At the drape We have a curated assortment of fabrics available for custom window curtains. It can be difficult to choose which fabric is best for your windows and drapery interior design dreams. In this blog edition, we will share the details of one of our fabrics, the linen. We will review how it is made, the history, and ways to design custom curtains.
Linen is a natural fabric and is one of the oldest textiles. Linen is a cellulosic fiber that comes from the flax plant. Fabric made from linen fibers can be dated back to at least 3,000 BC. It is a beautiful material that is durable and a touch luxurious.
Linen is grown throughout the world, with the largest bulk crops coming from Eastern Europe and China.
The Four main steps to growing flax are sowing, growing, flowering, and pulling. In Eastern Europe, linen seeds are planted between mid-March and mid-April. Flax is a fast-growing crop and needs 100 days to mature. The water needed us primarily provided by rain and dew. As the plants mature, they start to grow quickly, as much as 2 inches in a day. The flax plants flower in mid-June. A 3-foot-tall flax plant will have over 100 small blue flowers. Five weeks after the flowering, the plants are “pulled” from the ground. By pulling the plants, the long fibers are protected. The roots stay in the soil, breaking down and enriching the ground for the next crop.
After harvest, the fibers need to be prepared. There are three steps before spinning and they are retting, scutching, and combing. Retting is the process of separating the fibers and is aided by water. If the conditions are right, a little rain in the field will start this process. Sometimes chemicals are used to speed the process up. All parts of the flax plant can be used for something. In scutching, the long and short fibers are separated. Long fibers are used for making yarn and fabric for fashion and home textiles. The shorter fibers are used in a variety of composites, including dollar bills. Once the long fibers are separated, they are combed to remove dirt and debris. Then they are stretched and pulled into long continuous ribbons.
Before weaving fabric, the linen is spun into yarn. While spinning, the fibers will create small slubs which is one of the beautiful things about linen fabrics. Linen can be dyed in a wide variety of colors. The yarn is bleached before dying. Some fabric is woven and then dyed, becoming a piece dye fabric, while other fabrics are woven with pre dyed yarns resulting in what is called a yarn dye fabric.
Here are some customer successes with the the linen in natural, olive and white
At the drape, the linen is piece-dyed in three colors: white, natural, and olive. This fabric has a subtle texture in both the warp and the weft. Window curtains made from the linen adds a casual elegance to any home. Customizing the top style of the linen as a back tab curtain panel, pinch pleat drapery panel, or any of the other options, will transform your house into a home. This is a medium-weight fabric that will filter light. Control and choose the situational light management that you need by Adding the privacy liner or blackout liner.
Order free swatches today and admire the quality and color from the comfort of your home.