It's spring, and that seems like a very good excuse for new bedding.
We just noticed that Garnet Hill is selling Hemstitched Italian Linen Bedding. We first bought vintage linen sheets at the old Treasure Island Flea Market years ago, and the vendor told us that once we'd slept on linen, we'd never want to sleep on anything else. She was right. Good linen's beautiful, timeless, durable, and incredibly comfortable. It breathes, and insulates, so it keeps you warm on cold nights and cool in the heat of summer.
I think 100% linen is really the way to go. I can recommend Belgian Huis-- they're a bit pricey, but I think you get what you pay for.
How's the texture on those? I don't associate linen with the crisp, smooth sheets I prefer.
How do they look if they are not ironed?
Does anyone know how it compares to egyptian cotton?
Don't forget Belgian linen-- also very high quality. I got some linen pillowshams in a great shade of brown a few years ago. They do get softer as you wash them, and if you iron them, they are practically starchy-- without the starch. They even maintain their crisp if you hang dry-- which is better for them, anyway. Really nothing like the cheap linen sheets I used to have, which were wrinkly even after ironing. And Barrett-- for my taste, egyptian cotton can be a bit too slick-feeling in a high thread count, and I think linen lasts much longer. But, in bedsheets more than most things-- to each her own.
Oh, this is great. I have one set of linen/cotton sheets, Ralph Lauren, found at TJ Maxx and passed on to me by a former roommate. I love them! They do have a different feel than crisp, stiff cotton sheets, and I didn't think I'd like them at first. But they are wonderfully soft and cool - you almost feel like you aren't covered with anything. They are my absolutely favorite sheets. I would like to save up for a higher quality set.
I do not see the actual fiber makeup on Garnet Hill's page, btw. I assume these are a blend - pure linen sheets are hard to find. Anyone know?
the linen company "area" sells all linen, linen cotton, and all cotton
in nice modern patterns and colors. they also have sample sales at least twice a year
Hello,
You all are crazy if you don't jump on these sheets. I went over to Ireland this past January and bought a set of 100% queen linen sheets direct from the mill and spent over $650 for the set (two pillow cases, and two flat sheets. I am a little bit of a junkie when it comes to any thing linen. The lead article is right, once you try linen sheets there is no going back to any form of cotton. I grew up thinking 200-, 400-thread count was more more more. Now I think quality. Fine Cotton sheets don't really do it for me anymore, except for the cotton bedding I've tried on fancy schmancy European Hotels.
Linen wears really well and doesn't really need ironing , if you ask me. I ironed them the first time and it was nice, but what really makes them right is to line dry them all day and have the sun and wind take care of them. If I recall they took me about two hours to iron because they recommend to iron them straight out of the washer. I looked into getting a Mangle (rotary iron) but the only compay I could find making them is Bosch and they wanted $8000 for their industrial model. My wife will not iron, and we've tried them both ways and prefer unironed. You should plan on sitting them out in the sun on a line, as you are not supposed to use bleach on real linen. Then sun will do quite a good job at killing off all the microbes that populate bedding.
I find the 100% linen sheets more comfortable in the summer. I don't buy the year round comment in the lead article, based upon my personal experience. Here in Oklahoma the summer is getting really hot, and you can be comfortable in these sheets. I found them really too cold for the winter months of January.
The brand I got in Ireland was Ferguson. I only knew of a Belgian company as the only other manufacturer, and they were even more costly than these from Garnet Hill. THe full set would be $375 instead of the $650 I spent. Colors look pretty rich too. I have found the sheets are quite stiff and soften with age, but are quite strong.
If I hadn't already splurged, I'd go for these in a heart beat.
Has anyone ever tried the bamboo sheets (70% bamboo+30% cotton they also sell at Garnet Hill? I am curious if anyone has any opinions as to how they might rate them on the egyptian cotton/linen continum.
Mark Zieg
Norman, OK
Linen sheets can be really nice in hot weather which I guess is why they're so popular in Europe. We prefer them during travel, particularly in the hot summer months to warm countries such as France, Italy, Germany, etc where they tend to be the main type used even more often than cottons/Egyptian Cotton. In my experience, linen sheet sets are harder (at least for me) to care for than Egyptian Cotton bedding IF you don't have an open line to dry them; in cities without lines, it can be problematic for care. They're so beautiful but just not easy to care for with machines. I've also found linen bedding not to stay as warm in the winter/cooler months whereas Egyptian Cotton seems to retain body heat better. These are the most beautiful colors I've seen-seems like linen holds dyes better initially, but mine have faded a bit/lost richness over time. It could be how I've cared for them, they seem to wrinkle more than cottons.
I do love the hemstitched, traditional finish which is REALLY hard to find in its authentic form, a true art and typically very expensive. I was a bit confused by the heading of this article that these linen sheets start from $75; when I went to the site, it appears only the cases start at $75; a four-piece Queen sheet set is $365 and the King Size Sheets are $425 per set. Based on people's comments regarding price, it seems I'm not alone in this initial confusion.
Linen is a wonderful fabric and France does a beautiful hemstitch; I really prefer the Italian hemstitching however, as they're known for the finest and most detailed hemstitch in the world. Frankly, if I'm going to spend this much on new sheets, I prefer the Italian sheets and the coolness of Egyptian Cotton because it naturally wicks moisture better than any material I've found WHILE staying softer than any other fabric. I think linen is supposed to be slightly better in moisture wick than cottons, however to me it just doesn't have the same softness as the Italian pure Egyptian Cotton sheets, especially the Italian Mako Egyptian Cotton. I like the Venus Rising Limited sets and if you're looking for duvets I purchased a linen duvet cover set from them about a year ago, which at the time had matching sheet sets available. Not sure if they have the linen fabrics this time of year/currently.
If you're like me and want the ease of care and softness of Egyptian Cotton, they have the best Italian Hemstitched linens I've found. The linen sets profiled look beautiful-just wish I had the space to care for air drying them.
My husband's (Italian) grandmother makes lace and has made linen sheets and tablecloths which I love. I'm always stealing them when we visit because no one seems to want them (especially the sheets). I've tried them but felt they were too rough but after reading this, I'll give them another try.
view sherry2's profile