Inspired by Linen

Balmuir linen love

Don't need to look too far to understand, that my current material obsession is linen! Kitchen carpet. Curtains. Cushions (with a cute bow, OF COURSE). A Throw. Table linen (and the runner on top of it, I might add). Kitchen towels. Napkins. I've been even drooling over the Balmuir linen sheets (pictured above) for a while, perhaps time to get those, as well. Then I have basically surrounded me with linen <3.

Balmuir bedlinen

As traditionally the home textiles were made of linen, the name itself 'linens' still remains, even if the products themselves are made of cotton or other material. Linen fiber itself is exceptionally durable, some of the oldest textiles from ancient times found in the world are made of linen.  The characteristics of linen, durability, short drying time and heat endurance, even slightly antibacterial qualities, provide simply the most delicious home textile you can dream of. Perhaps not the best fabric for upholstery, as it stretches, but for anything else - yes. 

Our large linen carpet in kitchen really made me smile the other day - our youngest had hidden something underneath, and when taken out, the carpet was slightly stretched. So I figured - I will just make it a little damp with water, as linen is supposed to shrink, and literally as you watch. And it did :)! And I thought - yes, finally a product which does EXACTLY what it should :).

I wouldn't be me, if I wasn't all interested in the production of linen yarn, but perhaps I won't go there this time. The process has steps like winnowing, retting, scutching and heckling - sounds fascinating, doesn't it ;)? The equipment used in the old days are pictured in the below photos. Read more for example in Wikipedia.

Linen production in the old days

We have a bunch of linen products in the shop (obviously) - click here. 

***

pellava, pellavanvalmistus, pellavatekstiilit, kodintekstiilit