flax to linen
Linen is one of my most beloved fabrics, around the house and to wear, I love its simple, classic pale beauty and strength. As a child I loved all those wondertales and fairytales of spinning flax into gold! Like so many things I use, I never knew the source or the process of it. I’d never seen flax being spun into linen.
I’ve received my education in the archives of the National Film Board’s series of Canada Vignettes. Like the pioneer wool spinning short, From Flax to Linen, 1978, is full of fascinating detail. I find the process entrancing. I’d love to try this! Somehow I find a tremendous sense of connection to things when I understand where they come from, and value them so much more when I can see how much work it took to make them by hand. Even more so if I get a chance to try it myself! I think that sense of connection could be transformative in our culture.
Each week I’ll be poring through the archives looking for images of good old fashioned solutions, people making things, tried & true tools. If you come across pictures of folks making things by hand that you’d like to share from amongst your own things, post your finds on appleturnover’s facebook wall, tweet #keepsakes to @homemadestories, or write to me here.
I’ll be pinning them up on the keepsake pinboard.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen how linen was made out of flax - which is rather odd concerning something that it was so common for me as I was growing up, and a big part of Finnish culture and weaving. As you may know, linen was the most common fabric in northern Europe where cotton did not grow, and was expensive to import. (Wool was the other one.) I still remember even the bath towels were course linen, strange for us who got used to terry towels in North America. Then there’s the edible seed and oils, even oil for mixing with paints - a very useful plant indeed!
yes, amazing that it isn’t something i’m familiar with! i may have to do a series on where does _ come from.
linseed oil, yes, it took me a while to figure out that one. it makes eating flaxseed oil somewhat off-putting! x
I had no idea how linen was made. Absolutely none! Thanks for posting this great little bit of Canadiana.
funny how obscure these things are. very fond of canadiana myself x!
What a lovely clip, I was a big fan of spinning flax into gold as well as a child. We have a Herring festival in November and they will be doing flax demonstrations I can’t wait! maybe I can entice you all down!
truly? oh, so enticing! xx