Fabulous Flax to Lustrous Linen - Macclesfield Textile Week

Join Heritage Textile Expert Kirsteen McGregor and learn how to process golden linen fibre from the flax plant stem through to woven cloth. Up until the importation of cotton and silk and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, many households would have been cultivating flax on their land to produce their own domestic supply of natural yarn and woven textiles. Utilised throughout pre-history and notably by the Ancient Egyptians for their burial shrouds and mummification, the provenance and durability of this incredible fibre speaks for itself! Try your hand at historical methods of breaking, scutching and hackling to extract British grown flax fibre from the woody plant stem. Following this, you will be provided with ready spun linen thread and shown simple weaving methods in order to create your own unique repair patch. Finally, learn the art of beetling your cloth to enhance it's natural lustre. This session provides the perfect opportunity to reconnect with nature and heritage textiles crafts! Fully accessible venue.