Sewing linen

Linen fabric

Linen is an authentic period material, plus it is reputed to breathe much better than cotton, which stays damp. 

Simona recommended Fabrics-Store as good for basic linen, and they have sales running all the time.

For a smock or shift, linen color should be white, not natural, and the 3.5oz weight. 

For my first dress/kirtle, I got a heavyweight linen in red from Fabrics-Store, 4C22 Crimson Softened. I was pleased that this is a deep cherry red (as orangey-red is not my color). Their online reviews can be helpful in getting an idea of a color’s darkness and tone.

Working with linen

I had never worked with linen fabric before. There are definitely some things to know ahead of time - here’s a good basic tutorial.

Here are my particular pointers:

• Linen produces a HUGE amount of lint the first time through the dryer - stop the dryer every 20 minutes and empty the lint trap each time!
• If you have a serger or a helpful person in your life who does, serge around all your pattern pieces as soon as you cut them out. Just handling them will start threads coming loose. For the serger-less like me, zigzag around all your pattern pieces.
• You can pull a thread to get a perfectly straight cut.
• Linen irons like a charm, really crisp. This was especially nice when sewing down a collar lining, and I pressed all the hems before sewing.