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When using linen for
garments such as
loose shirts and pants,
boxy jackets, and
dresses,
take into account the
weight of the linen.
Tissue-weight linen is
great for blouses, while
heavy-weight linen is a
good choice for pants.
Once you've chosen your
linen weight, I would
highly recommend
pre-washing it for
shrinkage and then pressing
the material afterwards. |
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When determining an
embroidery design to
embellish your linen
item, keep in mind the
lack of elasticity. An open design
pattern usually works
best, such as the light
and fancy florals I used
on the black, linen dress featured
far above, or the butterfly designs used
by Linda on her placemats and
napkins above. Linen is a very strong
fabric and can handle complex
designs, but the fluidity of the
fabric will start
to become an issue the heavier the
design.
When embroidering, I
like to use a
75/11 needle and medium weight
cutaway stabilizer. To ensure that
the fabric and stabilizer don't move
during stitching, use a spray
adhesive such as Gunnold KK 100.
Spray the stabilizer with the
adhesive and smooth the onto the
backside of the linen item. You can
also use an adhesive-backed or
fusible cutaway in lieu of the
spray.
To keep
my linen items looking good, there
are couple of cleaning and ironing
techniques that I use. If you like
to keep your linen garments crisp
and new-looking, dry-cleaning is
the best method to achieve that
appearance. For softer linen,
hand washing or gentle machine
cycles with warm water are ideal,
and will eventually reduce wrinkling
with each wash. The best method for
drying linen is air-drying flat on a
towel or hanging it from a padded,
wooden hanger.
When
ironing linen, use a high setting
and make sure the garment is damp.
Run the iron over the fabric
until it is smooth, not dry.
Remember, linen dries very quickly. |