Things you need to know about linen clothes

Linen is known to be the world’s strongest natural fiber. It is so durable it’s even used in paper money to increase strength! It is thicker than cotton and lasts a very long time. Linen textiles appear to be some of the oldest in the world: their history goes back many thousands of years. It was sometimes used as a form of currency in ancient Egypt. Linen is a more expensive raw material than cotton, but that’s pretty much the only con we could find.
Knitted linen sweater by GUDOknitwear
So whats so great about linen? Linen clothes are best to wear during the summer months and in warm climates. Linen fibers are hollow, moving air and moisture naturally and fabric feels cool to touch, a phenomenon which indicates its higher conductivity. Clothes made of linen are also lightweight, wick away moisture and dry quickly. These properties allow linen clothing to feel cool, airy and light on the body. It is valued for its ability to keep cool in the summer months and trap warmth in colder weather.

Sleeveless top by CozyLinen
The fabric is natural yet elegant, and its distinct texture adds a touch of interest to an outfit.
The most common complaint about linen is that it wrinkles very easily. Dennis Green share a real story of a nightmare wearing linen shirt. Linen has poor elasticity and does not spring back readily, explaining why it wrinkles. It is smooth, making the finished fabric lint-free, and gets softer the more it is washed. And if you know how to soften linen fabric the nightmare can become a daydream. Thanks to the emergence of new technologies for processing linen fibers, manufacturers are able to significantly reduce the effect of crushing.

Loose linen tunic by d96p
Linen should not be dried too much by tumble drying, and it is much easier to iron when damp. Nevertheless, the tendency to wrinkle is often considered part of linen's particular "charm", and many modern linen garments are designed to be air-dried on a good clothes hanger and worn without the necessity of ironing.
Handmade linen clothes is very high quality. You can read more in the CozyLinen blog how they value their clients and what is the purpose behind it.
Linen men's costume by BlackFicus
A characteristic often associated with linen yarn is the presence of "slubs", or small knots which occur randomly along its length. In the past, slubs were traditionally considered to be defects, and were associated with low quality linen. However, in the case of many present-day linen fabrics, particularly in the decorative furnishing industry, slubs are considered as part of the aesthetic appeal of an expensive natural product. In addition, slubs do not compromise the integrity of the fabric, and therefore they are not viewed as a defect. However, the very finest linen has very consistent diameter threads, with no slubs at all.
Linen scarf by LapelisStudio
Linen fabrics have a high natural luster; their natural color ranges between shades of ivory, ecru, tan, or grey. Pure white linen is created by heavy bleaching. Linen fabric typically varies somewhat in thickness and is crisp and textured, but it can in some cases feel stiff and rough, and in other cases feel soft and smooth. When properly prepared, linen fabric has the ability to absorb and lose water rapidly. Linen can absorb a fair amount of moisture without feeling unpleasantly damp to the skin, unlike cotton.
Linen tunic by LinenDi
Linen outfits are universal - they can be combined with jeans, leather, silk, chiffon, synthetic fabrics. And if you do not mind the inherent flaws, boldly dress in elegant dresses or shirts, going for a walk, to the office or to a cafe. From high fashion to casual wear!
Mens clothing by POWHA




Eco - Friendly Craft Business

Linen Produce Bags
Setting up your craft business is exciting yet challenging. Even if your product design is flawless and presentation is top notch, your materials are natural, sustainable, fair trade or came from local family farms, there are couple areas to work on: wrapping, packing and postage are usually pushed to the side, but it's a great opportunity to send your customer a message about sustainable living, remind of vast Earth pollution or introduce them to reducing, reusing and recycling.
And there is that warm and uplifting feeling, that the package from your handcrafted item won't live for your great grandchildren to dig up in the yard or end up as a whale's death cause.
Today we have a few ideas on materials, wrappings and different ways to pack those precious handmade items.
Linen Favor Bags
Handmade Natural Paper Bag
Jute Twine
So, what can we choose to wrap the items for shipping?
  • Tissue Paper - made from 100% recycled paper.
  • Natural Craft Paper is a mono-material that is easily and frequently recycled.
  • Castoff Kerchief - a light fabric neck scarf you haven't worn for ages.
  • Fabric scraps - a great way to use leftovers from sewing projects.
  • Natural ropes and twines - there are cotton, linen, jute, raw wool, nettle, hemp, paper or even sewing scrap ropes to tie the packed goods.
  • Handmade canvas string bags - natural or upcycled fabric bags.
  • Handmade paper or handmade paper bags.
  • Individual canvas tote bags.
Another very important step is packing. Parcel has to be protected from physical damage, moist, dust, has to look good and fit the postal requirements.
The most popular are cardboard boxes, look for recycled cardboard, skip the ones with plastic coating.
Second in line are mailers or mailing bags. These can be 80% or 100% recycled and can be recycled again. And there are paper ones with bio plastic padding or eco bubble wrap.  
Another essential is packing tape, made of recycled paper and natural rubber.
There are eco friendly and biodegradable options available for all these supplies.
Cardboard box, tissue paper and canvas tote combo from DingoM
There are a lot of options for void filling, go for a natural, sustainable, recycled materials. Have a look around, you might have suitable stuff just laying around.
Shredded Paper


Wood Wool

  • Packing peanuts - starch based peanuts are soluble in water and can be disposed down the sink.
  • Old newspapers - an old faithful way to fill space in box, not too fancy though.
  • Shredded paper - usually made from recycled paper.
  • Wood shavings - not as common, but nice way to use bits and pieces from wood working station.
  • Wood wool.
  • Biodegradable bubble wrap.
  • All kinds of corrugated cardboard sliced into pattern to replace bubble wrap.
An example of eco - friendly wrapping and packing from WoolenClogs
Remind your lovely customers to take care of wrapping and packaging, to re-use it or recycle.

Any other eco friendly options we missed? Drop a comment below!

Linen care. How to soften this fabric.

Linen fabric has been used for table coverings, bed coverings and clothing for centuries. Is is much stronger and smoother than cotton and there are only few things to know in order for your linen textile or clothes to last a long time. We have already written a post about why linen is eco-friendly, so you can read that as well.
Linen decorative pillow cases from TikTakTimeLINEN
So what about linen care? Linen has a tendency to wrinkle easily, especially when it's new. We recommend to iron it on full heat when it's still damp, or use a lot of steam while ironing.
Long sleeves linen dress by  SondeflorShop
Slightly used linen feels soft and supple, while brand new linen may feel stiff and harsh if it is not special treated during the production process. A lot of sellers use softened linen fabrics for their production.
If you are in love with crafts you may like to visit YarnStories for linen yarn supplies.
Actually, with each washing, linen becomes softer and more absorbent. This fabric is washable up to 90°C, but we recommend up to 60°C. It may seem like it would be scratchy, sometimes, because of the texture, but unlike wool it doesn’t give you the itches. The results of softening depend on how the linen fabric was originally manufactured. Weight can be a factor of how firm the fabric is, but you can speed up the softening process without damaging the fabric.
Perfect mug coasters for your table by Linentextile.
Before washing your linen, always check the manufacturer's suggestions for care. Most linen is best washed in cool or warm water in the gentle cycle and dried on low heat. If your linen has been pre-washed and preshrunk, you may be able to dry it on a higher heat setting. Feel free to machine dry your linen clothes or textile if you have one – just be sure to use cool temperatures and remove when still slightly damp, because over drying can make linen stiff and crackly. When removed from the dryer linen items can be hanged on a hanger or lied flat to fully dry.
Bedroom linen by CasaDeLinos
Traditional fabric softeners may not work well on linen fabric; plus, they may add a chemical residue or a scent that you don't want. An option for a natural fabric softening method is adding a solution of 1/2 cup of baking soda or 1 cup of vinegar to the wash. You can soak the linen overnight in a stronger solution of 1 cup of vinegar to 1 gallon of water before washing. Use dryer balls during the drying cycle, because once again, you're trying to increase friction.
And much more in SandSnowLinen shop

All Natural Christmas Decor

Christmas is one of the happiest occasions we celebrate every year and there are countless Christmas decorations and ideas presented by interior stylists and bloggers .
One thing is certain: it takes a lot of space, it's expensive and wasteful to get new trending decorations each year.
Following the Zero Waste idea, we prepared a few tips on decorating your Christmas tree in a natural, eco-friendly way, with ornaments that are made from natural, reused or renewable materials, suitable for composting, take less energy and materials to make, support local craftsmen and small businesses and are made to last.
And most important of all it will give your home a beautiful natural look and a festive feel.

Here are ornaments made from the most common natural, renewable, zero waste materials.

WOOD
Renewable, compostable material, that fills your home with warmth and woody scent and gives it an instant rustic look. Keep an eye out for toxic paint or glue.
Set of Natural Wood Ornaments by MadeWithLoveByAleksi
Set of three Rustic Star Ornaments, natural and eco-friendly, made from fir bark from coastal forest by kaleda
WOOL / FELT
Wool and felt traditionally associate with winter time, crackling wood in the fire place, cozy and warm evenings. Although it's non vegan, but is another popular craft material, that can be recycled or composted. Be careful, some felt ornaments might be stuffed with polyester filling.
Real Oak Acorn Cap and hand felted Ball Ornaments. Comes packed in a craft box from VART
Perfect Christmas tree decoration for rustic or country holidays. Made by mellsva
JurgitaNeedleFelting made this quaint Red Bolete Ornament , it just breathes vintage feel.
Four Little Red Gnomes will cheer up every child and grown up. Gnomes are made of felted wool balls, felt and hand embroidered with beads by JoyfulRiver
LINEN/COTTON/CERAMIC
Linen ornaments give more vintage country feel, usually come in calm earthy tones and is easy to match within most interiors.  Linen is also eco-friendly material.
Cotton is the most versatile fabric, ornaments can be sewn, knitted, crocheted or knotted, it only depends on creativity and time.
Ceramic ones are pricier, but sturdy and will last longer, not so Zero Waste, due to energy required to make, so choose carefully, go for quality, check local the ceramic artists, visit the workshops with the family to make unique and personal ones. Ceramic ornaments are a great family keepsake for passing down to kids.
Christmas Cloth Linen Angel Ornament from DovileDollart
Six White Unique Snowflakes from SnowflakesStories
Christmas Tree Heart Ornament. Handmade, packed in the box with some wood shavings by CozyHomeIdeas
MOST NATURAL MATERIAL COMES FROM NATURE
Acorns, pine cones, conifer cones, decorative twigs, dried berries, nutshells, evergreens go well as ornaments, centrepiece, presented in bowls or baskets.
All you need to do, is just have a nice afternoon in the local park or forest.
Classic and elegant Wreath from SecretGardenn. Made from paper, jute rope and pine cones.
Eco friendly Handmade Soy Wax Candles in Walnut Shell. Amazing idea by LessCandles
When choosing an ornament for your Christmas tree follow a few simple tips:
* Go for color range that compliments your home. Neutral colors, earth, black, coffee, gold, silver always look good with any decorating style.
*Play with size and shape of spheres, combine stars, snowflakes, reindeer figurines, saints, angels. Mix and match different materials and textures.
*Decorate Your Christmas tree with white lights, they will always look good and can be used season after season without worrying, that it will not match colors of that year.

PINE CONE GARLAND TUTORIAL 
Materials:
Pine Cones
Cotton String/Jute Rope
Wrap the thin rope inside the scales of each pine cone
Leave approximately 10cm of rope between each cone.
Make simple loop-knot at the end and trim excess rope.
Hang up and enjoy !

Art of Felting by ShimaFiberArt

We introducing ShimaFiberArt story and SHOP.

Welcome to my little world of colours, art and beauty.

I'm artist and felt maker specializing in lifelike, detailed pet portraits of wool.
I have provided custom paintings of beloved pets for clients around the world. Bringing animals to life out of wool is my calling and passion. 
I fall in love with felting in 2011 and each time I'm finding something new.
Organic wool is a unique material with rich colors, heat as the mother's hands and endless possibilities, that is why felting really touched my heart and became important part of my life.
I believe – Quality & value is more important so always use only premium quality organic wool in my items and make things that look great and are functional. 
Mostly I creating

Custom Pet paintings - I spend many hours to capture on the face special look that only your Pet has. My artworks are a play of color and texture. You can send me your own pet photo, and I can paint they portrait using wool painting technology.
Needle felted animals - Great gift idea for birthday, anniversary, wedding gifts or for any unique occasion. From your photos I will create your pet out of wool which I sculpt with a special barbed felting needle. All of them are made with love , passions , care and many hours .Each sculpture is one of a kind and makes a unique gift for someone special! 

I also have done sculptures "IN MEMORY OF" for the precious pets of our past.
Felted slippers - Every pair is made on order to your exact requirements – especially for You. All items are carefully made by creative hands, using just natural soap and warm water. All of them have a warm of my hand, all of them is cozy and comfort products for people.
I love custom order and I hope you will enjoy my creations as much as I enjoyed making them.
Commission your own painting today and watch as I bring your loved one to life on canvas!
For further information, please contact me via Etsy, or email shimafiberart [!at] gmail.com

Wear a smile with ShimaFiber Art !

Cutest handmade Teddy Bears, rag dolls, baby merino blankets by MadeByUgne

Here is MadeByUgne story and her SHOP.

My first creation was a linen teddy bear after welcoming my daughter. Teddy after teddy it slowly developed to a small business of mine.
Now I have a son as well and more products that I make. I can offer warm and cosy knitted extra fine merino wool baby blankets and matching knitted woolen socks. Also I make not only soft Teddy bears, but rag dolls and bunnies as well. 
Everything I make is first and foremost dedicated to my kids. I make things that are warm, useful and especially designed according to needs of children. Items from my shop will be perfect gifts for all occasions from newborns to toddles, such as baby shower, Christening, Christmas and birthdays.

Handmade pure sheep wool comforters duvets pillows by LabosNakties

Here is a story of Labos nakties (Good night). Please visit the SHOP.

IDEA: "This began with my mother's experience. At the age of seniors, the parents left the bustle of the city and created a farm in a countryside. Mom was interested in trying something new so she began to raise sheep. I used my mother's knitted woolen products and I enjoyed it without taking a thought why a store-bought wool is not so warm. My children have used grandmother‘s homemade wool comforters for a couple of years. Finally, I realized that all this is the woolly wishes of countryside I would love to share with others." - shop owner Daina.
PRODUCTS: We produce naturally processed wool filled duvets and pillows marketed under the name "Labos Nakties" ("Good Night"). The wool we use is locally farmed, untreated by chemicals and hand-washed only using natural soap, thus preserving its lanolin and ensuring that the wool retains that warm feel and texture, so essential to the finished product.

HOW WE MAKE IT: "Good Night" products are handmade, starting from sheep farming to the final product. Sheep shearing at the farm takes place over a few days and is an interesting sight. Also of interest is 'wool carding', a mechanical process that disentangles, cleans and intermixes fibers to produce a continuous web or sliver suitable for subsequent processing. Finally wool webs lies on a luxury cotton cloth, and professional seamstresses hands turns it to lovely bedding.
ECO-FRIENDLY, CHEMICALS FREE: "Labos nakties" production is very close to Mother Nature. Not only the wool we use is natural itself but its processing is also. Commercially processed wool is washed using chemicals. We hand-wash wool using natural soap. The chosen method of processing is much heavier but it ensures high-quality and is environment friendly. "Labos Nakties" products use wool untreated by chemicals, thus retaining all its best features. We preserve natural lanolin, a fatty substance which helps to preserve wool's' softness and waviness. Wool is not only the least vulnerable, but also is pleasant to cuddle up.

Felted wool slippers, pet beds and interior elements by SimplicityOfFelt

Simplicity Of Felt - because I like simple and high-quality items made with love says Simona. And here is her SHOP and about story.

My name is Simona and I am the owner of this shop.
I am happy to offer my handmade works here on Etsy. Felting is my passion, my hobby that became full time job several years ago when I decided to quit my job in advertising agency. Since then every day is like a holiday, because now my job is my pleasure.
 I work from my home studio, where I have some space for my wool and all of my felted items :). It is quite convenient, as I can be not only a felt maker but also wife and mom at the same time :). I work hard, sometimes I only work, eat and sleep, but that is my lifestyle and I LOVE living that way. 
 I love simple and original things that are made in good quality, that's why I pay lot of attention to the quality of my items. I am trying to do everything well from the beginning to the final touches. Hope my customers can appreciate that when they receive their packages :).
 P.S. I wish to travel as much as my items do :) I put a flag on the map every time I ship my items and now my map is full of flags and I think I will have to look for a bigger map soon :)

With best wishes from Lithuania,
Simona 

Teikia „Blogger“.

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