Basics | Solid Colors | Checks and Stripes Linen in Colors100% linen
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Green WLG 1676.5 oz., 60" wide, $13.00/yd. In The 1773 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica it states that "green be the most frequent and most common of natural colors, yet there is no simple ingredient now used alone to dye green upon any material, sap green being the nearest, which is used by country people." However in 1772 a "Dr. William" petitioned the English house of commons claiming to have invented permanent yellow and green dyes for cotton and linen. During the War of 1812 some US rifle regiments wore green hunting frocks. Although some regiments prefer hunter green others prefer this olive green. Green linen thread 50/3 is an almost perfect match for hand sewing. |
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Dark Bluish Green WLN 532~7 oz., 58" wide, $11.00/yd. This dark green has some blue overtones in it. In The 1773 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica it states that "green be the most frequent and most common of natural colors, yet there is no simple ingredient now used alone to dye green upon any material, sap green being the nearest, which is used by country people." However in 1772 a "Dr. William" petitioned the English house of commons claiming to have invented permanent yellow and green dyes for cotton and linen. Medium green linen thread 50/3 is an almost perfect match for hand sewing. |
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Light Olive Green WLN 3106.5 oz., 60" wide, $12.00/yd. This linen is a good weight for women's jackets, gowns and petticoats, and men's jackets, waistcoats and coats. Unbleached 60/2 linen thread will work well when hand sewing this linen. |
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Greenish Colour'd Linen WLN 536100% Linen, ~7 oz., 61" wide, $11.00/yd. In the 18th century unbleached linen was refered to as brown linen and was the cheapest available. This natural colored dyed linen has a slight greenish cast to it giving it an interesting earthy look. This linen is a good weight for men's trousers, coats and waistcoats. It will also work for sturdy laboring women's gowns, jackets and petticoats. In The Virginia Gazette of 1738, "RAN away . . . Two Servant Men: The one . . . Had on, when he went away, a greenish colour'd Coat and Breeches". Unbleached 35/2 linen thread will work well for hand sewing this fabric. |
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Dyed Natural Linen WLN 549100% Linen, ~7 oz., 56" wide, $11.00/yd. In the 18th century unbleached linen was refered to as brown linen and was the cheapest available. This linen is not unbleached but is dyed to about the same shade. Because it is dyed it may not fade as quickly as real unbleached linen which may be useful for those people who want the unbleached look. This linen is a good weight for men's trousers, coats and waistcoats. It will also work for sturdy laboring women's gowns, jackets and petticoats. In The Pennsylvania Packet of 1778, "For securing in any gaol so that the owner may get her again, a certain Negro Wench . . . talks somewhat on the Irish accent: Had on and took with her, a brown linen short gown" as cited in Wenches, Wives and Servant Girls. Unbleached 35/2 linen thread will work well for hand sewing this fabric. |
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Dyed Natural Linen WLN 547100% Linen, ~7 oz., 61" wide, $11.00/yd. In the 18th century unbleached linen was refered to as brown linen and was the cheapest available. This linen is not unbleached but is dyed to about the same shade. Because it is dyed it may not fade as quickly as real unbleached linen which may be useful for those people who want the unbleached look. This linen is a good weight for men's trousers, coats and waistcoats. It will also work for sturdy laboring women's gowns, jackets and petticoats. In The Pennsylvania Packet of 1778, "For securing in any gaol so that the owner may get her again, a certain Negro Wench . . . talks somewhat on the Irish accent: Had on and took with her, a brown linen short gown" as cited in Wenches, Wives and Servant Girls. Unbleached 35/2 linen thread will work well for hand sewing this fabric. |
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Lightish Coloured WLN 5043.5 oz., 56" wide, $8.00/yd. This fabric is a light weight linen that would make a cool summer gown, petticoat or jacket. For example in The Pennsylvania Packet of 1778, "Ran Away, a Scotch servant Girl . . . had on and took with her . . . a striped linen short gown, a light coloured ditto". Ditto means the same as. This is cited in Wenches, Wives and Servant Girls. Beige 80/3 linen thread would be the closest match to this linen. |
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Reddish Brown WLG 2036.5 oz., 60" wide, $13.00/yd. This is a bit of an unusual natural cinnamony brown with a hint of a pinky red color that would make a distinctive gown or waistcoat. For example in The Pennsylvania Mercury and Universal Advertiser of 1775, "Run away . . . an English woman . . . now a servant . . . had on, . . . [an] old patched reddish colour'd gown" as cited in Wenches, Wives and Servant Girls. Light brown 50/3 linen thread is the best match to this linen. |
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Brown WLN 535~7 oz., 58" wide, $11.00/yd. This brown has a hint of pink tones within it and will make a nice gown or petticoat or for a man a coat or waistcoat. For example in The Connecticut Journal of 1775, "ranaway, a Frenchman, lately from Canada . . . had on a reddish brown lapped coat; lined with red, a vest of the same colour" as cited in personal communication with Mike Barbieri. Brown 50/3 linen thread is the best match to this linen. |
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Brown WLN 534~7 oz., 58" wide, $11.00/yd. This brown has a hint of red tones within it. This linen will make a nice gown or petticoat or for a man a coat or waistcoat. For example in The Connecticut Journal of 1775, "ranaway, a Frenchman, lately from Canada . . . had on a reddish brown lapped coat; lined with red, a vest of the same colour" as cited in personal communication with Mike Barbieri. Brown 50/3 linen thread is the best match to this linen. |
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Chocolate Brown WLG 1357.5 oz., 60" wide, $13.00/yd. Unbleached linen in the 18th century was usually referred to as brown although some may argue it is dyed. This 7 oz. linen has more body and is good for outer garments such as in The Virginia Gazette in 1773, "a Cooper, born in Ireland carried with him, a brown Linen Coat, Jacket and Trousers". Brown 50/3 linen thread will blend with the color of this linen. |
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Mustard WLG 1316.5 oz., 60" wide, $13.00/yd. Osage orange (for early 19th century reenactors), golden rod, chicory and several other plants will make an earthy yellow very similar to this linen. For example in The Pennsylvania Gazette of 1773, "Run away . . . an Irish servant woman . . . had on . . . a yellow under petticoat, with red binding" is cited in Wenches, Wives and Servant Girls. Light brown or beige 50/3 linen thread would blend with the color of this linen. |
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Yellow WLN 533~7 oz., 55" wide, $11.00/yd. At Vincennes, Indiana the dyer working across from us was dyeing linen using chicory and getting a color very similar to this yellow. Osage orange (for early 19th century reenactors), golden rod, chicory and several other plants will make an earthy yellow very similar to this linen. For example in The Pennsylvania Packet of 1777, "Ran away . . . an Irish servant girl . . . had on a striped lincey short gown, yellow petticoat" is cited in Wenches, Wives and Servant Girls. Canary yellow 50/3 linen thread would blend with the color of this linen. |
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Orange WLN 545~5 oz., 59" wide, $8.00/yd.
Osage orange (for early 19th century reenactors), and several other plants will make a orange similar to this linen. For example in The Pennsylvania Packet of 1777, "Ran away . . . an Irish servant girl . . . had on a striped lincey short gown, yellow petticoat" is cited in Wenches, Wives and Servant Girls. Orange 80/3 linen thread is a shade darker than this linen. |
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Yellowish WLN 52053% linen, 47%cotton, 4.5 oz., 56" wide, $6.00/yd. Osage orange (for early 19th century reenactors), golden rod, chicory and several other plants will make an earthy yellow very similar to this linen. For example in The Pennsylvania Gazette of 1783, "Run away . . . a Servant Maid . . . had on, when she went away, a . . . yellow petticoat, yellowish short gown" is cited in Wenches, Wives and Servant Girls. Beige 50/3 linen thread would blend with the color of this linen. |
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Pale Blue WLN 546100% Linen, ~5 oz., 61" wide, $8.00/yd.
Although not very common, aprons and c. 1750s shirts are occasionally described as blue. For example in London's The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, of 1789 "ROSE FLOOD was indicted for feloniously stealing . . . one blue linen apron, value 6 d." Pale blue 80/3 linen thread is the closest match to this linen. |
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Grayish Blue WLN 52453% Linen/47% Cotton, 4.5 oz., 56" wide, $6.00/yd. Although not very common, aprons and c. 1750s shirts are occasionally described as blue. For example in a 1694 criminal trial recorded in The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, London "Ann Wilson, alias Mayheu, was tried for stealing a Blue Linen Pocket Apron, value 2 d. and 15 s. in money". Pale blue 80/3 linen thread is the closest match to this linen. |
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Light Blue WLN 52253% Linen/47% Cotton, 4.5 oz., 56" wide, $6.00/yd. Although not very common, aprons and c. 1750s shirts are occasionally described as blue. For example in London's The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, of 1789 "ROSE FLOOD was indicted for feloniously stealing . . . one blue linen apron, value 6 d." Pale blue 80/3 linen thread is the closest match to this linen. |
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Light Blue WLN 52159% Linen/41% Cotton, 4.5 oz., 56" wide, $6.00/yd. Although not very common, aprons and c. 1750s shirts are occasionally described as blue. For example in London's The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, of 1789 "ROSE FLOOD was indicted for feloniously stealing . . . one blue linen apron, value 6 d." Pale blue 80/3 linen thread is the closest match to this linen. |
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Medium Blue WLG 1696.5 oz., 59" wide, $13.00/yd. Although not very common, aprons are occasionally described as blue. In The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, London, in 1780 "ELISABETH HUMPHREYS was indicted for stealing a blue linen apron, value 1 s." Pale blue 50/3 linen thread is the closest match to this linen. |
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Medium Blue WLN 40053% linen, 47% cotton, 4.5 oz., 59" wide, $6.00/yd. Although not very common, aprons and c. 1750s shirts are occasionally described as blue. For example in The Virginia Gazette, of 1751 "RAN away . . . an Irish Convict Servant Man . . . He carried with him two blue linen Shirts". Pale blue 80/3 linen thread is the closest match to this linen. |
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Blue WLG 2086.5 oz., 60" wide, $13.00/yd. Although not very common, aprons and c. 1750s shirts are occasionally described as blue. For example in London's The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, of 1791 "JONATHAN STUBBS was indicted for stealing . . . thirty-three yards and three quarters of blue linen, value 1 l. 18 s." Pale blue 80/3 linen thread is the closest match to this linen. |
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Teal WLG 1346.5 oz., 60" wide, $13.00/yd. Some linens were described as "copperas coloured". Copperas was used as both a dye and a mordant and there is considerable confusion as to what color copperas was. Nonetheless, this is one of the many possible shades of copperas. In 1796 "RUNAWAY . . . an indented Apprentice . . . He wore away a Copperas coloured Linen Jacket and Trowsers" was advertised in Rhode Island. Pale blue 50/3 linen thread is the closest match to this linen. |
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Blue WLN 5035.4 oz., 56" wide, $8.00/yd. Although not very common, aprons and c. 1750s shirts are occasionally described as blue. For example in London's The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, of 1789 "ROSE FLOOD was indicted for feloniously stealing . . . one blue linen apron, value 6 d." Pale blue 80/3 linen thread is the closest match to this linen. |
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Dark Blue WLG 1667.5 oz., 60" wide, $13/yd. During the War of 1812 blue linen hunting frocks were used by some US regiments of riflemen. This is the blue many of these regiments use. In the Old Bailey criminal trials, London in 1779 "MARY JAMES and MARY COLD were indicted for breaking and entering the dwelling-house of Robert Tallworthy . . . and stealing . . . a blue linen apron, value 6 d." Navy blue 35/2 linen thread will work well when hand sewing this linen. |
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