FABRIC: LINEN

Fabric Name:
Linen

Origin:
Linus usitatissimum, (flax) Northern Ireland, County Tyrone

Who made our fabric:
Mallon Linen, a textile company located in Northern Ireland.

Natural history and ecology:
The flax plant is able to grow from seed to harvest in about 100 days and requires little water and maintenance. The crop and its lovely blue flowers are popular attractions for birds and bees. As a natural fiber, linen is also biodegradable and the whole plant can be used, from stalk to seed, as food, cosmetics, oil, and fabric. Flax cultivation is also great for our planet as it retains upwards of 250,000 tonnes of CO2 each year according to the European Confederation of Linen and Hemp (CELC).

What makes this so special: This Irish linen is from flax Linum usitatissimum grown by Mallon Linen a small farm in Northern Ireland. Flax can grow from seed to harvest in about 100 days and requires little water and maintenance. The crop and its lovely blue flowers are popular attractions for birds and bees. As a natural fiber, linen is also biodegradable and the whole plant can be used, from stalk to seed, as food, cosmetics, oil, and fabric. Flax cultivation also retains upwards of 250,000 tons of CO2 each year according to the European Confederation of Linen and Hemp (CELC).

With a focus on sustainability, textile companies such as Mallon Linen are revitalizing the traditional flax-growing and linen-making process in the region; they are sowing into the earth and sewing into fabrics a new era of sustainable Irish linen.