Natural linen fabric - from a description of production to a review of characteristics

As promised in the previous article, today I will tell you how in Udmurtia they made linen fabric by hand. So, we arrived at the Sharkan National Museum, where we were told how flax used to be grown, processed and woven into linen fabric. Flax is a perennial or annual plant with a tall and straight stem of 40 cm or more. Flax flowers are very beautiful and consist of five or more drop-shaped petals, soft blue, white, light blue, and yellow.

What type of fabric is this?

Linen is a fabric made from the plant "Linum usitatissimum". This is a thin, strong stem with round “pods” - seeds. The stem is made of wood and the top is made of fiber.

Flax production - a combine harvester cuts the stems of the plant at the root and lays out narrow strips along the perimeter of the entire field. After the equipment is operational, the flax will lie on the field in the open air for another 3 weeks.

Linen fabric colors

It is then stirred to naturally break down the binding ability of the plant, and the tractor begins to roll the hay bales. At the flax mill, the wood and seeds will be crushed and removed. Already at this stage, flax fiber is formed. The most difficult thing is to peel the stems and get the skin from which the thread is made.

In factories, future fabric takes a long time to comb and clean. Under a microscope, a cutaway stem contains fiber inside, which must be peeled to obtain tissue.

The cleaning process is done manually, and combing is done automatically within 4 hours. The longer you comb it, the thinner the fabric will become. To keep the thread long, the flax is intertwined with each other while combing.

The final stage is weaving the fabric. Weaving is a process in which threads are drawn vertically and interwoven with those drawn horizontally.

Sharkan flax plant

With the advent of technological progress, they opened their own flax processing plant in Sharkan.

Where all operations were performed using special technical equipment

This greatly facilitated the work of making flax fabric and put the plant into mass production.

Origin story

The plant is grown in almost all countries of the world. This is the first fabric that people learned to produce on Earth.

The history of its origin goes back thousands of years BC. Because of its purity, environmental friendliness and beauty, linen was considered elite. It was used in many rituals and was valued by the priests of Greece, the pharaohs of Egypt and the ancient Slavs.

The linen fabric was so thin that it could fit through a gold ring and was transparent on the body.

Consumption of flax seed for stomach diseases

The position is that the mucus secreted by flax seeds envelops the stomach and is evenly absorbed into its walls, while eliminating inflammation of ulcerative formations and reducing excessive secretion of gastric juice. To treat the stomach, mucus is used, which is formed when such seeds are soaked. Removes accumulated toxins from the stomach through the intestines, thus cleansing it.

It should be borne in mind that for people suffering from mild to severe diseases of the stomach and gastrointestinal tract, it is impossible to consume whole and it is not recommended to consume crushed flax seed, since its hard shell, if it enters the stomach, can, on the contrary, cause irritation of the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, only the mucus secreted as a result of infusion of the seed in water will be very useful for the stomach.

Flax seed infusions help with gastrointestinal inflammation

Advantages and disadvantages

Pros of the fabric:

• Eco-friendly.
• Hypoallergenic, it is even credited with healing properties.
• Easy to care for - quickly washes off any dirt.
• In summer it’s cool, in winter it’s warm in linen clothes.
• Antistatic properties.
• It does not deteriorate from frequent washing - it only becomes softer.
• Allows the skin to breathe.

Minuses:

• Wrinkles.
• Maybe "sit down".
• Often mixed with synthetic fabrics.
• It's hard to style in winter.
• Difficult to paint with bright colors.

Chemical composition of raw flax seeds

Nutritional value (per 100 grams of unprocessed seeds) [6]

Vitamin composition (in milligrams per 100 grams of untreated seeds)

Nutrient balance (in milligrams per 100 grams of raw seeds)

Production Standards

In Russia, GOST standards are applied to each product. For linen fabric - this is GOST 15968-2014.

GOST was introduced in 2014 in Russia and all CIS countries. Depending on the amount of pure flax in the composition (100%, 92% or 30%), it is divided into pure flax, flax, semi-flax. The width of the canvas should be more than 75 cm with minimal negative deviations.

Also, according to GOST, the required density of the fabric, the material with which the fabric was processed, and what exactly flax can be mixed with (cotton, chemical fibers) are indicated.

The document also specifies painting methods. This is checked during washing and ironing. For children's items, some dyeing methods and additives are not allowed.

Beneficial features

The main benefits of flax lie in 2 components: Omega-3 fatty acids and fiber.

Cellulose

This is a specific rough part of the plant that the human body is not able to digest and assimilate. It is simply not absorbed like usual proteins, fats and carbohydrates, but cleanses the gastrointestinal tract and is naturally eliminated from the body.

Fiber, in fact, facilitates the work of the gastrointestinal tract and takes part of its functions for itself. It stimulates digestion and increases the percentage of food absorption. How does a person feel about this? Normalization of stool, a feeling of unprecedented lightness, a surge of energy and strength. People who add a spoonful of flax to unseasoned fresh vegetables will forever forget about heaviness in the stomach, nausea/vomiting and decreased functionality after eating. A person should be focused on productivity, and not lie on the couch for an extra hour after a heavy lunch. Such habits kill the body, reduce performance and provoke health problems.

There is information that our ancestors consumed about 5 kilograms of food daily. At the same time, humanity did not suffer from chronic obesity or from pathologies caused by overeating. Scientists attribute this fact to the influence of fiber. Primitive man ate mainly plant foods, which contained the maximum amount of fiber. Today it is not customary to eat a burger with salad, so as not to “overwhelm the taste,” and it is difficult for the body to cope with the huge amount of food waste on its own. The result of such torture of the human body is visible to the naked eye and is expressed in excess weight, uneven skin, loss of tone and elasticity.

Omega-3

This is the most important structural element of the cell membrane [1]. The degree of transmission of nerve impulses, the level of brain functionality and the functioning of the circulatory system depend on the membrane [2]. Maintaining normal levels of Omega-3 throughout life reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Scientists from Harvard University claim that eating fatty fish (sardines, mackerel, anchovies, salmon, salmon) reduces the possibility of developing pathologies of the heart and blood vessels by 36%.

What else are flaxseeds good for [3]:

• decreased blood pressure;
• strengthening the immune system due to lignans (phenolic compounds of plant origin) [4];

Lignans are especially useful and necessary for the body in the autumn-winter period, when it is weakened by external factors.

• regulation of hormonal levels due to phytoestrogens [5];
• reducing the risk of developing pathologies of the reproductive system.

For what purposes can it be used?

Linen materials are used for domestic and industrial needs:

For the production of women's, children's and men's clothing

For making tablecloths, kitchen towels, napkins

Bed linen or sheets - for linen sets

Decorative and interior - for sewing covers, curtains, capes

Lace - for decorations

Embroidery - used as canvas

Technical - for the manufacture of ropes, fire hoses

Tarpaulin - as a protective covering material with water-repellent or fire-resistant impregnations

Characteristics

Pros:

• environmental friendliness. The material is absolutely environmentally friendly, safe, without toxic substances;
• hygiene.

The fiber contains a special substance – silica – which is a natural antiseptic. Flax has an antibacterial and wound-healing effect. Surgical threads are made from flax;

• hypoallergenic. Linen is a hypoallergenic fabric that can be safely recommended to people suffering from bronchial asthma;
• breathability.

Linen has excellent breathability;

• thermoregulation. The material is able to retain heat in cold weather and cool the skin in hot weather. The surface temperature of the skin of a person wearing linen clothing in hot weather is 3-4 degrees lower than that of a person wearing synthetic clothing. This makes the material indispensable in the production of summer clothing;
• wear resistance. Linen is a very durable material, resistant to abrasion and deformation;
• dirt-repellent properties.
• ease of care. Compared to other materials, linen is much less polluted.

Disadvantages of linen fabric:

• high creasing. The canvas is susceptible to creasing, wrinkles form that are persistent and do not smooth out themselves;
• quite high cost;
• relative hardness. The material feels stiffer and rougher than cotton.

Visually, linen fabric is smooth, with a matte sheen. The nature of the weave is slightly embossed and visible to the naked eye. Undyed linen - noble shades of gray, light brown and ivory.

Linen often included in mixed fabrics in combination with both natural and synthetic materials (cotton, viscose, lavsan). For example, what kind of fabric is linen Visscher ? It has a very interesting composition: 78% polyester, 20% linen and 2% spandex.

Linen fabric (photo below) is widely used in the production of clothing (mainly summer), home textiles (bed linen, towels, tablecloths, napkins, curtains), and in furniture production for covering upholstered furniture. In the technical field - for the production of burlap, covers, fire hoses (the dense material is not afraid of constant contact with water, and when wet it is even stronger than when dry, so it can easily withstand the strong pressure required when extinguishing fires).

Easy to care for products

• For undyed linen, machine washable at temperatures up to 90 degrees, boiling is allowed. Products made from dyed fabric can be washed at a temperature of 40-60 degrees;
• Do not use detergents, bleaches or aggressive ingredients. It is better to use special detergents - this will help soften the item;
• dry flat;
• iron at a maximum temperature of 200 degrees, using the steam function for more effective smoothing;
• should be stored in fabric or paper bags, taken out to ventilate periodically, because The fabric absorbs odors well.

How were they made and are they made: linen fabrics? Watch the video:

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