Linen Making Process

         Its Characteristics

The history of linen making is the wondrous process of turning flax plant into a wonderful material whose elegance graces our many linens and garments. I hope you will enjoy discovering this wonderful process that was discovered by man centuries ago.

 Linen is mostly made of cellulose, 15 to 20% of pectin and 2 or 3 % of wax. Its fiber is very thin, has some elasticity and is quite bendable, shiny and soft. The fibers, seeds, and oil of the flax plant are processed and  turned into:  Clothes, linens, but also into suture material for surgery, paint, floor coverings, dyes and make up and even can be  ground into flour for plaster applications.

                                                       Growing And Harvesting Flax

Sowing:

  Fax is sown around March or April, and sprouts in May. It is non- allergenic, and requires very few pesticides and fertilizers. Its small purple, blue, yellow or white flowers bathe in the sun for just one day in June, blooming at the hottest part of the day, when the rest of the plant will be beautifully golden. Storms could have a devastating effect during this
They will then be pulled, not cut, by mechanical grubbers. Until the use of machinery, this tedious process was done by hand.

Growing and harvesting flax is not easy. Flax can be attacked by a fungus that dries its roots and burns its leaves. Soil, weather conditions and temperatures in June will greatly influence the final quality of the fiber. It needs humidity, sun and wind. It must be watered once in a while, but not too often so that the fiber will not break.

. Flax can vary on color from gold to gray, will generally be shiny, fairly resistant, and fine. To test the quality and classify the flax, it is snapped and judged by the way it resists and snaps, the sound it makes, and the way the fibers separate.

Harvesting: 

   Then............................................................and now

  Around mid-July, when all is dry, the plants will be uprooted (never cut) to preserve their full potential. Although today this work is done by mechanical grubbers, it was a very tiring and long manual process in the earlier years. The flax is then laid flat on the fields to dry. Harvesting, depending on the weather conditions is done 16 to 17 weeks after planting.

Retting:

  At this point a process called retting takes place. The sun, wind and rain combine their efforts with growing bacteria and fungi to break down the pectin that binds the fibers together. Depending on the weather this process could take from a few weeks to a couple of months.
Years ago, the flax was immersed in rivers for a few days. The bacteria necessary to break down the pectin was brought to the plant through the roots. That is the reason why the flax was uprooted and not cut during harvest.  This dipping method was very inconvenient for the aquatic wildlife, because of the lack of oxygen in the water. Also noteworthy is the very unpleasant smell in the surrounding areas.

Turning:
The rows of flax are turned several times to ensure an even color.

Stripping/Combing:

This is a mechanical process where the fibers are separated from the straw and softened with the help of a wooden    mill.
The very short fibers will be used in compressed panels of particle board for the building industry.
The shorter fibers will be used for to make coarser materials and a variety of cords, canvas, shoes, strings, sewing threads, surgical threads, etc...
The longer fibers will be used to make 100% pure linen material. :                                                                   
53% will be used for clothing
21% will be used for linens and beddings 
10% will be used for upholstery material
16% will be used in postal bags, tents, etc

.  Until the end of the Middle Ages, people used leather-covered stones (so as not to damage the fiber), a piece of wood, and some type of hammer to mash the flax. This work was done in the evening when it was difficult to do anything else. It is probable that the first users would mash the flax by wearing these pieces of wood under their feet, or by having animals stamp on the flax. Later the horses or cows were used to walk around in circles turning a mill that would mash the flax.

Spinning:

                 Then   ......................................................................................and now

This process is done on a spinning looms using various thicknesses of fibers divided into two groups:
The first is combed linen or line, (raw material made of the longest and thinnest fibers of the flax) and is wet during this process, dissolving the pectin substances, dividing the fibers into strands and producing a strong, smooth and durable yarn.
The second is called or tow (raw material made of the shorter fibers left at the end of the combing process) and is made with dry fibers. The pectin is not dissolved, and this will produce a thicker, coarser fiber that will be used for the manufacturing of commercial linen cloths

Weaving:

  Weaving, as you know, is the process of making cloth from yarn or thread. This involves working a loom and weaving threads perpendicular to each other. The horizontal threads running crosswise are called the weft and the threads running lengthwise are the warp. Weavers can choose from the range of threads available depending on the kind of material they want to create: dry thread of pure linen, mixed threads, colored thread, fine threads, threads made of short fibers and mixed with other natural or synthetic fibers. Thread comes in bobbins of many sizes, according to the type of the threads they hold. Considering the economical and technical requirements of a product is of prime importance when choosing a thread.

  The yarns will always be checked for quality, pliancy and smoothness. Because very fast equipment is used it is of prime importance that the quality is always constant so as not to hinder the speed of production.

Bleaching:

  After it is woven the material will be checked for quality. Then it will go through a process of whitening that will make it of noble quality, softer to the touch and consequently of  better market value.

The technician must be very skilled. Too much chemical will damage the fiber and not enough might not remove the necessary residues (pectin, etc.) to give linen its final beauty and smoothness.

  Water was also necessary to spray the fields where the linen was exposed to the air, because too much sun would dry the linen too fast. Manufacturers preferred the months of spring and autumn for the whitening processes .

Dyeing:

  Today we have wonderful technology and techniques to give linen an array of beautiful and varied colors.

  Long ago dyeing was done outside. Water containing vegetable dyes (zinnia or dahlia for red, heather for yellow, etc.) would boil inside huge caldrons. The workers had to stand in the heat for many hours, stirring the linen with a long wooden stick to make sure the dye was applied evenly.

Linen Combinations:

  Until the end of the 18th century, lactic acid, asbestos or sulfuric acid were used in this process. Chlorine is used as a chemical whitener to replace the older method of exposing the linens to the action of the oxygen in the air. The old practice also required much water and had to be repeated at least 10 times to equal the results of chlorine use.

  Mixing silk and linen gives us a material with a soft, shiny and supple feel which makes wonderful bed linens. For easy care products, polyester will always be partnered with linen. These different materials will also be treated to be wrinkle-free, water proof, stain resistant..

   Linen has always been more respectful of nature and the environments than any other fibers. It is a natural and noble element, and will always be the favorite fiber of many designers in the clothing industry.