Oh my, the myriad types of linen available to home sewists is almost overwhelming.
The blends, the weaves, the weightsโฆ How do you know which linen will work for your next garment masterpiece?
Donโt let too many options keep you from sewing with linen, because youโre about to learn everything you need to know about this terrific textile.
In this article, you will discover:
๐ชก A brief history of linen and why itโs popular
๐ชก How to choose the correct type of linen for your needs
๐ชก The different types of linen fabric available
๐ชก Top tips for sewing with linen fabrics
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Why Do People Love Sewing with Linen?
Humans have loved linen fabric for thousands of years.
Thereโs evidence that Paleolithic peoples were sewing garments made from wild flax fibers 30,000 years ago. (In case you didnโt know, linen is made from the flowering flax plant, aka linseed.)
And did you know that into the mid-19th century, most farmers in the American north raised flax to clothe their families?
Thereโs a lot to love about linen fabric, which probably explains its longevity as a favorite textile.
Linen is durable and quick drying, and its ability to keep you cool in hot weather is legendary.
Linenโs naturally bumpy, nubby texture gets softer when washed, and while the fiber isnโt stretchy on its own, it can be blended with other fibers to increase elasticity.
And, because linen is a natural fiber, itโs biodegradable. Yup, you can compost linen fabric.
How to Choose the Right Linen Fabric for Your Needs
Letโs talk about your desired garment and personal preferences when it comes to selecting linen fabric for a project.
There are a couple characteristics to keep in mind about linen right from the start:
โญ Linen wrinkles. Thatโs just how it do be. However, itโs less wrinkly when blended with other fibers (e.g., cotton, poly). So, if wrinkles would bring down your design, be choosy about linen.
โญ As a fabric, linen usually has a matte look โ it doesnโt reflect light in the least โ and a dry feel to the hand. If your design calls for any sort of slickness or flash, linen might not be the fabric for you.
Continuingโฆ
Probably the most important factor when picking fabric for a garment is fabric weight.
This table can help you understand the best fabric weight for various projects.
| Fabric Weights for Sewing Clothes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fabric Weight | Imperial and Metric (Approximate) | Good For… | Fabric Examples |
| Top/Lightweight | Up to 4 oz/ydยฒ / 130 gsm | Light shirts, scarves | Rayon jersey, gauze, cotton lawn |
| Medium/Mid-Weight | 4-9 oz/ydยฒ / 130-300 gsm | Dresses, skirts | Denim, cotton twill, oxford cloth |
| Bottom/Heavyweight | More than 9 oz/ydยฒ / 300 gsm | pants, jackets | Ponte di Roma, Melton wool, corduroy |
You can find linen fabric in any weight, from a beefy suiting to the most barely there jersey knit.
Especially let the ounces per square yard (oz/ydยฒ) and grams per meter (gsm) in the table above guide you to appropriate linen options.
You should also know that linen can be patterned, printed, sheer, solid, or textured, and fabric textures include (but are not limited to):
- Basketweave
- Crinkled
- Embroidered
- Slubbed
- Waxed
- Embellished
- Heathered
More than likely, thereโs a type of linen that will work for whatever sewing project you dream up. Linen: For all seasons, for all reasons. (Yea or nay to this linen tagline?)
To summarize this section on how to choose fabric, the following path will get you to where you need to be:
Your garment โก๏ธ Fabric weight โก๏ธ Color โก๏ธ Texture
โ๏ธ Shop Robert Kaufman Linen on Amazon ๐งต
Robert Kaufman’s Brussels Washer linen (linen-rayon blend) and Essex linen (linen-cotton blend) are popular with home sewists. I used Brussels Washer linen to sew this lightweight coat, and I can vouch for the fabric’s quality.
Types of Linen Fabric for Garment Sewing
As discussed, humans have a long relationship with flax and linen, which means weโve had A LOT of time to experiment with all the different ways linen can appear as a fabric.
This is very cool, but it can also be very confusing when youโre shopping for linen. So. Many. Options.
This section is going to focus on what youโre likely to see as you search for linen fabric.
Linen often is blended with other natural and/or synthetic fibers. Some of the common blends youโll see are:
- Cotton linen
- Bamboo linen
- Rayon/viscose linen
- Silk linen
- Linen polyester
- Linen metallic (blended with metallic threads)
- Linen spandex/lycra/elastane
- Linen Tencel
These blends may be transformed into woven or knit fabrics.
Here are common woven linens and what you might used them for as a garment sewist:
| Woven Linen Fabrics | |
| Type of Linen | Application |
| Linen chambray | -Light to medium weight and opaque with a denim-ish look. -Good for shirts, skirts, and dresses. |
| Linen shirting | -Lightweight, soft, and barely transparent. -Good for shirts, airy dresses. |
| Stretch linen (blended with spandex) | -Medium weight, crisp, and generally opaque. -Good for fitted dresses, jackets, and pants. |
| Suiting | -Medium to heavyweight and opaque. -Good for blazers, jackets, pants. |
| Linen twill | -Medium to heavyweight, opaque, and durable. -Good for pants, blazers, jackets. |
| Linen scrim | -Lightweight, voluminous, bouncy, and sheer. -Good for blouses (and floaty window treatments). |
| Linen-rayon/viscose blend | -Light to medium weight, soft, and drapey. -Good for dress, skirts, and flowy pants. |
RELATED: 28 Jersey Fabric Patterns You Can Sew in an Afternoon
Knit linens are less common than woven linens. Here are knit linen fabrics you might come across while shopping for your next project:
| Knit Linen Fabrics | |
| Type of Linen | Application |
| Slubbed linen jersey | -Lightweight and semi-sheer with a fluid drape. -Good for drapey tops/tees (I sewed a Cass T-shirt in slubbed linen jersey.) |
| Linen sweater knit | -Light/medium weight. -Good for lightweight sweaters. |
RELATED: Sewing Stretchy Fabric without a Serger: Stretch Stitch Settings and More
3 Top Tips for Sewing with Linen
I have three things for you to remember when youโre stitching linen garments.
1.) Beware of Shrinkage
My No. 1 tip for sewing with linen is if you plan to wash your garment creation, buy extra yardage (maybe 1/4 yard?) and DEFINITELY wash it before you start cutting pattern pieces. Linen is notorious for shrinking.
2.) Understand Transparency
Lightweight linens have a tendency to be sheer-ish, regardless of whether theyโre knit or woven fabrics. Overexposure while wearing breezy linens is a real risk.
If youโre buying fabric in person, hold the linen in front of a window to judge transparency. If youโre buying online, be sure to ask about whether the fabric is see-through before you put your money down.
3.) Understand Drape
Linen fabric, depending what itโs blended with and how itโs made (woven vs. knit), can have a ton of body or no body at all.
Linen wovens often stand away from the body and are crisp. Linen knits often have drape for days and swim over curves. Choose wisely.
Final Thoughts About Types of Linen
Linen is a versatile textile that can be stitched into almost anything your little fashion-designy heart years for.
I, for one, after writing this article, am more excited to experiment with different types of linen fabric. I want to challenge myself to sew with new-to-me linens, such as linen twill and linen chambray.
Over to you, dear reader: Where do you like to buy linen fabric? Believe it or not, Iโve had good luck with a linen-rayon blend from Joann. Please leave a comment to share your finest linen sources. Thanks!
I absolutely love and adore linen!
Probably about 20 years ago I was in the habit of buying clothes from consignment shops. One of the items was a button down tan colored blouse. The linen itself had this delicate print in white. It was one of my favorite pieces of clothing.
There’s a YouTube video that we watched which showed how linen is made. It was quite impressive.
The thing that I love most about linen is what I like to refer to as it’s air conditioning feature. From experience, it’s amazing how cool in can keep someone in very hot temperatures.
Last year I went back to a millinery shop that I had visited a couple of years before. All of their textiles were from England and Italy. Plus they sold some notions and they also had some premade clothing for sale. Among some other things, I bought two yards of their cabbage and roses pattern.
They have changed their name from Millie + Clover which was a brick and mortar to https://www.moderncountrylifestyle.com/product/cabbages-and-roses-hatley-blue-on-white-linen/15545?cs=true&cst=custom which is online only. Although I was sad to see the name change and that they had changed their name, I’m very thankful that they are still around.
Hi, Roberta. Thanks for leaving a comment. Always glad to hear about another great source for fabric.
RE: Line = A/C – I upgraded to linen sheets, and I’ll never look back.
I’ve been very happy with the IL-09 linen from fabrics-store.com. It is available in a huge range of colors and is perfect for pants, skirts, and structured tops. It is my go-to for hot weather dressing because of the way it doesn’t cling. It is also terrific for historical reenactor’s garments. It’s worth it to buy the samples, since they have many shades of each color.
I have also been really pleased with slightly lighter weight linen I’ve gotten from fabricmartfabrics.com. It’s buying a pig in a poke to order 5 yards of anything online without a sample, especially since you know the color on screen is a hint, not a promise, but I’ve been pleased every time.
Hi, Alice! Thanks for reading, and thanks for your hot fabric source tips. Will investigate with extreme prejudice.