Wool may be my mainstay, but confidentially, linen is my
first love. Long before I delved into the world of wool appliqué, I had
begun my collection of linen tow grain bags. Tow is the rough, heavy, but
beautiful material that was sewn into bags to transport grain. Farmers would
take their re-useable bags with them to the mill to be filled with their milled
grains. Often these bags are found with a name, a number or both.
My collection of linen includes many items from a variety of eras.
These pieces are for wearing, table covering, displaying, and working.
Stitching to linen is one of my favorite ways to blend two textile mediums
together. The wool lays so nicely on the surface of the linen and your floss
just glides through their layers.
Linen is the end result of processing the flax plant. I have grown
flax, and it has the most beautiful tiny blue flowers, and it is quite a site
when grown in large quantities. The stalks of the flax plant are fibrous. This
is what is broken down into string and spun into thread.
Linen is beautiful in the endless amount of colors available to
dye it with, but it is just as wonderful in its natural color.
How do you like to use linen?
