Linen: Seed to Shirt Presented by: Lady Margareta Gijsberts at Gatalop, 2007

Bibliography 1.Elizabeth Barber, Women’s Work: The First 20,000 Years, Patricia Baines, Linen: Handspinning and Weaving, 1989 (OOP). 3.Patricia Baines, Flax and Linen, Bette Hochberg, Spin, Span, Spun: Fact and Folklore for Spinners and Weavers, Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs & Steel, Arnold Pacey, Technology in World Civilization: A Thousand-Year History. 7.Frances Pritchard, Clothing Culture: Dress in Egypt in the First Millenium AD, 2006.

Why linen? Linen is our oldest clothing fiber It’s 20% stronger when wet, doesn’t felt. Conducts heat easily, dries quickly. Bleaches easily, sheds soil easily Doesn’t require sheep Linen Lingerie Linseed Linseed Oil Linoleum

Seed Linen is a plant fiber = CELLULOSE (wool and silk are PROTEIN) Linum Usatatissimum Renewable: save seeds and replant Seeds are edible and very nutritious –Flaxseed oil –Ground flaxmeal Linseed oil base for paints and wood finishes

Growing Flax In warm climates like Meridies, grown in WINTER. Egyptians planted in November.(2) Since hardy in cold, widespread throughout Europe. Heavily manured field, blue flowers, needs periodic support for long stems

Harvesting Flax Pulled, not cut from field, to prevent exposing fiber to next steps of process The longer left in the field, the coarser it will be – ‘green flax’ creates fine and supple linen, but no chance to save seed Pulling flax in Flanders

Processing Flax Dry the stems, then ‘ret’ or ROT the outer cellulose from around the inner stem fibers. –Stem fibers are called ‘bast’ fibers –Other bast fibers are nettles, hemp, ramie, which produce linen-like fabric when treated in the same way

Retting Flax Wet-retting or Dew-retting Wet-retting: Submerge stems in slow- moving water – STINKS Dew-retting: Thin layer of dried stems on lawn, requires turning – reputed to produce a more ‘silvery’ strick.

Breaking Flax Necessary to break off the outer cellulose and inner core.

Scutching and Hackling Tow vs line flax

Spinning thread Egyptian spinning – Pre-draft a ribbon of flax –Twist the fibers together briefly every 3” –Wind that ribbon into a ball –Submerge it in a pot of water –Spin with a top-whorl distaff If you’re really clever, like an Egyptian – do TWO. –Let’s try this.

Spinning with a distaff

Distaff, cont. Distaff side = women’s side of the family, since a woman had to be spinning ALL THE TIME to meet needs of her family. Symbol of courtship and sex Handy weapon

Spinning with a wheel Flax wheels have a smaller diameter than wool wheels, since twist ratio need not be as high due to fiber length Spinning wheels imported from East? Earliest images(6): –Baghdad (1237) –China (1270) –Europe (1280)

Spinning a yarn Spinning in folklore –‘Straw into gold’ from Rumpelstiltskin –Three fates: Clotho, Lachesis, Atrophos –Sleeping Beauty – how old is this tale? –Three ugly sisters –Many others (Seven swan brothers, Hungarian twin sisters, etc)

Weave into cloth Humidity, sizing Fabric bleachable (2) Dye process: triple mordant = alum/tannic acid/alum Weaves: plain, damask, diaper, Swedish Lace

Shirt Sometimes woven into shape (7) Creases under nail Dampen sewing thread Laundry – a mangle or smoothing board for calendering Use your linen! ‘Good linen’ saved for a someday that never comes, turns brown and brittle.

Actual Objects Flaxseed Hackled flax Linen handkerchief Linen of different weights Bleached/unbleached linen Damask napkin Flax wheel