Linen

Bread Cloths - Carriers - Napkins - Placemats - Table Runners - Tea Towels

Unbleached, wetspun linen from Northern Ireland is used for Antrim Handweaving’s heirloom quality pieces.  Well-defined patterns on handwoven linens perserve the age-old beauty of beloved linen.

Linen is a product of the processing of stem length bast fibers from the flax plant. Line linen is from the longest fibers, 2-3 feet, of the flax plant producing a shiny, sleek yarn.  Tow linen is from the shorter bast fiber producing a coarser, hairier yarn. Natural colors range from creams and light browns to silvery greys.  Fragments of flax from seed and straw to fabrics have been found in the remains of Swiss lake dwellings dating from 8000 BC.  Very fine fabrics have been found in Egyptian tombs, and tomb paintings depict figures separating, preparing, and spinning flax fibers.  In the 17th century, large flax production centers were established in England, Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands.  Flax is no longer grown commercially in Ireland but is still processed into yarn in a few remaining mills.

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