We have all heard of linen. The word linen is commonly used for the knitted or woven cloth used for table cloth, bed cloth, napkins etc. Linen was also used collectively for the undergarments, but in actual, the reality is different. Linen is one of the most luxurious cloths. It is very expensive also, because it is made through a very sophisticated process.
If we look into the history, we would come to know that linen is a word derived from the Latin word linum and the Greek word linon, both meaning flax. It has been in use since the ancient times.
Linen is made by a very labour intensive procedure. Therefore, it is very expensive. Not only this, it is also very much valued as it is considered to be a symbol of purity by many nations such as the Egyptians.
The Egyptian mummies are wrapped in linen because it used to be a symbol of purity for them. The history of linen goes back to many centuries. Initially, people used to make linen for their home by themselves.
Then, the first industry of linen was set up in the ancient Greece. Through proper flax production, the first proper linen production started in Ulster, which is a small town near Belfast. Belfast itself has been a known city throughout the history for its linen.
Linen is one of the most used natural fibres. It is made from the plant of flax. To make linen from the fibres of flax plant, the flax plants are very carefully harvested with hands. Then, the seeds are removed from the fibres by a mechanized process called rippling or winnowing.
The fabric on the stalks is loosened by the process of scotching. The stalks of the flax fibres are crushed and are separated. Then, they are heckled to remove small fibres form long fibres.
When these fibres are ready to be converted into textile, they are first spun to make yarn, and then, they are woven to make the finished textile. Now, you must have realizes why this fabric is so valued.
This textile can further be dyed or printed to make the end product, according to the requirement of the market.
Linen has been used for making different products. It has been long in use for bedding, clothing, and kitchen textile. This includes, as we all know, table cloths, dish towels, bed sheets, suits, dresses, skirts, shirts. Undergarments are widely made from linen.
Apart from the home use, it has been used for industrial and commercial purposes as well, for items such as luggage, canvases, sewing thread wallpaper wall coverings, upholstery, and window treatments.
It has also been used by painters as canvas, but since it is very expensive, very few big artists use it as their canvas. Billiard cues are widely made out of the Irish linen because of its absorbing properties.
Linen is widely liked because of the coolness and the comfort that its fibres provide.
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