The Cotton Story
| T H E C O T T O N S T O R Y Cotton, or ‘White Gold’ as it is sometimes called is one of the oldest textiles known to man, originating, it is thought, at around 3000 years BC in South Asia. It is also the most widely used fabric with over 40% of the world’s textiles made from it. The Cotton Plant About two months after the cotton seeds are planted flower buds called squares appear. Three weeks later the blossoms open and the creamy white flowers turn to deep pink and fall off leaving seed pods called  ‘cotton bolls’ which resemble cotton candy floss. The fibres are separated from the seeds by a process called ginning and it is these fibres which are spun into cotton thread to make cloth. An average ‘boll’ will contain nearly 500,000 fibres of cotton and each plant may bear up to 100 ‘bolls.’ The Importance of Cotton The importance of cotton as a commodity has had, and still has, political significance through the centuries. In the 1700s, in England, it was against the law to import or manufacture cotton, because it was seen as essential to protect the sheep and wool industry. In India Mahatma Gandhi designed a portable spinning machine for the independence movement in support of the village economies. His strategy was built around the revival of traditional arts and skills that would feed local demand with local production. In recent times, with the world focus on the environment, new initiatives are being taken to support organic cotton growing as historically cotton has been one of the most heavily sprayed of all crops. The Quality of Cotton Thread Count The thread count of cotton has increasingly influenced how the quality of cotton, particularly bed linen, is assessed. Thread count is the number of threads, vertical and horizontal, in a one–inch square of fabric.  However, the thread count is not the only guide to quality, which is affected by other factors such as the ply and thickness of the threads. Ply refers to how many threads are wrapped together into a single thread. Single ply use threads on their own whereas two-ply are formed by two threads twisted together. So confusion can result from whether a 600 thread count sheet is 600 single threads or 300 double ply threads. There are other factors too which influence the quality. The thickness of the threads is one. Finer threads generally produce smoother, softer more delicate fabrics. How the fabric is treated can be a much more important factor than thread count in terms of the overall feel as can the final finishing. Cotton sateen for example, from which our Almado sheets (link to almado cotton sateen sheets) are made, has a weave with more yarn surface on the face of the cloth than other weaves, giving a softer feel and a more lustrous look. The Linen Story Linen is the oldest fabric known to man. It was the first fabric to be made from a plant, replacing the furs and skins worn by early man. The Egyptians were the first to produce linen which was regarded by them as a noble fabric. Linen became a luxury worn by royal households and the aristocracy, in both life and death, being used as part of the mummifying process. What is Linen? Linen is a natural fabric produced from the fibres of the flax plant. After harvesting the crop is laid out to ret, a process whereby the bark of the plant rots naturally so that the fibres loosen from the stem. It is an environmentally friendly plant and no part of it is wasted. The seeds are used for linseed oil and the bark for chipboard. The fibres are then combed, spun and woven and finished according to the way in which the fabric is to be used.  Linen is synonymous with elegance, comfort and durability and its lustrous sheen and texture ensures its continuing popularity for homeware and fashion. Our ‘ Hamptons’ collection of linen tableware comes in plains and stripes. The plains, the Hamptons Classics, are 100% pure linen and the Hamptons Stripes are 75% linen and 25% cotton. The Linen Lexicon The word linen, derived from the Latin linum meaning flax, plant has given rise to many other terms: Line: this is derived from the use of a linen thread to determine a straight line. Lining: from the fact that linen was often used to create a lining for wool and leather clothing. Lingerie: via French originally denoting underwear made of linen Linnet: a finch that eats flax seed. Linoleum: floor covering made from, amongst other things, linseed oil And finally some trivia, the world’s first condom was made from linen. |
