Here at The Fabric Store, linen is one of our favourite fibres! As well as being super easy to sew, linen fabric has a lovely earthy feel, starting off crisp but softening beautifully in time with wash and wear. Because linen is inherently strong, products made using linen have a long life-cycle, reducing wastage, and once the life is well worn from the linen, it is biodegradable and recyclable. Our Exclusive Linen colour range is available to purchase online and in stores, in a spectrum of over 30 beautiful bright and soft shades across two weights.

Linen is widely considered one of the most environmentally responsible fibres that is readily available. It is made from the cellulose fibres of the flax plant, which grows naturally and requires very little energy and water resources to grow and process, and because the entire plant is used for production, there is no waste footprint. The flax plant is gentle on the land, and can easily be incorporated into crop rotation cycles to prevent soil depletion, or can be grown in areas that are not suitable for growing food crops, ensuring the environmental impact on the land is minimised.

We work with a family-owned company based in China to produce this collection, whose operations include both their dye houses and mills. All parts of the business are overseen and managed by the family themselves and they do not outsource production to other companies or subsidiaries. We chose them to produce our exclusive linen range based on an existing, trusting relationship purchasing deadstock items, coupled with the fact that they are compliant with China REACH Regulations.

China REACH is a regulation developed by the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection, and is modelled closely on the EU REACH regulation. China REACH focuses on improving the health of workers and environmental effects by regulating the use of hazardous chemicals in manufacture. For more information on China REACH visit the following website: https://www.chemsafetypro.com/

One of the things we love about linen is its versatility! Linen can be used for a myriad of different project types including a huge variety of garments including dresses, skirts, shirts, jackets and trousers, to homewares and soft furnishings, childrenswear and accessories. Check out an array of different pattern reviews, DIY posts and guides using linen on the blog!