What is Linen Fabric?
WHAT IS LINEN FABRIC MADE OUT OF?
If you don’t know what linen fabric is, its origins may surprise you. Linen is a textile weaved out of fibers of the flax plant. Overnight, linen became very popular because of its strength and versatility. Flax production began a century ago and was developed from ancestral traditions. Any household could have been engaged in linen fabric production for personal use or for sale. Even with the arrival of mechanized workshops in the 18th century, flax production was still done by hand due to the specificity of linen yarn production. Therefore, linen fabric has always been considered a top material and is used widely in linen bedding production.
The thread for the linen yard comes directly from the stem of a flax plant. It is necessary to comply with all the details of the traditional extraction process. Many housewives used primitive wood tools to knead the stems before a laborious process of studding to slide the entire length of the stems. The result is long fibers that have been cleaned out of liberated peel stalks. These fibers are then bound into the full thread. Besides the household textile use, the thread of linen was very popular in rope manufacturing for various applications, especially in the navy field.
PRODUCTION TODAY
Today, linen yarn and fabric production are much more simplified thanks to specially designed machines as well as new technology used to extract fibers through a spinning process. First, the harvested flax is soaked for a week and then moved to new water containers to dry. When the stalks are dry, they are bound into a round ball for ease of movement. The ball is then beaten in a special tumbler, where the linen stalks are separated from the stems and other peels through spinning rollers. Each of the flax stalks is straightened and extracted from the ball. The next stage involves stalks carding to form a suitable fiber state—the stalks then fall on a spinning machine that makes the actual thread for the linen yarn. Yarn is then weaved into the actual fabric that we call linen.
Now that you know what linen fabric is, read on to learn more about the material’s beneficial characteristics.
LINEN CHARACTERISTICS AND HEALTH BENEFITS | WHY TO CHOOSE LINEN?
Non-Allergenic
Natural linen does not cause allergies and is perfect for sensitive skin
Breathable (Air permeability)
Highly breathable linen sheets design let your skin breathe through the night
Massage effect
Due to its structure, linen fabric increases blood circulation and relieves fatigue during sleep
Thermal conductivity
Linen is capable of reducing the heat not only in wet but also in dry environments to prevent overheating. On warmer evenings, linen will keep the air around your body several degrees cooler. On colder nights, it keeps you warm like a wool blanket.
Hygroscopic (Moisture-wicking properties)
Linen absorbs moisture (up to a quarter of its own weight) and dries quickly
Hygienic
Linen fiber prevents inflammatory processes and fungal diseases. In medicine, flax was used to cover and heal wounds
Anti-static
Linen fibers do not produce charges of static electricity. Therefore, bedding sheets stay clean for longer
Durable
The high durability of linen fibers allows the material to easily withstand a large number of washings, without losing its properties (30% stronger than cotton)