70% Hemp/30% Flax, 5 oz, 58″ Wide This smooth fine weight linen with 42 threads per inch makes a nice lining for cool summer garments but may also be used for shirts & shifts. Being a light creamy unbleached, called “brown linen” in the 18th century this was considerably less expensive than white linen so the working people used this linen over white linen most often. This linen will naturally whiten over time especially if you lay it on the grass to dry. Cited in Wives, Slaves and Servant Girls “Was stolen . . . an apprentice girl . . . She had on, when she was taken away, a . . . coarse brown linen shift with white sleeves.” was published in The Pennsylvania Evening Post of 1777. When hand sewing this linen try unbleached linen thread 60/2.
