Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. This is a process which uses bacteria to decompose the pectin that binds the fibers together. For example, sheets with a thread count of 400 may use single ply material. [43] United States currency paper is made from 25% linen and 75% cotton.[44]. Flax fibers can usually be identified by their “nodes” which add to the flexibility and texture of the fabric. The linen industry was increasingly critical in the economies of Europe[28][29] in the 18th and 19th centuries. In ancient Egypt, linen was used for mummification and for burial shrouds. Flax is used to make linen cloth as well as for shoe thread, bookbinding thread, fish line, twine, and paper. “Have” vs. “Has”: When To Use Each One, “Affect” vs. “Effect”: Use The Correct Word Every Time, February Used To Have A Much Stranger Name. Linen uses range across bed and bath fabrics (tablecloths, bath towels, dish towels, bed sheets); home and commercial furnishing items (wallpaper/wall coverings, upholstery, window treatments); apparel items (suits, dresses, skirts, shirts); and industrial products (luggage, canvases, sewing thread). However, in the case of many present-day linen fabrics, particularly in the decorative furnishing industry, slubs are considered as part of the aesthetic appeal of an expensive natural product. [1] Many other products, including home furnishing items, are also often made from linen. Then ridges are formed in the couche to keep the dough from spreading. In addition, slubs do not compromise the integrity of the fabric, and therefore they are not viewed as a defect. [48], This article is about the textile. Linen is preferred to cotton for its strength, durability and archival integrity. It has a tendency to be a bit "springy" and somewhat uneven in diameter (the finer the thread the less noticeable this is). [24], Linen continued to be valued for garments in the 16th century[25] and beyond. (countable) Domestic textiles, such as tablecloths, bedding, towels, under clothes, etc., that are made of linen or linen-like fabrics of cotton or other fibers; linens. Pure linen fabric is purposefully woven with a low thread count to achieve its looser, open weave. Why Do “Left” And “Right” Mean Liberal And Conservative? [14] Plutarch wrote that the priests of Isis also wore linen because of its purity. Flax is an annual plant, which means it only lives for one growing season. linen synonyms, linen pronunciation, linen translation, English dictionary definition of linen. Jamieson, Fausset, Brown commentary, Lv. Definition of 'linen'. There are also chemical retting methods; these are faster, but are typically more harmful to the environment and to the fibers themselves. Seam finishing is one key to a professional looking garment and all linen needs some sort of seam finish. Linen comes from flax, which is a bast fiber. As Scottish immigrants moved into Ulster throughout the 17th century, they brought ‘distinctive’ Scots speech, spelling, vocabulary and grammar. If you look up “thread count definition,” you’ll find it’s a count of the number of threads per square inch of fabric. There are two varieties: shorter tow fibers used for coarser fabrics and longer line fibers used for finer fabrics. Flax is grown in many parts of the world, but top quality flax is primarily grown in Western European countries and Ukraine. According to Consumer Reports, a thread … Microscopically, linen fibers have knots and joints that are not seen on cotton. Cotton percale starts at around 200 thread count, a result of the finer yarns used. It is used for making clothes and things such as tablecloths and sheets. Linen is a kind of cloth that is made from a plant called flax. [38][full citation needed]. [5], People in various parts of the world began weaving linen at least several thousand years ago. The symbol is NeL. a hard-wearing fabric woven from the spun fibres of flax, clothes, sheets, tablecloths, etc, made from linen cloth or from a substitute such as cotton, ‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis, How Oscar de la Renta Created First Lady Fashion, Ray Rice Should Have Remembered His 'Kindness' Anti-Bullying Wristband, A Sleaze Civil War Engulfs Britain’s Liberal Democrats, The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness. In 1923, the German city Bielefeld issued banknotes printed on linen. Linen is also used extensively by artisan bakers. Stitching over two threads. In Europe, however, linen is usually the only fabric support available in art shops; in the UK both are freely available with cotton being cheaper. It is also etymologically related to a number of other terms, including lining, because linen was often used to create an inner layer for clothing,[4] and lingerie, from French, which originally denoted underwear made of linen. 0. Due to its strength, in the Middle Ages linen was used for shields, gambesons, and bowstrings; in classical antiquity it was used to make a type of body armour, referred to as a linothorax. Some of these fabrics, woven from hand-spun yarns, were very fine for their day, but are coarse compared with modern linen. After harvesting, the plants are dried, and the seeds are removed through a mechanized process called “rippling” (threshing) and winnowing. Because of its strength when wet, Irish linen is a very popular wrap of pool/billiard cues, due to its absorption of sweat from hands. Sergeant Burton knelt down and gingerly laid his hand upon the stained linen over the breast of Sir Lucien. [citation needed] For example, the Tarkhan dress, considered to be among the oldest woven garments in the world and dated to between 3482 and 3102 BC, is made of linen. This is a specific length therefore an indirect measurement of the fineness of the linen, i.e., the number of length units per unit mass. In recent years bulk linen production has moved to Eastern Europe and China, but high-quality fabrics are still confined to niche producers in Ireland, Italy and Belgium, and also in countries including Poland, Austria, France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Britain and Kochi in India. This is the number of 1,000 m lengths per kilogram. In the 18th century and beyond, the linen industry was important in the economies of several countries in Europe as well as the American colonies. Tkt VT285E, Mil-DTL 32072 Avg. The direct result of his good work was the establishment, under statute, of the Board of Trustees of the Linen Manufacturers of Ireland in the year 1711. Over the past 30 years the end use for linen has changed dramatically. De la Renta did design some stuff for Kennedy too—notably, one perfect belted sheath in crisp white linen. bed linen definition: 1. the sheets and covers that you put on a bed 2. the sheets and covers that you put on a bed. Known as a couche, the flax cloth is used to hold the dough into shape while in the final rise, just before baking. This wear can show up in collars, hems, and any area that is iron creased during laundering. The trade spread throughout Germany by the 9th century and spread to Flanders and Brabant by the 11th century. Menu. [15][16] Linen was sometimes used as a form of currency in ancient Egypt. [26] Among them was Louis Crommelin, a leader who was appointed overseer of the royal linen manufacture of Ireland. Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. A linen handkerchief, pressed and folded to display the corners, was a standard decoration of a well-dressed man's suit during most of the first part of the 20th century. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. The idea is the finer threads you can weave together, the softer and finer the fabric. [41] Conversely, some brands such as 100% Capri specially treat the linen to look like denim.[42]. The couche is heavily dusted with flour which is rubbed into the pores of the fabric. How acquainted are you with the people who inspired these words? University of Minnesota, 2003, "Profiles of 15 of the world's major plant and animal fibres", "Linen Most Useful: Perspectives on Structure, Chemistry, and Enzymes for Retting Flax", Flax and Linen Textiles in the Mycenaean palatial economy, "Flax to Fabric: The Story of Irish Linen", "The Development of Textile Technology: Inside the TextilTechnikum (Textile Technology Center) in Monforts Quartier, Mönchengladbach", "Background history of Linen from the flax in the field to finished linen cloth", "What Is Linen? * Strength Dictionary ! Linen fabric feels cool to touch, a phenomenon which indicates its higher conductivity (the same principle that makes metals feel "cold"). [citation needed] In the Ulster Museum, Belfast there is the mummy of 'Takabuti' the daughter of a priest of Amun, who died 2,500 years ago. Flax fibers are yellowish to gray in color. 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