Piecing with linen?
 

Planning what to make with the Tula Pink fat quarter bundle I’ve ordered, and the options on the pattern shortlist would all require white background fabric.

What do we think of using linen for the background? If yay, what weight of linen would be appropriate? What else do I need to know?

Thanks!

When I think of Linen what comes to mind is suits, dress pants etc. The weave is usually looser to allow the fabric to breathe and be cooler in the summer months. Personally I would not use it in a quilt. Is there a fabric out now that resembles a linen texture for quilting? If so, then it has excaped my attention.

Laundry Basket Quilts has a line of quilting cotton that is called linen texture that is beautiful and has a wide range of colors. My next suggestion might be Kaufman’s Essex Linen which is a blend of cotton and linen that is wonderful to work with. I made a quilt from that line and it was wonderful to work with. I have not combined the Essex linen with quilting cottons, but if memory serves me right, another member here has, and perhaps they will chime in and share their expertise.

I haven't used linen, but I have used satin to applique, once. Never again. Didn't hold up to washings at all. Weave was too loose and raveled. Fixed it a million times until I finally trimmed it out and replaced it. (It was the "sun" in my pic.) You could make a practice piece, like, applique a circle, and throw it in the washer to see how it holds up.

I got a steal on Irish linen, and what I know about it is that it gets very wrinkled if washed. So I would not put what linen I have in a quilt. I know as a child, one of my jobs was to Iron the linen table cloths. Not a fun job, never could seem to get all the wrinkles out even with sprinkling and letting it set a while. Also, I don't know how much it might shrink. What I had planned on doing with the linen I got was to use it for embroidery. I do think there are some linen blends out there.

I’ve used the Robert Kaufman linen fabrics. They tended to fray, so I sewed double seams. There are lots of different neutral colors.

Shewanders posted on 8-9-21 Bright and Happy Toddler quilt where she used the Essex cotton/linen blend. Did you see that post?

Bev McCullough of Flamingotoes is using linen in her latest quilt. She has mixed it with cotton. It looks great and she loves using it.

I wouldn't try it in a small-piece quilt, but maybe in a modern, larger piece design.

Linen fibers - like other fibers can be spun to threads of various thicknesses - and woven to various densities.

I have some damask tablecloths than one can barely see light through. And some other very loosely/coarsely woven pieces.

It is notorious for wrinkling.