Kaufman Essex Linen/Cotton mixed with Kona's
 

I bought Elizabeth Hartman's Fancy Forest kit. Should be .

The kit is a mix of the Essex linen/cotton with Kona cottons. I'm a "washer", so I'll probably wash all fabrics twice to even out the shrinkage, since I've heard that linen shrinks at a higher rate than pure cotton.

Any other tips for me with this mix? I'm skeptical enough about using the Essex that I'm actually considering saving it for something else and using pure cotton for the background on this quilt, but we'll see. This quilt has a ton of tiny pieces, and I hate the thought of it not holding up to washing, etc.

All thoughts welcome. Thank you!

Linen is a very strong durable fiber. I wouldn’t worry about it holding up. I also wouldn’t wash it twice- unless it looks like it has a very loose weave. If the weave looks normal ( like the krona cottons) it probably won’t shrink anymore than the cotton. I’ve used a lot of linen when sewing- using it in quilts and making clothes. I’ve never had a shrinkage issue

I think you’ll love the Essex Linen cotton blend, I made a quilt using it and it washed up beautifully and was a dream to work with.

You two are giving me confidence with it. Thank you! :)

I used that linen in several quilts. My issue was fraying. I ended up double sewing most seams. It makes a lovely texture in a quilt.