I hate linen.

[PrincessSara]

I Sara, being of sound mind, freely and willingly admit that I hate linen.  I use it because it is historically accurate, not because I enjoy working with it or wearing it.

I will concede that it is superior to other fabrics in keeping me cool on hot days.  That is, however, the only advantage it has for me.

I cannot get linen unwrinkled - if I hang or iron it, it stretches.  Yes, I do use steam, and that only makes it worse.  I can't get it to lie flat on the floor to cut, it always rises up in some places.  I can't lay it out to cut it because it is always distorted - the fibres are all wiggly - and so I can't ever get a straight cut.  Everything I cut out of linen turns out badly, the pieces are always shaped funny because of the distortion of the fabric.  In order to cut a straight edge, I have to pull out threads and then cut along the edge, which takes a very long time and is very tedious.  I've already taken nearly 4 hours to cut out a single body piece for a smock.  I haven't yet been able to cut a decent edge that wasn't on the grain.  I've tried using scissors and a rotary cutter and I haven't found either to be any better.

I also find it scratchy and rough, even though others seem to find it soft.  I get all my linen from fabrics-store.com and I haven't had anything yet that I would call soft.  And when I wash it, little bits of lint stick to the fabric all over and refuse to come off unless I pick every single one off individually.

Do I just fail at this, or does everyone have these problems?  Is there any way to fix them?  I've bought five different lots of linen from fabrics-store.com and every single one has all of these problems.

[Tixi]

rest assured, you are not alone.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

I work with linen ONLY when I have to.

When making shirts, chemises, smocks, bloomers, I use a nice Cotton Broadcloth. I perfer Kona or Egyptian Cotton. That I use my coupons for.

[operafantomet]

Well...

Modern linen isn't like historical linen (for the most). The fibres would probably be better prepared before weaving, and the weaving would be tighter and firmer. Of course with exceptions, there were warious price ranges "back then" as well, but the modern mass-production has made the market flood over with only a minimum of quality in the linen available. It's demanding to produce a high-quality linen fabric, and it's not as profitting to let the flax grow long and strong as it ought to. Most linen on the market today is the low or medium quality one, even if it's not cheap. And it behaves that way.

If you ever come across fine Ulster linen or Belgian, Dutch or Irish linen, I think your impression of linen as a fiber and fabric would be WAY better than what it is today. But compared to what it costs, it might not be worth it?

Another thing to take into consideration is that linen MUST be washed at least 10 times before it starts getting comfortable (again with exceptions). A book I read, I think it's the "Fashion and Fiction" one by Aileen Ribeiro, tells of how servants were set to use the masters new linen shirts for some weeks, until the "itchy" extra fibres had disappeared...  The the master started using it himself.

[Kate XXXXXX]

If you are using white linen, boil wash it a couple of times and tumble dry it.  Take it out of the dryer warm and smooth and fold it.  Don't try to iron it.  You can pull the selvages straight, but don't iron or press it.

Cut it on a good wide table about the height of a kitchen work surface: dining tables are usually too small and far too low.  The floor invites you to lift as you cut, which distorts everything.

Linen is naturally crisp when ironed, so unless you want that polished look, don't bother.

Good quality fine linen is hard to come by and expensive.  A decent cotton cambric is a very fait substetute.

[PrincessSara]

I wash and dry my linen on the hottest settings at least 3 times before cutting, often more times.  I can't seem to get it smooth no matter how I try, everything I do just stretches it.  I've tried ironing dry and with steam, dry doesn't do anything and steam just stretches it.  I've tried hanging it ti dry and that stretches it.  I've tried smoothing it and pulling it and that stretches it too.  Even when I just pull on it to straighten it while I'm trying to cut it it stretches and I have to start over again.

[sealion]

Sorry you are having such a rough time of it! {{{HUGS}}}
You say all of the linen you have has come from the same source. Maybe they are giving the fabric some kind of finishng treatment? :shrug: Maybe try some linen from a different source before giving up on it.

[Kate XXXXXX]

I wash and dry my linen on the hottest settings at least 3 times before cutting, often more times.  I can't seem to get it smooth no matter how I try, everything I do just stretches it.  I've tried ironing dry and with steam, dry doesn't do anything and steam just stretches it.  I've tried hanging it ti dry and that stretches it.  I've tried smoothing it and pulling it and that stretches it too.  Even when I just pull on it to straighten it while I'm trying to cut it it stretches and I have to start over again.

Don't iron or tug or pull it.  Just smooth it flat on the table in a single layer while still warm.  If you need to fold it, do that when it's cold.  Fold over gently, smooth out any wrinkles GENTLY, and let it relax again before cutting.  And fail miserably to pull it or tug it while cutting: never let the lower blade of your scissors leave the table top.

If you have to put it away between washing and cutting, roll it round a cardboard tube, again without stretching as you roll.

If it gets wrinkles in while in storage, it's worth giving it a quick rinse and drying again to get them out rather than ironing it.

I've not had to deal with warped and recalcitrant linen very often, but these tricks worked when I did.

[Hoowil]

I must admit that I cheat, and get linen-look cotton most of the time. It still does some odd things, but tis cheaper, softer, and behaves a little better.

[Aunty Lou]

My trick for straight grain is to pull a thread at each end of the yardage, fold the selvages together, and baste the ends together along the pulled-out line.  Then when I lay my linen out to dry (I don't care for the really crisp look of ironed linen, impossible to maintain), there are the ends and the selvage to square up, and the rest smooths into square-ness...  Also, when finishing, don't forget to hang the garment for a couple days on a good padded hanger to let the fibers relax out before hemming, and the hems are going to be much straighter.

[mollymishap]

Hmm...I can't say I've ever had the problems you're describing, and I've made a fair number of linen garments, both for faire and for mundane wear.  Maybe it has to do with your supplier. 

I don't find linen any harder to sew than the thinner versions of cotton, and actually find that sewing cotton gauze is MUCH more of a PIA than linen is, though I've never tried to sew a linen gauze...if they make such a thing...what was it called in Elizabethan England...lawn?

(Now, if your thread was titled, "I hate velvet"--THEN I'd have something to commiserate with you about...)

[ArielCallista]

I don't use a whole lot of linen. I've had issues with it before so i avoid it and go for broadcloth or something of that nature. A suggestion for the cutting process if you want to continue to use linen...buy yourself a rotary cutter...its shaped like a pizza cutter but the blade is super sharp. You should be able to find one at hobby lobby or someplace like that. I've found its soooo much easier to cut uncooperative fabric with it, however it will cut anything under it so I would suggest buying a cutting mat as well or cutting over cement. Also, with pretty much any fabric make sure you wash before you cut!

[PrincessSara]

I'm really having a lot of trouble with this - has anyone else ever worked with fabrics-store.com 2.8oz linen?  I need help!  I can't get it to lie flat enough to cut, I can't get it straight enough to pin it, and when I try to sew it my brand new $2200 machine just eats it!  What do you do with this fabric?

[mollymishap]

You might try using a tear-away or wash-away stabilizer for more support while you're cutting & sewing if it's giving you that much grief.  Alternately, you could try starching & ironing your linen so that the grain isn't shifty prior to cutting it so that it behaves more, but then you'll have to deal with washing the starch off.

Also, check the size of the needle plate you're using.  If you're using one like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sewingmachine04.jpg it's meant for zig-zag stitching and will thus not provide enough support under the linen and lead to the machine pulling your fabric down (or eating it like you said).  Also, make sure you're using the right size needle for the lightweight linen you've got.

[Artemisia]

I'm really having a lot of trouble with this - has anyone else ever worked with fabrics-store.com 2.8oz linen?  I need help!  I can't get it to lie flat enough to cut, I can't get it straight enough to pin it, and when I try to sew it my brand new $2200 machine just eats it!  What do you do with this fabric?

I just made two camicias out of Fabrics-store.com 2.8oz linen. It is a little difficult but luckily I've had no major problems and I love it.

To get it to lie flat you need to steam iron it, steam iron it again and then after you cut your pattern piece steam iron yet again. I get a flat piece of linen every time.

I ran into the same problem - this fabric loves to twitch and shift because of its light weight. I found the best way to make sure the grain is straight is what Auntie does - pull a thread. It is really easy to do with this fabric. After you pull the thread, cut it where the space is. Actually I found that if you aim the scissors right it will follow that space naturally.

My cheapy Brother sewing machine has no problems - heck, I've even serged it on my cheap Singer serger with beautiful results. Set your machine on a lower tension and a wider stitch width. I also use Walmart utility cotton thread in the upper and lower bobbins.

I also discovered something else this weekend - use a gluestick to glue the pieces together instead of using pins. The pins were dropping out and shifting. I used the gluestick on the very edge of on piece of fabric, then placed the other part on it. No shifting and a perfect lineup every time.

I've posted a video on the gluestick stuff. I will also post a blog on using this fabric later this week.