From flax to fibre — a quiet, ancient cloth with a sustainable soul

Linen is one of the oldest textiles in the world, yet many people wear it without ever knowing where it comes from. At Tweed Valley Textile Company, I believe in honouring the materials we use—and that begins with knowing their story. So let me tell you the quiet, powerful story of linen—a cloth woven from the stalks of a humble, blue-flowered flax plant.

From Flax Plant to Linen Cloth

The journey begins in the flax fields, where slender green stems grow tall and straight, topped with delicate pale blue flowers. But it’s not the flowers we’re after—it’s the fibres hidden inside the stalks. These bast fibres are what eventually become linen.

Here’s a simplified version of how flax is transformed into linen:

1. Harvesting: Once the flax is mature, the whole plant is pulled from the ground—roots and all—to keep the fibres long and intact.
2. Retting: The stalks are laid out in the field or soaked in water to let natural bacteria break down the plant’s outer layers. This releases the inner fibres.
3. Breaking & Scutching: Once dry, the stalks are crushed and scraped to remove the woody outer parts.
4. Hackling: The flax fibres are combed to separate and align them, ready for spinning.
5. Spinning & Weaving: Finally, the silky, straw-coloured fibres are spun into yarn and woven into the linen cloth we know and love.

A Cloth Rooted in Sustainability

Linen is a naturally sustainable textile. Here’s why:

• Low water use: Unlike cotton, flax grows with very little irrigation.
• No pesticides needed: It thrives in poor soil and doesn’t need heavy chemical input.
• Biodegradable: 100% linen will break down naturally in the environment.
• Durable and long-lasting: Linen wears beautifully over time and becomes softer with every wash.

The Feel and Spirit of Linen

Linen has a texture and presence all its own—cool to the touch, a little crisp, with a natural slub and soft lustre. It creases easily, and those creases are part of its charm.

It’s the fabric of breezy dresses, summer suits, hand-dyed napkins, and artful stitching. But it’s also a grounding cloth—strong, earthy, and honest.

When used in eco printing, linen behaves differently to silk. It can hold pigment, but it often needs more mordanting and time. Still, it rewards you with a raw, textural beauty and a connection to land that’s hard to match.

In the Studio

Here at Tweed Valley Textile Company, I use linen in:

• For dyeing with indigo & shibori, Eco leaf printing & natural dyeing often requires mordanting.
• It is perfect for both machine & hand stitched textile art.

Linen reminds us that the story of cloth begins long before we touch it with our hands. It begins in the soil, under the sun, shaped by time, patience, and tradition. And that’s what makes it so deeply beautiful.

Keep creating,
Jacqueline Damon
Tweed Valley Textile Company