Figure 1.--

One of the earlist plants used in the manufacture of clothing is flax. The flax plant is associate with the dawn of civilization where is was cultivated as a crop for food and fiber. The flax plant has very small leaves, blue flowers and stems about 0.5 meters tall. The flax plant was extensuvely used for the production of linen in ancient Greece and is still used today. The Egyptians pulled out of the ground, not cut. The backbreaking labor was done mostly by men. Half-ripe flax stems made the best thread. If the stems were too ripe, they were used for mats and rope. Flax stems were soaked for several days. The fibers were separated and then beaten until soft. The spinner would attach flax fibers to the spindle which would then twisted into strong thread. The actual weaving of linen fabric was done on a loom. A loom is a frame made of two beams held by four pegs in the ground. White linen needed constant washing. It was washed in the river or canal, rinsed, then pounded on a stone, and, bleached in the sun.

Chronolgy

The flax plant is associate with the dawn of civilization where is was cultivated as a crop for food and fiber. Flax was one of the earlist plants used in the manufacture of clothing. Flax has been grown since the beginnings of civilization, and people all over the world have celebrated its usefulness throughout the ages, both as a food and in the manufacture of clothing. Archeologists working at the headwaters of the Tigris River in Turkey discovered a small piece of linen was found wrapped around a tool handel and dated it to about 7,000 BC--the oldest cloth artifact ever found. The written record concerning the use of flax dates to the 5th millenium BC in the Fertile Cressant. The ancient Babalonians cultivated flax about 3,000 BC. Babalonian burial chambers depict flax cultivation and clothing from flax fibres. Flax was probably more important in Egypt than in any other ancient civilitation. A number of wall paintings in tombs (Petosiris' for instance, who had been a high priest of Thoth in Ptolemaic times) show flax being grown as a crop. The Egyptians did not commonly use wool and cotton was unknown during much of their ancient history. Clothing in ancient Egypt was almost always linen made from flax. Clothes were made of linen because flax was the only plant growing in Egypt that was used for clothing. The Chinese by 2,000 BC are believed to have used flaxsed oil on canvass to produce oilcloth. The Greek writer Hippocrates about 650 BC descibes using flax to relieve abdominal pains. Theophrastus another Greek recommended flax mucilage as a cough remedy. Tacitus the Roman in the first century AD praises the virtues of flax. Charlemagne the French king about the 8th Century AD considered flax so important for the health of his subjects that he passed laws and regulations requiring its consumption. Hildegard von Bingen about the 15th century AD used flax meal in hot compresses to treat a variety of external and internal medical conditions. Native Americans gathered flax to make tine used o produce fishing nets and other artifacts. Flax cultivation in America dates to the 16th century when European colonists brought spinning heels. Flax cultivation spread west and it was a crop commonly planted by homesteaders. Before the invention of the coton gin in 1793, the widespread cultivation of cotton was limited. The most common materials used for clothing was linnen (made from flax) and wool fabrics.

Botony

The flax plant has very small leaves, blue flowers and stems about 0.5 meters tall. There are several species of flax. One species is of commercial importance, L. usitatissimum. There are two types. One is grown for seed and use in oil production. The other is used for fibre production. In North America, flax is now primarily cultivated for oilseed.

Uses

Flax has been raised for both food and fiber. Ancient writers havepraised the health value of flax in the diet. Flax fiber has been used for producing linnen fabric since the dawn of civilization. Linseed oil has been used to produce protective oilcloth as well as used to protect tools. The dietary value of flax products has received growing attention in recent years because cold-pressed flaxseed is the richest source of alpha-linolenic acid (LNA), also known as Omega-3, and linoleic acid (LA).

Processing

The Egyptians pulled the young flax plants out of the ground, not cut. They were gathered whole, while still in bloom. Better fibre can be produced from young plants. The backbreaking labor was done mostly by men. Half-ripe flax stems made the best thread. If the stems were too ripe, they were used for mats and rope. Flax stems were soaked for several days. The fibers were separated and then beaten until soft. The spinner would attach flax fibers to the spindle which would then twisted into strong thread.

Weaving

The actual weaving of linen fabric was done on a loom. A loom is a frame made of two beams held by four pegs in the ground. White linen needed constant washing. It was washed in the river or canal, rinsed, then pounded on a stone, and, bleached in the sun.

Linen

The flax plant was extensuvely used for the production of linen in Egypt and other ancient civilizations and is still used today. The Egyptians used linnen for bed sheets, diappers, sails, and even wrapped their mummies in linen. White linnen was a symbol of divine light and purity and associated with the mother goddess Isis. All ancient Egyptians, rich or poor, male or female, wore linen clothing. The lists of offerings in tombs almost always mentions linen as something that the deceased would need in the next world.

Linen Sailor Suit

A good example of a linen garment is a boy's sailor tunic suit worn by an American boy about the tur of the 20th century. It was made in white linnen. The tunic as with all such tunics had long sleeves. It had basic sailor styling with a "V" front collar and back flap. The "V" front is cut much deeper than on a normal middly blouse. The tunic is all white without any colored detailing as well. It was probably worn with a matching white linen belt, although it is not shown here. The matching white linen bloomer knickers have elasticized legs. They seem to have been made to wear above the knees. They opened at the side with two buttons to put on or take off. There are no pockets on the tunic, nor do they appear to be any on the bloomer knickers. Note that there is no label in the tunic or bloomer knickers. Labels were at the turn of the 20th century still not common in clothing.

Hair Care

One source says that when she was a young girl, women used to boil flaxseed and then use the resultin liquid as a setting gel for their hair.

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Created: November 9, 2002
Last updated: November 9, 2002