Linen

LINEN

Cloth made of flax. The fabrication of linen in England was not carried on to any great extent before the middle of the 16th century. It was made here in the time of the Anglo-Saxons. Linen was worn as garments for wear next to the skin. In the 14th and 15th centuries much linen was imported from abroad, cloth of Lake, cloth of Rennes, cloth of Ypres and of Gaunt, being specially mentioned. The linen most commonly noticed during the Middle Ages for wear was known as " Holland," the cloth woven in that country, and the name has descended to the present day. In the reign of Charles II an act was passed for the encouragement of the manufacturing of all kinds of linen cloth and tapestry made from hemp or flax. Linen fabrics are manufactured in numerous qualities, bleached, dyed or in natural colour. The varieties of the plain weave fabrics are : - Cambrics, handkerchiefs, lawns, pillow cloth sheetings, hollands, canvas, duck dress linens, brown linens, aeroplane linens, interlinings, sailcloth, scrims, crash, roughs and dowlas. These fabrics differ considerably in setting and yarns. Fancy weave cloths comprise diapers, damasks, honeycombs, huckabacks, drills, towels, etc. All the above fabrics are imitated in cotton and many are cheapened by using cotton warp and flax weft. ————————

LINEN

One of the oldest known fabrics is that made from flax yarn and called linen. The Egyptians thought linen was an emblem of purity, and used it as a wrapping for their dead. By the term linen is generally meant a medium weight cloth with plain weave, and one that takes the same standing in the linen trade as calico does in the cotton trade.