things that would be awful in cotton sort of melt away in linen. It's still worth it.

 

[Sunny]

Sorry about the cross post - but here is my linen/rayon dress! I had a lot of fun wearing it and can't wait to wear it some more! With the blend I actually was able to pack it in a backpack and wear it on a bus for hours without terrible "wrinklage!"

[/IMG]

That is awesome! This picture needs to go in the Lady Adventurers thread!

 

[Lady Day]

Linen is avaliable in a multitde of colors, weaves, blends and styles. Ive even seen a linen/cotton blend seersucker before.

I dont care that it wrinkles, thats just a natural aspect of the fabric that I respect for all the other advantages and looks it offers.

I do love linen/cotton blends. That is my favorite fabric to work with, but its not as breathable to me as straight linen or straight cotton.

LD

 

[Paisley]

This is the jacket I'm wearing today. It's 53% rayon, 42% linen and 5% metallic. The fabric is purposely a little rumpled (as in texture, not slept-in). It feels great on!

 

[dollydaydream]

I love linen. It's so summery. I am a new devotee, I got a pair of dark blue linen trousers from a charity shop & have been trying to find more! New Look currently have many styles of trousers/shorts & dresses. Unfortunately mainly in black, white & beige...

 

[kamikat]

I LUV linen. It's pretty much the only fabric I sew with during the summer because it's so much cooler than cotton. I prefer a linen/rayon blend to cut down on the wrinkles but nothing beats the crisp hand of 100% linen.

 

[Mary]

Sunny, I love to hear you speak so passionately about linen.

 

[KittyT]

Sunny, I love to hear you speak so passionately about linen.

Yes, it's very "nerdy", but in an endearing way lol

 

[Caledonia]

I love linen! Ok, it looks like I'm wearing my pajamas, but it is a fabulous fabric, eminently workable, absolutely gorgeous summer wear.

 

[TessTrueheart]

I love linen too, even the wrinkles!

 

[Sunny]

Sunny, I love to hear you speak so passionately about linen.

lol I just love fabric, and linen certainly doesn't get enough press!

Lady Day, I just made a white pleated skirt out of linen/cotton. It's my first time to work with that particular blend, and I was very impressed! I'll share pictures when I get them off my camera.

 

[desi_de_lu_lu]

[huh] I love linen too, but does anyone notice that it has alot of stretch to it after wearing it a few hours? It almost always seems that my linen dresses are one size larger after a day of wear.

 

[Foofoogal]

I love linen too, even the wrinkles!

Me too. Ladyday, I didn't mean that over the years I haven't run across different colors and such but I just meant I cannot seem to find them much lately.
I have seen recently white, beige, black, and even a pumpkin color but
maybe I am not looking in right places.

It maybe is because I had a 3 piece suit as a child about 12. It was blue navy linen pants, red linen skirt, and white jacket. My first grownup outfit.
Probably why I love linen so much.
I also love seersucker, chenille and anything polka dotted. I am in heaven with the polka dot decor out currently.

 

[Mary]

Yes, it's very "nerdy", but in an endearing way lol

Exactly! It's so much fun when people go on and on about their nerdy passions!