What is flax?
For many years we have been working exclusively with natural flax fabrics, investigating flax processing methods and innovations, its history. If you would like to learn more about flax, we would be happy to share our knowledge with you.
The unique properties of linen
Linen is highly absorbent
Linen is woven from linen yarn, which is spun from the fibers of the flax plant. These fibers are naturally hollow, which gives the fabric made from them unique moisture-absorbing properties. It can absorb up to 20% of its weight before it feels damp, making it an excellent fabric for bathroom, bedroom and kitchen textiles.
Linen is breathable
Linen absorbs water very well, also quickly releases and evaporates it. The structure of the linen fiber supports air circulation, therefore linen dries quickly and does not stick to the skin. It also has unique thermoregulatory properties: cools in hot weather and warms in colder temperature, making it the best choice for bedroom textiles.
Linen is hypoallergenic
As linen is naturally hypoallergenic, it is the ideal choice for those who suffer from various forms of allergies or have sensitive skin. Additionally, linen has been valued for its unique and health supporting properties. It is believed that linen helps to heal faster and can have a soothing effect on sensitive skin.
How linen is made
Natural linen fabric is woven from threads spun from flax plants that have been specially processed. It is known that flax has been grown in Europe for around 4,000 years and is one of the oldest crops cultivated by humans. The transformation of flax into linen fabric is a complex process that requires a lot of time and knowledge. Thanks to these detailed processes, it is possible to weave linen fabric with unique and distinctive properties. Therefore linen has maintained its long-standing features and higher price compared to the other fabrics.
How it all works:
1. Flax flowering season
Flax is usually sown in March and harvested in July. During its growth, the plant experiences various weather changes that determine the quality of the flax, the abundance of the harvest and even the color of the fabric. Flax plant blooms with small blue or bluish blossoms. It will take your breath away if you ever see blue flax blossoms reminding of a sea or blue sky. Flax blooms for a relatively short time, therefore we usually say in Lithuania: "Flax blooming is short - flax life is long," reflecting the durability of linen products, which is incomparable to cotton products.
2. Harvesting flax
The best and the highest quality flax fiber is obtained when flax is grown in cooler and cloudy weather. After flowering, flax is pulled up by the roots rather than cut. This method preserves the entire length of the fiber, which is necessary to produce strong, high-quality linen yarn.
3. Soaking the fiber
The next stage of flax processing is soaking: when the harvested flax is soaked to separate the fiber from the stem. The harvested flax is soaked in water until natural bacteria break down the pectin that binds it together. The duration of this process is very important: too short soaking time makes it difficult to separate the fiber, while too long a soaking time weakens it and impairs its quality, which in turn affects the final quality of the fabric.
4. Combing process
After soaking, the flax is combed. During this stage unsuitable parts are removed from the valuable fibers. Shorter, coarser fibers (called “tow”) are used for products such as rope, twine and paper. Longer, finer fibers (called flax) are spun into yarn, which is used for linen textiles.
5. Spinning and weaving
The cleaned flax fibers are spun into yarns and woven into natural linen fabric, which can be bleached or dyed, depending on the needs and desired result.
To achieve softness, our linen is treated with stones. Natural stones, such as pumice, are mixed with the fabric in large machines, giving the linen fabric a soft, pleasant-to-the-touch, crinkled texture and a naturally distinctive linen look.