18th Century Brocade Linens

Linen

• Linen, a fabric made from the inner stem of the flax plant, was the common fabric of the 18th century. Field workers would pull the flax plant from the ground by its roots to prevent damage to the fibers inside the stem. Then they would comb the flax plants with large wooden combs to remove the seeds and flowers. The remaining stems would then have to soak in warm water to help break down the outer bark and expose the inner fibers. Workers would comb the fibers and then spin them into thread on a special spinning wheel called a flax wheel.

Brocading Linen

• A weaver was the artisan who gave the linen fabric its brocaded texture and shapes. Large-scale 18th century weavers wove on large looms that would fill almost an entire room. Small-scale weavers would travel from town to town with portable looms. As the weavers interlaced the lengthwise and crosswise -- or warp and weft -- linen threads, they would add different colored or textured threads to the crosswise linen threads to create the brocaded effect. Most brocade designs were flowers or leaves.

Bed Linens

• Some of the most important features of the 18th century bed were the bed hangings. The bed hangings would provide privacy in not-so-private sleeping quarters, while also keeping chilly drafts out and body heat in. Since these hangings were the most visible feature, they were the most likely to be made from a brocaded linen. Brocaded bed hangings were an ideal mix of form and function. The rich detail was a symbol of the owner's money and prestige, while the brocading technique made the fabric heavier and more insulated.

Table Linens

• During the 18th century, table linens, napkins in particular, became standard fare for all classes of people. A few centuries earlier, napkins and fine tablecloths were a status symbol in and of themselves. When the common classes started using table linens, the upper classes felt the need to distinguish their own linens. A practical way to do this was to have brocaded table cloths, table runners and napkins. As with the bed hangings, there was a functional side to brocaded table linens as well: it was easier for the laundresses to tell which linens belonged to which households because of the brocaded patterns.