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Flax Process
Flax plant (linum usitatissimum)
• a: roots; b: stem
(containing fibers); c:
leaves entire, narrow;
d: flowers blue,
somewhat white, pink
or violet, arranged in a
biparous cyme; e: fruit
(boll capsule)
containing less than 10
seeds.
• It is cultivated either as a textile plant, for the fibers
contained in the stem, or for its oleo-protinaceous seeds.
Winter flax varieties, with their procumbent growth at the
beginning of their development, are differentiated from
spring flax varieties, that grow erect and are sensitive to
cold.
• Textile flax has been cultivated in Europe since the
Middle Ages, but has declined since the appearance of
cotton.
• Planting occurs in spring; harvesting occurs by uprooting
when the capsules are yellow green. Retting permits
decomposition of cements which bind the fibers.
Linseed or Flaxseeds
• Flax seeds produce an oil used for industrial purposes
and are also used as animal feed. Sown in March, the oil
yielding flax is harvested when the seeds are mature,
drying may be necessary.
Flax for seed is produced and harvested in about the
same manner as wheat and other small grains. Yields
and quality are best in relatively cool climates. Flax seed
yields from 30 to 40 percent linseed oil by weight. The oil
is used in the manufacture of paints, varnishes, linoleum,
oilcloth, printing inks, QLIFE® cosmetics, and other
products. In recent years the fiber from seed flax has
been used in the manufacture of high-grade and special
purpose papers. Flax seed is naturally mucilaginous.
Harvesting Flax
•
Flax is harvested by pulling the plant from the ground rather then cutting. One
of the advantages of linen is its durability and this durability is derived from the
length of the flax fibers. Therefore, you pull rather than cut the plant.
Harvesting should be done on a warm, sunny day.
Drying, Retting, Turning
•
Drying: After harvesting, the flax is
stacked in hedges to dry. Once
dried, the seeds are removed.
•
Retting and Turning: Then flax is
exposed to moisture to break down
the pectin that binds the fibers
together. In the past, flax was
retted in rivers, particularly in the
Lys region, which imparted a lovely
golden glow to the fibers. Today, for
ecological reasons, retting is no
longer performed in rivers. The
preferred method still requires the
intervention of Mother Nature as
the flax is spread out in the fields
and exposed to rain, dew and
sunshine for several weeks.
Breaking the Flax Fibers
• After soaked (or
retted) flax has dried,
the stem is cracked on
a tool called a flax
break. Small bundles
of flax are placed
across the lower
wooden blades; the
upper blades break
the outside chaff.
Inside Fibers
• The inner soft fibers
are the part of the
plant used for the
fabric.
Fibers become flexible
• Once the flax has
been worked on the
flax break it is
flexible.
Scrutching
• The scutching
knife is struck
against a vertical
wooden board to
remove the loose
pieces of stem from
the fiber.
Hatchel
• A comb (or
hatchel) separated
the long fibers and
removed the short
ones. The short
fibers (or tow) were
used for bags and
ropes.
Finer Hatchels
• Fibers from the
finer comb (or
hatchel) were used
for work clothes.
Skill is required to
avoid cutting the
fingers on the
spikes of the comb.
Soft Fibers
• After combing the
hatchelled flax, the
long fibers are very
soft.
Foot powered
• This foot powered
machine turns a
wheel; the spokes
of the wheel beat
the fibers as they
are clustered in a
bundle.
Twist of Linen thread
• A twist is made
from the bundle of
fibers by turning
one end over the
other (almost like
making a rope). A
twist is made to
store the fibers for
winter spinning.
Final Product
• This is a set of
twists.