THE "BE LINEN" MOVIE

Where does linen come from?

I saw this movie posted last week on a blog I follow, Thea And Sami. Thea lives in Brisbane, Australia and is a textile designer and fabric printer extrordinaire. She loves linen!

The video is long...about 15 minutes. But try and stay with it and you will be rewarded.

From 8000 BC to ancient Egypt to the Greeks and Romans, to Charlemagne to the twenty-first century, linen has certainly withstood the test of time. This is the flax plant:

I'm sure you've seen those delicate blue flowers by the side of the road; they're easy to grow and they can be found almost everywhere. This video is all about their production in France. From sowing the plants in Northern France (where it likes the humidity) to spinning (without any chemicals) to weaving and inspecting the fibers (some of this is done in Italy), to knitting in the Rhone Alps, it's a fascinating journey. Add to that the music which seems made for the video and it's a real treat to watch! Even if you don't understand French you can glance at the subtitles. But try and see this as the visual journey it is...

BE LINEN MOVIE from Linen and hemp community on Vimeo.

(if you click on the "BE LINEN MOVIE" above you can see it in larger scale on your screen)

So: did you watch the entire movie? It has a fluidity and gentleness that I think is very unusual. As the designers in the film say: linen is a pleasure to work with. It's also a pleasure to wear. Thank goodness it has again become so popular in both fashion and home furnishings!