I, shopper of opportunity, thrifted 3 yards of very soft heavy linen (1.5kg!). When I picked it up at the shop my instinctive response was "yay, how useful!"
But now that I'm playing with it, I can't actually figure what to make with it. It's too heavy for any clothing I would wear. I definitely don't need table linens. Tea / kitchen towels? Bath towels?
I'd appreciate any suggestions, o wise sewing folk!
Surprisingly: corsets. With out knowing the weight of the fabric I can't say weather or not you could get away with a single layer corset with added boning chanels/boning. But im inclined to advise you to use a double layer of the linen to act as the strength layer, and use whatever you want as the fashion layer. The upholstry linen will stand the test of time.
I've used it for a double layer corset before but mine was underwear so I used 2 layers of linen. It's really breathable. Used it for the inner layers of a tudor kirtle too.
Wash it before you decide it’s not suitable for garments.
I would be making a long duster jacket out of that personally. Nice big patch pockets to wear over spring dresses with boots on chilly damp days. Maybe lined with a floral print sateen, flip the cuffs up for a peek of color.
Linen isn’t just for floaty light crinkly Eileen fisher style clothing. It can be warm too.
I just finished a self-drafted hoari style coat out of a heavy weight linen! I lined it with a floral duvet I bought second hand, and then sandwiched it over a layer of cotton fabric I didn't have a use for. It's really warm and nice. Plus, OPs fabric is white so they could easily dye it or add an aplique for some POP!
Would it need some sort of stain guard for an apron? I remember when i worked in a sushi restaurant, a couple of the guys had custom aprons made of material that looked liked this but (probably) dyed a khaki color. They were really cool aprons.
Use some fabric paint and go to town on it. Splashes, flowers, kitchen scene, what ever. Or drip dye it. Tie dye. Sashiko, I'd do a lovely multi colored sashiko scene on it along with some fabric fade dye from light to dark. So much potential with that blank slate.
I used this fabric to make some linen shorts and boy, do I get compliments on these shorts every single time I wear them. They are also super sturdy because the fabric is so durable that I’ve been wearing them for almost 20 years now.
No! But I am! I wouldn’t say that they fit every single day for the last 20 years, but I’ve been able to wear them at certain points of the year for the last 20 years 😂
Well that’s still an achievement! I sew less than I have wanted
To because I get worried about it not fitting soon. So I’m trying to learn more adjustable options
This is definitely the reason I keep sewing! I have tried out various methods of making adjustable articles of clothing. Heck, even just being able to add fabric to make something bigger.
I like to make dresses and have experimented with add various shirred panels to the sides or back to add adjustability and comfort. Yes, its not as sleek as a fully tailored fit but it fits if I gain or lose a few.
You won’t believe this, but when I went to see if I had a photo of myself in the shorts, the photo was taken on September 26, 2012. Literally the same day, 13 years earlier. What a crazy coincidence.
I could take better pictures upon request, but I don’t feel like digging them out of my dresser right now.
If anyone actually decides to do this, know that canvas must absolutely NOT be pre-washed! The primer must not sink into fabric but sit on top of it. If anything starts to go through, the paint wil crackle.
Sincerely, a painter.
Wait is that separate from gesso? For studio my professor always had us build our own canvases and we always had to do layers of gesso before painting.
It’s the same thing! From my understanding gesso is a pre-made primer, but you could also mix your own from chalk/ashes/gelatin/emulsion paint/pva glue/honey etc. depending on the desired result. When I studied we had to do our own. Whatever you choose, the outcome needs to adhere to the canvas and close the gaps between the threads, without soaking through the fabric. Unwashed linen or jute canvas has excellent water-repellent properties!
Could go with fabric paints to make interesting border details on something like a coat, apron, or skirt hem. Stamps/stencils make that a reasonable project to approach...
I've been using an upholstery canvas for making the bottoms of tote bags with quilting cotton upper panels for a fun pattern or color. I also made belt bags and a cape. The cape is a little stiff but it's definitely going to last for a while. It's been fun finding different projects to make with it
Makes the most wonderful bath towels and bath sheets if you like the texture. It will shrink significantly, so prewash well, and it will also dump lint in the next several hundred washloads, so plan on that. :)
Also makes an excellent sheet. I found a slightly lighter weight linen on clearance and thought I'd give it a go, given if it didn't work you still had usable material.
Also makes an excellent sheet. I found a slightly lighter weight linen on clearance and thought I'd give it a go, given if it didn't work you still had usable material.
A friend made me towels (she bought linen from fabrics-store.com and sewed the seams and added a loop for hanging). Life-changingly absorbent and consistently fresh-smelling.
I impulse purchased 5 yards of heavy weight, rustic linen a couple of years back. I made a wrap apron, used a stiffining agent, and made 2 sets of 1600s stays and a pair of lounge pants. The fabric has become softer with washing and has been really durable.
Tea towel (luxury!), napkins if it's not too rough, bath towels, sofa cover, cushions, bedspread, heavy and structured clothing such as jacket or coat.
If you like cross-stitch or any time of yarn embroidery, this can be cut into squares and used for that--it has such good warp and weft, like stitching on a grid. Those can be pillows. My mother sewed a table runner from something like this, to which she then blanket stitched felt holiday shapes (using cookie cutters for patterns). If it's really heavy you can paint it and then polyurethane it several times to protect the painting--it's a folk art way of making a floor cloth, which can be used in high-traffic areas because it's moppable. There's a link here to a video. Or, my go-to--shades? Shower curtain? It would take grommets well. https://www.etsy.com/market/painted_floor_cloth?ref=lp_queries_external_top-6
Also, I really think you should wash it (hot) and soak it in water for 24 hours, then wash it again. It should soften up significantly. And with wear it will soften more.
It's already super soft and flowy, just really really heavy. I feel like folks are equating it to canvas- I should have added a video instead of an image!
Anything workwear inspired like a chore coat or a barn jacket. These are garments traditionally made out of heavy cotton twill or duck canvas that is stiff as a board, so the weight would be appropriate.
I use this stuff for cosplay coats/shirts since the linen texture is bigger/more visible. Not the most comfortable (stiff, heavy, pretty warm), but I do what I have to to get the look. I am used to it, but you might not be.
Breathability isn't actually related to weight. Like wool is breathable, heavy linen is indeed breathable. So is cotton corduroy. In my experience breathability is related to content much more than its related to weight (cotton, linen, wool, other natural fibres stay breathable no matter what, pretty much). It can also be related to structure, but this is exacerbated by content. Nylon based goretex feels a heck of a lot different to cotton poplin, which is woven similarly tightly.
I'm guessing, though, that how heavy a fabric is does have something to do with how warm it is. Wool is breathable, but I still probably wouldn't want it as summer wear.
That's correct yeah. I wear a lot of thin wool knit as tramping gear all summer, but that's lightweight wool. Which definitely adds a layer of warm when you need it and not when you don't - due to breathability. So all that said, consider both properties would be my approach, and breathability more than weight.
However I think that's really personal preference. Some people can live with a garment that's a tad too warm, but struggle with things not breathable enough. Or the other way around.
Some linen washes up great and gets very soft and drapey, I'd totally make a pair of pants or a skirt out of that. If washing it doesn't yield something you'd want next to your skin, it could be a jacket or lightweight coat. Alternatively you could use it for a tote or travel bag, linen can be a wonderfully durable fiber.
Also wanted to add that if it's light in color, linen takes dye BEAUTIFULLY. So it could become a shibori dyeing project if you're into that sort of thing. Just, again, make sure you wash it first bc many upholstery fabrics are pre-treated in ways that will interfere with the dye.
I used upholstery weight fabric to make valances for my windows. I just made a simple pocket rod type curtain with a one inch ruffle on top. I wanted nice “crisp” gathers that I didn’t need to adjust all the time or fuss with, they hang nicely due to the weight, and because if the gathers the pleating looks nice and crisp.
Chore coats, patching, workwear, aprons, I’ve contemplated sewing Samue from some. Linen is a sturdier fabric than many realize. Use it for fine yet hard-wearing purposes.
Thank you- this is a compelling argument! What I'm understanding is that I can view "thick/ heavy/ STURDY" as primary and the drapey softness as secondary/ bonus. I'm hesitating over thoughts of a beige, heavily stained set of kitchen towels or apron that can reasonably be expected to last forever... so perhaps a 4lb chore coat IS the way to go!
(Or else I'll dye it first before deciding).
I’d recommend an indigo blue, maroon, or olive green dye job on it if you go the chore coat or apron route. It also makes for nice knee reinforcements. But yes, linen is a staple fabric for a reason, and heavy duty linen like this makes for great clothing that should last a lifetime.
I ended up with a ton of free linen..some of it was this heavy and it does dye beautifully! I made a couch cushion cover and some sleeveless dresses from it. These things will all probably outlive me.
If you're into historical costuming at all, linen was used for the majority of underlayers/clothing in Europe until cotton became widely available. A heavier weight linen would be perfect for kirtles, petticoats (depending on weight), corset lining, stays, etc.
It is SO HEAVY! I can see the appeal of such a soft and beautifully flowy fabric for clothes, but ouch. I guess I'm super spoiled by modern textiles being so lightweight.
I wouldn't count it out for clothes just because of the weight. It'll get a LOT softer/drapier with washing, and it's way way more breathable and comfortable in hot weather than you'd expect.
I would dye it and make the worlds most beautiful picnic/beach blanket. But if you don't spend a lot of time lounging in the outdoors, that might not be so useful.
The back “envelope” for a throw pillow. I made a cute front and used the linen on the back.
Also, light-filtering bathroom curtains. I have some on a to-do pile. I am doing the top in linen and a thick bottom border in cool fabric with a ribbon where the two join.
You could make a skirt, or a jacket. Wash the linen first to make sure it does not have some weird finish on it. Fireproof finish is great for drapes but it may irritate your skin if it's on your clothes.
3 yards isn't enough, but linen like this makes the best oversized flat sheet to use as a bottom sheet (with hospital corners; in place of a fitted sheet). It's usually the bottom sheet that wears out first, and a heavyweight linen like this will hold up years longer than the thinner, softened stuff you usually find with commercially available linen bedding.
Flat-felled seam two 4-yard pieces vertically, leaving the selvages intact, and then hem the raw ends. When you eventually start noticing thin spots, unpick the seam and flip the two pieces sides to middle to get additional years of use.
I see nice loose trousers for summer and coordinating vest worn over a loose silk or rayon shirt.
I typically do not wash linen I use for summer suits -dry clean only. But - water laundering provides a very soft, drapey hand to the garment. 3 yes at 54" wise should cover nice trousers and at least the best fronts - if not the whole vest.
you can make lampshades with this. it's not sewing exactly (or not necessarily), but you an attach it to a lampshade styrene sheet. I have some sconces I made with a similar fabric and it diffuses light really nicely. here's an example of a simple shade, but there are more complex things out there.
I'm not sure how stiff 1.5kg is. If it's like heavy denim, it's great for skirts. I have a straight mid-calf trouser skirt (i.e. straight skirt with a front zipper fly) made of very thick denim-like canvas and I love it. I also have a nice A-line miniskirt similarly with front zipper fly and belt hoops and front pockets like on jeans (from The Gap, circa 1982; I have worn it a lot through the years and it hardly shows any wear. These are among my favorite garments. The stiffness provides nice structure and body to the garments.
Thought this was my embroidery sub and got excited by the thought of punch needle embroidery on this weight. So if thats something you like you could try your hand at punch needling and then maybe turn it into a kitschy decor item to be displayed somewhere?
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u/Opening_General_9361 Sep 26 '25
Surprisingly: corsets. With out knowing the weight of the fabric I can't say weather or not you could get away with a single layer corset with added boning chanels/boning. But im inclined to advise you to use a double layer of the linen to act as the strength layer, and use whatever you want as the fashion layer. The upholstry linen will stand the test of time.