Natural Linen: Symbol of Purity and Domesticity
Natural linen is a symbol of purity and domesticity: a perfect fabric choice for a wedding as you promise to love, cherish and be true to only each other forever.
Why Natural Linen?
There’s so much about linen to impress.
Yes, it’s expensive* if it’s 100% linen (blends may be a little less so). Blends may not wear as well and as comfortably as pure linen. Linen is the strongest natural fabric known to man. So even if you pay more initially, it lasts many more years than pure cottons and silks. And only gets softer and more comfortable as time goes on.
Linen is woven from the stalk of the flax plant. However, everything about the plant is valued, from the seeds to the flowers.
Linseed oil has curative (ulcers) and antibacterial (wounds) properties. This carries over to the fabric, when ethically produced.
The flowers are small blue beauties, attractive fillers in bouquets or by themselves on a country table (with a linen runner).
While flax isn’t hard to grow, it is very difficult to process into fabric. That’s what makes it expensive.
I remember the beautiful waves of blue flowers on a flax field my father grew on our farm in Canada. It grew thick and lush. They had to be more careful at harvest with flax than with wheat. The seeds were flattish and slippery. They used a regular combine, but drove much slower than with wheat. My dad sold it for processing as oil, not fabric. The stalks, which contain the fiber for fabric, got chopped and strewn back on the field as mulch. Sad to think of now. All that linen my mom could have made!! (Like she didn’t have enough to do.)
Linen: Symbol of Purity and Domesticity
Beginning in Biblical times, words such as “pure” and “clean” denoted the symbolism of righteousness and holiness attached to wearing linen. The angelic beings talked about in the Books of the Prophets wore clean, white linen.
The Israelites, after fleeing Egypt, were instructed by God to make pure linen garments for the priests. They were to weave the tabernacle curtains of twisted linen fibers of red, blue and purple into designs of cherubim. God instructed the people to use plain linen for curtains surrounding the Holy Precinct (Exodus 28, 31, 35, 36, 38 and 39).
Remember Rahab, and how she hid the spies under the flax on her roof? She must have worn fine linen that perhaps she wove herself. Or sold it to support her household, like the Proverbs 31 woman.
Do you love linen as much as we do by now?
We have big plans for linen.
Watch for exciting projects and décor ideas coming up in future!
Follow our “Linen” Pinterest board here.
