Linen Skirt

7/30/2019 Linen Skirt

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linen skirt

I really like this long whitelinen skirt. If I can't find oneI'll go find some linen and

stitch one up.You might also like:

Weddingcoctail knitting

crochet patterns book irish

lace dress collar top skirt

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(view more photos§ from crochet§)

FLAX - Through the CenturiesTo the question, 'Is it Linen or is it Flax?' To be Irish and answer 'Yes'. The confusion isin name only, not in the fibre. It stems from the absorption into the English tongue of the same word from two different languages, from the Germans for 'Flax' and the oldRomans for 'Linen'.Botanically, the flax family is called 'Linaceae', one of whose members yield the flax plant of commerce - it is 'Linum usitatissimum' or 'the most useful flax (to Man)'. Theflax plant is an annual that grows to a height of three or four feet and supplies thelengthy fibres, which are an important feature of linen.It cannot be said how old it is, and is known to have been cultivated in the Near andMiddle East for more than 4,000 years and that it existed at least as long in the wildstate up to the Black Sea and Caspian areas.

Earlier still, in the Stone and Bronze ages, flax growing was part of the husbandry of the Swiss lake-dwellers, who cultivated another variety, which figured prominently intheir lives. It might even be said that their lives depended on it because it was thesource of the lines and nets with which to catch fish for food, and cords and ropes for hunting in the outdoors and for carrying and building needs. Evidence of flax indifferent stages of working was unearthed in the course of excavations of the oldestknown of these lake-dwellings, which is dated around 8,000 years BC. Llinen enjoysthe coveted distinction of being the only textile to have been of down-to-earth serviceto man since long before the dawn of history.That it still continues in the functional role pin-points one fact which never receives the publicity it deserves, and it is this; if there is a better fibre, if there's even a comparablefibre, it has successfully hidden itself from man for over 10,000 years. And, don't forgetlinen has won its enviable reputation the hard way, without the aid of press or TVadvertising. Iit has for centuries enjoyed a rather subtle form of advertising in theworld's biggest selling book of all time, the Bible. Between its pages we find referencesgalore to linen. The first mention in the Bible of linen by name is when Pharaoh exaltedJoseph to the second place in the land of Egypt . The exact passage is worth quoting-'And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, andarrayed him in vestures of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck'.In both Exodus and Proverbs we read of the spinning of flax, while in Kings it isrecorded that Solomon received linen yam from Egypt which, by the way, Ezekiel also

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mentions as a source of fine linen. In Leviticus the priests are forbidden to indulge in blending fibres, the exact warning is -'Neither shall a garment mingled of linen andwoollen come upon thee'. The implied contamination of flax by blending with other fibres - a type of blending incidentally that is highly fashionable today - is deep-rootedand traditional. So firmly had the inherent purity of linen established itself over the

years that it is not surprising that a link was forged between linen and religion.Incredible as it may sound, it was the only material which the priests of ancient Egyptwere permitted to wear next to their skins. Even today Christian churches remain alinen stronghold. Indeed so many altar cloths are made of linen.There is much evidence that in ancient civilisations linen enjoyed a matchlessreputation. The writings of the classical Greeks have repeated references to this qualityarticle. Thanks to one of their historians, Herodotus, we know what the fashionableladies of ancient Babylonia favoured. The ensemble, is scarcely calculated to appeal tothe fashion of today, because it consisted of 'a gown of linen flowing down to the feet'with a blouse or upper garment of wool on top and covered completely in a white tunic.Through Greek influence the ancient imperial Romans became such ardent linen

customers that they eventually developed a linen-producing industry of their own.But it was in Egypt that the first known linen industry proper was set up. As long agoas 4,000 BC Egypt was actually operating linen weaving factories to meet the heavydemands of both the aristocracy for clothing and the funeral undertakers for ritual burial. This was back in the days of Egyptian mummies when ritual burial wasobserved, and linen was the exclusive, the automatic, material in which a dead bodywas wrapped. Something like 1,000 yards of linen were used in preparing a king for burial. For lesser mortals a mere 300 yards sufficed. So vast indeed was the output of linen from Egypt 's slave staffed factories that some twelve hundred and fifty years before the birth of Christ, Phoenician merchants had set up a thriving export trade withMediterranean countries in Egyptian linen and linen yarns.As to when exactly Britain became converted to the use of linen, history isunfortunately silent. There is evidence that linen fabrics were in use in England around370 BC and were probably introduced by the trading Phoenicians who visited thecoasts of Britain as early as 900 BC It is likely that linen was made in England prior tothe Roman invasion in 55 B.C. In any event, centuries later, when the Roman army of British occupation set sail for home, the Ancient Britons had acquired an appreciationof linen that lasted for a time, though it was as late as the end of the 13th century' before linen came into general use in England.About the same time, in Ireland , the use of linen was known, though not on a widescale and may very well have been introduced by the Phoenician traders. In his VitaAgricolae, Tacitus, the Roman historian, says that 'the ports and landing places of Hibernia are better known than those of Britain through the frequency of commerceand merchants'. The all-powerful Brehon laws compelled the native Irish farmers tolearn and practise the cultivation of flax. The Life and Acts of St. Patrick, written inLatin by Jocelin, a 13th century' Cistercian monk of Furness, records that St. Brigid'swish was to 'enshroud St. Patrick's body in a linen cloth made by her own hands andwoven for his obsequies'. A fifth century' epic poem mentions an Irish hero wearing alinen shirt next to his skin, though I doubt if it had the easy-care properties of thoseworn today. 'Donat, who was bishop of Fiesole in Italy about 803, describes Ireland as



'dives vestis' i.e. 'rich in garments or clothing'. The same thing appears in a passage inthe Polychronicon by Ranulph Higden, an English writer who died in 1362'. In a poemwritten in 1430 by Hakluyt, a patriotic English traveller, there is a passage which proved that linen-cloth was at the period imported into Chester from Ireland, 'Hides andfish, salmon, hakes, herring, Irish wool and linen cloth . . . ' There is evidence too that

in Tudor times linen constituted part of the Irishman's wardrobe and that flax growingwas on so vast a scale that Parliament passed a law forbidding the retting of flax inrivers. The idea here of course - and it is very pertinent to the English lovers of cleanwater today, especially English anglers - was to prevent the destruction of fish and fishlife by the poisonous effluent from a flax rettery. If only the pollution safeguards of these mediaeval people, uncivilised we are led to believe by modem standards, had been religiously observed by their descendants, the rivers of the modern Englishwelfare state would not now be the victims of the polluticians in our affluent society.

Tea Dress

I lovedresses likethese. Whitelinen, lace, possibly

victorian...and very old.You might also like:



victorian dress

A vintage

dress I hope toown...wonder if the crochetwork ishandmade. Iimaginesomeonewearing thison a lazysummer picnicor takingwalks downcountry lanesunder a parasol.

edited 9/15/09...Ifound some more pictures on my computer of this pretty dress. I bought it on ebay back around March - April but when I tried it on I did not have a small enough waist. I guessyou have to have a 20" waist, haha. (So I re-sold it on ebay to a lovely lady in France).FLAX - Planting & CultivationPlantingFlax is considered a good rotation crop. The aim of soil preparation is to obtain astructure which stimulates good root development. It is therefore advisable to remove anystraw or waste material left from previous crops. The best soil profile is shown below.Flax requires the application of only small quantities of fertilizers, especially with respectto nitrogen, an excess of which can cause damage to the crop (laying).



The distribution of the seeds, when sowing, should be as even as possible, bothhorizontally and vertically (depth about 2 cm), to obtain homogeneous planting. Thenormal sowing period in regions bordering the English Channel is 15 March to 15 April.Optimum planting density is 1.800 to 2.000 plants per square metre, which offers the bestcompromise between yield, the risk of laying and the quality of the fibre (fineness,strength, ...).Flax is not very vulnerable to pests and parasites, but it has to be protected against theinvasion of weeds. Preventive measures against zinc deficiency are indispensable.GrowingThe story of linen begins with a tiny flax seed, one of many sown fairly densely in aclimate that has adequate daylight, cool and short nights, and weather that is both dampand warm. Such conditions exist in Belgium , the Netherlands and France , the primaryflax-producing countries in Western Europe . The flax seeds, sown to produce textile flax,are planted fairly densely to encourage the young plants with tiny five-petaled flowers togrow straight and tall, thereby encouraging the development of long fibers. Planted at theend of March and the beginning of April, flax plants (linum usitatissimum) are ready for harvest between 100 to 120 days later, i.e., late July or early August.



#6959 $1,200Irish crochet/embroidered tulle tea dress, c.1912

Tea dresses from the early 20th century are perennial favorites. This one delights the

jaded modern eye with neckline ruffles of handmade irish crochet lace. Wearing this



graceful dress, you can imagine yourself in that pleasant, unhurried world so beloved by

the Edwardian gentry.

The deeply cut armholes and full sleeves are comfortable on a hot day. The dress closes

in front with small snaps. It can easily be made larger in the bust and waist by adding an

insert of lace to the center front opening. The insert, which would be hidden under the

lace collar, would not show.Made from embroidered white cotton tulle, the dress is sheer and will need a slip. The

pattern on the skirt features high relief, padded satin stitch embroidery. The semi-abstract

floral pattern (3rd picture from bottom) confers on the dress the winsome beauty it had

when first worn to a garden party 90 years ago.

I can see a gracious hostess in this tea dress: nothing could be more perfect than the

costume; pure ivory, but the fashion consummate; a single rose her only ornament.

The condition is almost excellent. Clean and ready to wear, the dress has a few small

mends. They are difficult to detect and do not spoil the appearance of the dress.

It measures: 35" bust, 27" waist, 56" hip, 17" from the shoulder to the top of the

waistband, and 58" from shoulder to hem.













Linen Skirt

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