Linen – the most useful fabric.

Linen is made from plant fibres extracted from the beautiful flax plant (linum usitatissimum). Fibres, found inside the plant’s stalk, are used. These fibres are made up mainly of cellulose and are held together by means of a vegetable glue. The actual task of this glue is to hold the plant upright. The plant undergoes many different time-consuming processes and treatments before it is turned into a thread ready for the manufacture of fabric.

The flax plant has many good characteristics that make it appropriate for the manufacture of home textiles. It is hardwearing and durable, for example. The fibres just improve and become softer over the years, which means that linen fabrics have a long life. Linen is also good at absorbing water, so it is useful for making tea towels and napkins. Its smooth surface makes it difficult for dust and dirt to stick to it, which is also useful from an allergy perspective. Moreover, the versatility of the fabric is a positive well worth mentioning. A wide range of textures and qualities are available to choose from, depending on your own personal style and taste.

Woven fabrics made only of linen are known as pure linen, and the texture of these is often described as crispy. They really come into their own when ironed or mangled. Printing a coloured pattern onto classic pure linen gives the motif an exclusive, luxuriant sheen. LINUM’s NOUVEAU and MIDSUMMER ranges include pure linen cushion covers and tablecloths with expressive patterns printed in beautiful colourways.

Washed linen – that is, pure linen products that have undergone a washing and drying process after being sewn – has become a highly appreciated material over the last few years. The textile is wash-treated at the factory, which gives it its characteristic raw appearance. Our WEST range comprises a number of products made of this rewarding and useful material. Tablecloths and napkins for the kitchen, bedspreads for the bedroom and cushions and curtains for every room in the home.

Linen can be mixed with other fibres such as cotton to produce half-linen fabric, a soft and pliable product with all the sheen and strength of linen and the pleasant nature of cotton. HEDVIG is a popular range in the LINUM selection, with napkins, cushion covers, tablecloths, kitchen towels and placemats made of 53% linen and 47% cotton. The coloured threads are made of linen and the neutral threads are made of cotton. This gives a beautiful melange effect.

Another way of using the glossy and exclusive properties of linen in half-linen products is to mangle it. The CALCIO and AMALFI cushions, made of 77% linen and 23% cotton, are woven using cross twill technique. The cotton is used for binding, while the linen thread form a pattern and lie on the front of the fabric. The fabric is mangled and has a beautiful sheen and softness thanks to this classic weaving technique, which allows the luxurious feel of the linen to really come into its own.