By Eva Fried
Linen is our favorite fabric for garment making and is a friendly and stable choice for beginning garment makers, but diverse enough for even the most seasoned sewists. Solid linen fabrics are a great choice for beginners or anyone who doesn’t want to bother matching up their stripes and checks. If I'm being honest, I don’t like to bother matching seams, but I do love gingham, so I just do my best. In the end, I always love the result anyway.
It’s no secret that linen is wrinkly coming out of the wash, but we’ve found you can either wear it that way (no shade!), try the de-wrinkling spray we have in the shop, or hit it with a quick steam, and you are good to go. I am also captain of static, but I find that linen clothing has a nice drape and doesn’t cling to my legs.
Let’s not forget how gorgeous a linen quilt can be! Linen is a little bit stretchier than a typical quilting cotton, so quilters, you may want to spray starch your pieces after pressing and before cutting to help your seams and points line up nicely. Despite this extra step, I think the appearance, feel, and heirloom quality of a linen quilt make it totally worthwhile.
At Sew to Speak, we carry several brands of linen fabric and linen blends. Let’s dive into some of the different types of linen fabric we carry, why we love them, and discuss recommendations based on your skill level. Whether you are quilting, sewing a pair of linen pants, or just looking to learn more about linen fabric, we have all the information gathered here.
Cairo Linen Fabric
Cairo Linen Fabric Details
100% linen
Width 54"
Highlights of Cairo Linen Fabric
Cairo linen is soft with antique wash and mid-weight.
Project Ideas for Cairo Linen Fabric
Cairo is quickly achieving a spot as my favorite linen of all time. The antique wash on this linen is like nothing I’ve ever seen. It feels like butter and washes amazingly. On the bolt, this fabric appears too see-through for crafting linen pants or skirts; however, I can confirm that I have the coolest Zadie Jumpsuit in all the land, and nobody has managed to get a peek of my undies through the linen fabric!
Cairo is incredibly easy to work with. The only reason I consider it an intermediate linen is because when cutting, the linen tends to shift around. I made the mistake of not paying close attention when cutting and wound up with some very non-symmetrical pattern pieces. Use extra pins or pattern weights when cutting, and make sure to go slowly and not tug too much on the fabric.
Currently, we offer Cairo linen in a stunning navy as well as our favorite shade of green.
Shop Limerick Linen Fabric from Gordon
Athena Linen Fabric
Athena Linen Fabric Details
100% linen
Width 53/54"
Highlights of Athena Linen Fabric
Athena linen has a washed finish with a slight crinkled look.
Project Ideas for Athena Linen Fabric
Athena’s crinkle gives it tons of character while keeping it more neutral than a patterned fabric. Even though Athena is a gauzy linen, it isn’t see-through, so you won’t need a slip or a lining. Also, did I mention no need for pressing or ironing? Athena linen is a fantastic choice for crafting lovely dresses and tops.
Athena is relatively stable for a linen, which means it won’t stretch too much when stitching. You will want to be careful when cutting so that the crinkles don’t cause inaccurate measurements. That said, garment patterns using linen tend to be pretty forgiving in terms of measurements and fit, which is another reason to love linen for garment making! I would not recommend Athena for quilting, but if you still want to give it a try, I support that!
The ocean and white checkered Athena linen is the perfect fabric for a summertime dress!
Sicily Linen Fabric
Sicily Linen Fabric Details
55% linen, 45% cotton
Width 51/52"
Highlights of Sicily Linen Fabric
Sicily linen is woven with cotton and has a washed finish.
Project Ideas for Sicily Linen Fabric
Sicily’s combination of linen and cotton improves its stability and makes it easier to cut and sew with. The added stability also makes it a nice choice for crafting linen pants and skirts, while stretchier linens can become too out of shape when worn as shorts, pants, or skirts.
The stable quality of this linen fabric also makes it a perfect choice for a light jacket or a lining for a more formal blazer or coat. Sicily’s added cotton element and stability also make it a nice choice for quilting projects.
Linen Fabric Blends from Art Gallery Fabrics
Art Gallery Linen Blend Details
55% linen, 45% cotton
Width 57/58"
Highlights of Art Gallery Linen Blends
This is a blended linen fabric with a more stable quality, perfect for beginners and available in a variety of solid colors and patterns.
Project Ideas for Art Gallery Linen Blends
As with Sicily, the cotton blended in the Art Gallery Linen Blends makes for a more stable fabric than one that is 100% linen. The stability also means the fabric is slightly less drapey, but it’s still a perfect choice for sewing tops, skirts, and dresses. The fabric’s stability makes it a better choice for quilting projects as well. Art Gallery Linen blends are also our only linens that come in prints other than stripes and gingham/checks. Check out the fun florals and more in our online shop!
The Love Letters floral print from Art Gallery Fabrics is a precious linen blend for garments or quilting.
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This is just a small sample of the amazing linen fabrics we carry at Sew to Speak. Our team works every day to source high-quality fabrics for our customers. Although many linens come and go, you can always rely on finding the best selections online or in our shop.
About the Author
Since 2023, Eva Fried has been the co-owner of Sew to Speak; however, she has been a customer of the shop since 2013. Eva is a loving mom/wife, health care provider, and a self-taught lifelong maker with an unquenchable thirst for learning and creating.