Linen is a favorite among our staff and our community of sewists alike, and we’re delighted to carry it in a variety of weaves, blends, colors, and patterns. Our linen collection currently includes over 500 bolts of quality fabrics—that’s a lot to choose from! To help prepare you for your next linen project, we’re taking some time today to tell you all about our top four linens from the collection.
Woven from flax fibers, linen is durable, breathable, and dries quickly, so it’s ideal for hot days and humid weather and is considered a perfect summer fabric. But did you know that because of these qualities, linen is also a fantastic fabric choice for layering in autumn, winter, and spring? Whether you wear it alone or mixed-and-matched with your favorite layers, linen is a versatile, year-round fabric you’ll love sewing and wearing. If you’re choosing a woven fabric for your next sewing project, you really can’t go wrong with linen!
Designer Deadstock is the jewel of our fabric collection, and we are always excited to bring in beautiful linen finds from the garment industry! While we never know exactly what treasures we’ll find, we’re always on the lookout for high-quality linen and linen blends like those pictured here. These three are lovely choices for patterns like the Mave Skirt and the Austin Dress—garments with simple lines to let these beautiful fabrics shine!
Nevada Linen has been one of our favorite fabrics for years! This medium-heavyweight linen will feel a little stiff at first, but it softens up beautifully with washing and wearing. We carry dozens of colors of Nevada Linen, so you’ll have lots to choose from as you design your perfect linen project. Nevada Linen is a gorgeous choice for garments like the Cortland Trench and the Mitchell Trousers.
Part of our Lady McElroy collection, Cruise Washed Linen was an addition to the shop in 2023, and has quickly become a wardrobe staple! Cruise has a nice weight and drape and is super versatile—it’s a perfect match for garments like the Bob Woven Pant and the Ilford Jacket, and for home goods like placemats and napkins.
The Poppies, as everyone calls them, are our best-selling fabric of all time, so we couldn’t miss including this special linen group in our top four! We import the poppies directly from Japan, where the iconic design is silkscreened on high-quality, lightweight linen. It’s a special fabric that will look amazing with any pattern you choose—it’s perfect for everything from a simple woven t-shirt to a gorgeous gown! We love this handkerchief linen for floaty spring and summertime garments like the Regalia Blouse and the Sauvie Sundress.
We often hear from sewists that they’re worried about linen garments being too wrinkly—we’ve got a helpful hint for that! To make any 100% linen fabric wrinkle less, follow these instructions from Sandra Betzina: Before washing, iron the fabric with the hottest, driest iron possible. Machine wash in hot water and tumble dry on high heat. Remove only when completely dry. This method will result in shrinkage, but small, soft folds will replace the hard creases usually associated with linen. To find our suggestions for caring for and laundering all kinds of fibers, bookmark our Fabric Care Guide.