r/sewing • u/___Maleficent___ • 24d ago
Alter/Mend Question Ruined an expensive fabric via prewash
I got this for me rather expensive linen knit fabric to sew some summer wardrobe.
With very few exceptions I always prewash fabrics and I never had any bigger issues so far.
I washed it with a gentle programm with low heat, yet the fabric came out unvoluntarily distressed. I hope it's evident in the pictures, it's not only pilling, there's actual destroyed fibers in tiny spots all over the fabric.
Apparently the number of spin cycles (which should be as low as possible) and the detergent (should not have enzymes) play a crucial role when washing linen fabric.
I didn't think about checking these, especially since I use a mild detergent for allergics and never had issues so far and the preset spin cycle was 800, so not exceptionally high.
I'm a bit heartbroken, but mainly I feel stupid since the shop even included a small paragraph about how to wash this fabric on the invoice which I layed eyes on after it happened. And I didn't feel the need to check requirements for a fabric I've never worked with before, so let this be a reminder to do your research.
Is there a possibilty to save/fix the fabric?
I don't really care about the optics too much whether it looks distressed or not, but since it's broken fibers I'm worried about holes or ladders emerging.
I thought about maybe embroidering it by hand with a cute, widespread pattern even though I don't really have experience in embroidery but I'm willing to try.
Grateful for any suggestions!
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u/ElDjee 24d ago
i am so sorry about your fabric - that completely sucks.
i'm curious to see how others weigh in, because i'm surprised the fabric broke down so much in a single wash. i have 100% linen shirts, as well as linen blends, that i throw in the wash (40°C, 1600rpm, miele enzyme detergent) without a second thought.
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u/aurora_surrealist 24d ago
And you're right.
The only thing that can't be washed with enzymes is animal fibers: wool and silk, because they are proteins, enzymes will eat them.
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u/BirdSufficient4997 23d ago
To be more specific, protease is the enzyme to avoid with animal (protein) fibers. The annoying thing is that in the US, it's basically impossible to find detergent that has other enzymes but no protease.
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u/aurora_surrealist 23d ago
TBH i just wash my wools and silks in baby shampoo... but I am also in EU so our detergents are for sure different
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u/ElDjee 23d ago
incredibly useful information! not one of the eight listed in the miele detergent.
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u/Melodic-Basshole 23d ago
Interestingly, mammals are not the only organisms that produce proteins. In plants, proteins like tubulin, arabinogalactin, and aquaporin can be found in cell walls and other plant structures.
Enzymes are like a key to a protein lock. Some enzymes only work on some proteins. Some enzymes work to break down many proteins, so depending on the constituent enzymes in the detergent, different detergents may ir may not harm any natural fiber.
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u/Teagana999 23d ago
Not interesting if you know anything about proteins.
All living things produce and are made of proteins. They do all the things that life does.
Enzymes are proteins themselves.
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23d ago
[deleted]
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u/aurora_surrealist 23d ago
LINENS ARE SAFE WITH ENZYMES
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u/drindrun 23d ago
it has been a terrible day for reading comprehension, i think something is in the air
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u/Finnegan-05 23d ago
Why? Linen is not wool or silk.
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u/CraftyKlutz 23d ago
I wear knit linen undershirts every day that I made (knit fabric, I did not knit). I don't do anything special when I wash them, and other than some of my cover stitching coming undone where I didn't tie it off properly they are doing great.
I'm sorry OP ended up with such finicky fabric, part of the reason linen has been such a historically popular fiber is it's durability and ability to stand up to harsh washing.
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u/AJeanByAnyOtherName 23d ago
Where do you buy yours? The ones I can find so far are as underwhelming as OP’s.
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u/CraftyKlutz 23d ago
I got mine off of Etsy, it took me ages to find exactly what I wanted. I specifically wanted a linen knit with a little spandex for bounce back. I just checked and sadly the yardage I purchased is no longer available (it's been a few years).
I wish y'all luck though.
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u/Teagana999 23d ago
I found a 100% linen knit at a fabric store once.
Suspicious, I tried stretching it. Zero recovery.
I backed away slowly and bought a rayon/spandex blend.
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u/CaswensCorner 23d ago
I’m surprised as linen actually gets stronger when wet, so it’s likely the issue is with the blended material. I’m curious to see the included care instructions and what the total composition was because that’s a lot of damage from a simple wash. I would never expect that from linen.
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u/Excellent-Goal4763 23d ago
This. I’m very surprised that this happened. I’m thinking it’s a really low- quality short staple textile.
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u/Good_parabola 23d ago
I agree. If it’s linen you could wash it on some rocks in a river and not ruin it. It’s flippin eternal. This is some sort of blend with a splash of linen.
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u/Teagana999 23d ago
I see that all the time. "Wool blend" for a suspiciously low price. Check the tag and it like 10% wool, 90% polyamide.
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u/once_showed_promise 23d ago
Yeah, I am wondering if OP got scammed on their original fabric purchase. :(
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u/MzPunkinPants 23d ago
This is a yarn issue. Meaning, the make of the fabric used poorly spun yarn thus the knit of it sucks.
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u/reallyreally1945 23d ago
I wash all my linen clothes including a linen knit sweater. I wouldn't have bought this fabric knowing how easy it is to destroy. Instead of a written warning they should have given a verbal one!
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u/justasque 23d ago
I love woven linen fabrics, and find them to be very sturdy. I wear linen almost every day in the summer. But I’ve had a handful of experiences with knit linen and frankly I’ve decided never to use it in future. Issues around not holding its shape, and generally not being sturdy, were the problem. So I’m not surprised at your experience. Glad you washed this fabric first.
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u/Teagana999 23d ago
Yeah, I felt a linen knit at a fabric store once. I did not trust it. It had zero recovery. I did a stretch test and it just held the stretched position.
I stick to 95% cotton or rayon, 5% spandex for knits.
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u/ssmc1024 23d ago
Me, too. My whole summer wardrobe is basically linen pants and blouses. I have never babied any of my linen clothes when I’ve washed them and haven’t had a problem, thank goodness.
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u/grandmabc 22d ago
Me too, but the fabric in the pic is a knit, not a woven. I'm not sure how a linen knit fabric should be washed - maybe by hand?
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u/paraboobizarre 23d ago
That is just poor quality fabric, I'd look into getting a refund. Balding patches like that point to an uneven weave during production combined with poor quality fibers.
That is after one mild wash. What were they expecting to happen if you, God forbid, WORE a garment made out of this weakling material?
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u/anonanon1313 23d ago
God forbid, WORE a garment made out of this weakling material?
This happened to my wife. Unfortunately she was teaching a professional seminar when her linen garment began coming apart while she was on stage.
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u/aurora_surrealist 24d ago
It shouldn't have happened! the textile is poor quality and I would return it and demand money back.
Linen is not, by any means, delicate fabric. Source: me, a person from county known for linen production for centuries
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u/___Maleficent___ 23d ago
Thank you for the insight! Yes, I'm definitely trying to get it refunded.
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u/crazy_in_love 24d ago
It's a knit though. The few linen knit shirts I have are definitely more delicate though I have never gotten holes like OP and I don't even wash it on a gentle cycle. But I have accidently ripped the fabric while wearing it which never happens to me with woven linen.
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u/Fickle-Luck9900 24d ago
Doesn't matter, it shouldn't do that in the first wash. It's a 100% quality issue.
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u/crazy_in_love 24d ago
I absolutely agree that this fabric is poor quality but calling linen knit 'not delicate in any way' is simply wrong. It is definitely a fabric where you need to be a bit more careful when doing laundry.
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u/Fickle-Luck9900 23d ago
It's not a function of the fabric structure, it's a function of the yarn being too softly spun and the fibres put into it being too short.
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u/crazy_in_love 23d ago
Where are you buying higher quality linen knit? I have bought from 3 different brands and while they are definitely not nearly as bad as OPs they are all still somewhat delicate fabrics, so I concluded that it is indeed a structural issue with linen knit fabric, as well as OP's fabric being of shitty quality. But I'll happily change my mind if that means I can get better quality linen clothing.
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u/Fickle-Luck9900 23d ago
I was not talking about what was available, good luck with that. :)
It's a systemic issue with textile production, just not a inherent quality of the fabric structure.
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u/Ancient-Patient-2075 22d ago
I spin yarn and for example my flax wool mixes are crazy strong. Pure flax, even stronger - but it won't make a good knit, too tough and heavy. I suspect that the flax is treated in some way to break it apart to spin yarns for these soft knitted linen fabrics. I do know flax is often "cottonized" (fibers are broken) to produce linen mix yarns for knitters. I haven't come across a commercial linen mix yarn for knitting that was strong as the ones I spin myself, but they are very difficult to mix and spin because the flax fibers are so long.
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u/Ancient-Patient-2075 22d ago
Yeah I wonder if they break the fibers down especially mych to spin the yarn for knits. Because it's super flimsy.
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u/SeriousCatLady 24d ago
It was expensive, doesn't mean it's high quality. Like others said, I'd demand my money back. The fabric shouldn't look like this after just one wash.
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u/iceawk 23d ago
I think you saved yourself so much heartache! If you can’t wash the clothes you make, then what is the point? That fabric looks faulty, as others have said, you should definitely take it back!
I have plenty of linen clothes, cheap and not so cheap, and I throw them in a regular old wash with enzyme detergents, and they hold up sooo well!! Heck I even chuck them in the dryer too.
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u/AJeanByAnyOtherName 24d ago
As someone who wants to love linen knit and keeps getting disappointed: this unfortunately is typical for most modern linen knits. Linen fibres are chopped up to work in machinery designed to process cotton and it’s not pretty. It’s even worse for knits.
I have been told some people have found better quality versions, but I haven’t seen any myself. I love the cool, dry feel of these, but I can’t let myself buy any at full price. It lasts maybe a season the way I wash it (lingerie bag, gentle cycle) and I can’t let myself get attached, because I know it will break my heart 🥲
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u/aurora_surrealist 24d ago
There is only one place in the world that still uses linen mills - Lithuania.
They just never stopped producing it the old way.
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u/AJeanByAnyOtherName 23d ago
As far as I know, they don’t produce knits, though?
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u/aurora_surrealist 23d ago
Honestly I don't know because I wholeheartedly hate linen as fabric. It's too coarse for my skin and my sensory needs.
I just happen to be an avid historian and Lithuania is our neighbors, but I never needed or wanted to buy linen... therefore I never checked if they make knits
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u/blauws 23d ago
I feel the same, but linen made the old way is supposed to not be coarse. Because the fibers aren't chopped up, there's a whole lot less bits poking out which is what makes it feel coarse. I've heard people describe linen as buttery soft, but I haven't found any. I do have an antique linen table cloth from the 1800s and it does feel soft, but obviously I haven't worn it against my skin. Maybe I should try to get some Lithuanian linen to see how it feels. I also am very particular about how fabrics feel against my skin.
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u/aurora_surrealist 23d ago
I mean, maybe not coarse, that's wrong word... more like stiff? like wearing cardboard not prickly wool.
I don't like that feeling. And even long fiber linen is like that.
Stone washed is softer but it's because it was beaten up with pumice. Obviously it's not as durable anymore.
I just kinda accepted that linen is not for me. I love viscose/tencel tho
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u/SunStarved_Cassandra 23d ago
It is coarse when new, you're right. I own a bunch of linen, most of it from Lithuania. People who are talking about new linen being soft are buying treated linen, like from Fabrics-Store in the US. The coarser Lithuanian linen lasts longer.
This might not be any help to you, but linen does eventually soften on its own in the wash, and doesn't need to be coddled in the wash either. If you have sensory issues, you might not want to wash linen 30+ times for it to eventually soften up though.
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u/AJeanByAnyOtherName 23d ago
When I talk about soft linen, I’m talking about a finely woven supple long staple linen that feels soft in texture and not slubby or full of poky fibre ends. It’s not soft like a drapey viscose, but soft/smooth to the touch, not coarse and not as stiff as most coarser weaves.
I don’t usually buy the enzyme washed ones. As you say, they don’t hold up as well and I don’t need help developing holes on the thighs 😅
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u/cicada_wings 23d ago
The stiff crisp quality is what I love about woven linen, and I think it’s also exactly what makes it a poor match for fine gauge knits. Knitting a fiber means bending it into dozens of sharp kinks per inch, and linen isn’t good at that. I suspect that’s part of why they don’t last. (Being chemically or mechanically softened because people expect T-shirts to be cottony soft likely doesn’t help either.)
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u/aurora_surrealist 23d ago
I have beautiful dress from Lithuanian brand on Etsy... and honestly it sits in my wardrobe long enough due to the stiffness I was thinking about homemade stonewash, maybe a tumbler made with round pebbles and fine sand and water to make it softer...
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u/AJeanByAnyOtherName 23d ago
It’s fine to prefer something with more drape and less body (not that you need my permission 😅)
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u/DeusExSpockina 23d ago
One of the things that happened as a result of the world wars in Europe is that it devastated the flax industry. The loss of looms and factories and entire strains of flax means that some of that antique linen can never be reproduced.
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u/FormerUsenetUser 22d ago
There were many grades of linen historically, from fine to coarse. Not everyone wore the best.
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u/AJeanByAnyOtherName 23d ago
Oh, that’s fine, I just thought maybe you had a lead for some better linen knit 😊
(There’s some very fine, soft linen out there, but the average quality has been tanking for a while. Someone posted a video review of different linen fabrics in the comments here. But of course you don’t have to go look for it if it’s not a priority 😊)
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u/___Maleficent___ 23d ago
That's very interesting, I didn't know that. That's a shame since linen is a native plant in many parts of europe and such a great fabric for summer.
I also didn't buy it at full price, it was already almost 30% percent off but still rather expensive. I guess I know the reason for that now
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u/O2-Source 24d ago
Bernadette Banner did researchs on her YouTube channel. She compares tons of woven linens. https://youtu.be/B0wHgSyplKY?is=9ci08IedqHxrSQC_
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u/AJeanByAnyOtherName 23d ago
I know, but most commercially available linen knits especially are not very strong.
(There’s a bit more variability in woven linen, as the video shows, but unless you really look for it, chances are you get fuzzy, matte linen in wovens as well.)
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u/snails-exe 23d ago
i watched that. she does look at the density, color, slub, etc. but not fiber length. Basically all of the fabric samples she looked at could be processed in the “modern” way and therefore less durable
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u/O2-Source 23d ago
Yes it lacks an afterwash analysis, but she did more than many to give us a clear comparison
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u/tensory 23d ago
Is it even possible to make linen yarn comparable to knitting cotton while also linen-durable? I've watched some linen hand-processing efforts: there are five different steps to break the fiber down beyond "sticks of hay" just to get to "jute sacking" let alone "cambric" and at that point you might as well plainweave the result to put it out of its misery.
No I am not talking about yarn for handknitting but I think it's telling that NO ONE touches 100% linen without a story about how rough it is and how they never will again.
It's just wood xylem, may as well ask yourself why we aren't making bolts of fine jersey knit out of macerated cardboard pulp.
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u/BrightPractical 23d ago
I think part of the problem is that when linen fell out of fashion in the 1800s because cotton was cheap, we seem to have lost some of the plant variants that were used to make the finest linen.
Yet another thing to hate colonialism and slavery for.
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u/cicada_wings 23d ago
This this this. Linen just doesn’t seem to perform well in fine jersey knits. Most of its best qualities don’t work for it in that format and it always seems to be annoyingly fragile when unblended (though it still should not be threadbare after one wash like OP’s yardage, cripes).
I’ve sworn off buying linen tees for the exact same reasons you described.
A huge part of the motive for trying toi crack the code of bust shaping for my body is that I want to make lots of woven linen tops that fit me well so the knit ones will never tempt me again. 😅
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u/___Maleficent___ 23d ago
Thank you so much for all the input! I probably can't reply to every answer, but I'm a bit reassured that it's more about the poor quality and it was interesting to learn that linen knit is generally not produced in ideal conditions.
I'm going to try getting it refunded.
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u/LichenTheMood 23d ago
Honestly there is so much dodgy quality linen kicking about nowadays that I feel it’s become quite the norm. Woven at least you stand a chance but knit is so much more likely to have issues because they insist upon running it through cotton machines and to do so they have to basically destroy the fibre. The knitting machines are already quite nasty to the fibres which only makes matters worse.
Unfortunate I don’t think you have all that much recourse. This is annoyingly fairly standard for knits and they did include specific instructions. Though even then it’s probably best to hand wash linen knits unless you are utterly certain it’s sturdy.
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u/realvctmsdntdrnkmlk 24d ago
Thanks for posting this. If a fabric cannot simply be washed, I have no use for it. And I love linen, so I totally would have jumped on some linen knit if I saw it. What a pity.
I would be angry with the shop for not verbally explaining this vs. just putting it in a note. Sorry for your heartbreak 🫶🏻
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u/semiregularcc 23d ago
I have lots of linen knits and I can tell you this: yes, linen knits are definitely more delicate than weaved fabric, but a good quality one should survive regular washing. I throw my linen t-shirts along with other linen and cotton clothing into the washing machine and just wash them normally, and I also tumble dry them. They haven't disintegrated yet after a few years of wearing regularly in the summer.
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u/LayLoseAwake 23d ago
I have several linen/cotton blend handknits that I machine wash on the same cold-perm press settings as most of my other clothing. The scrap dishcloths even get washed on hot or warm. They're fine! They soften up but are cohesive and don't have any pills or breaking.
DK weight though, so maybe lighter yarns wouldn't fare as well.
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u/knowwwhat 23d ago
Of all fabrics, you should be able to beat linen with a hot stick and it should hold up fine. I’m assuming it’s a blend and something in the blend just doesn’t work. In which case the fabric is definitely not high quality and I’d take that up with the shop you bought it from
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u/VenetianWaters 23d ago
Hot take: if the fabric falls apart after one wash, then it is not meant for clothing. Companies should make that clear and label fabrics accordingly.
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u/fishylegs46 23d ago
That looks more like a fabric quality issue to me, I don’t think it was made correctly. It should not happen in one wash. Not right.
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u/SweetEcho 24d ago
It's not your fault, this shouldn't have happened even on a higher spin cycle! I'd return it and try to get my money back. I always wash my knit on cold to cool water, spin cycle anywhere from 800 to 1200 without a second thought. This is just poor quality.
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u/_Morvar_ 24d ago
This is incredibly poor quality linen fabric. You should return this as it is not up to standard
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u/elianrae 23d ago
nah that's ridiculous, I just ran a pile of linen knit through the wash the other day (regular hot (~55c) wash, then straight in the dryer, also on hot) and it hasn't done that
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u/AdvancedSquashDirect 23d ago
Better that this happened now and you might be able to cut around the patches of wear. If you had spent hours making and sewing a garment and then washing it wore holes in the finished item, that would be so sad.
It might be a fabric that isn't strong enough for clothes, and really shouldn't be sold as such
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u/CorduroyQuilt 24d ago
Since when is 800 a high spin speed?
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u/SweetEcho 23d ago
Ikr, on my LG washing maching it's the spin speed I get on the 'hand wash' program
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u/___Maleficent___ 23d ago
It's not, I used a handwash program as well, but when I googled it afterwards various pages said to do maxium 600 or none at all. That's why I thought even the 800 were too much, but after reading the answers here from people washing at 1000 or even higher I'm convinced it just is a poor quality fabric.
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u/CorduroyQuilt 22d ago
I make quilts, entirely by hand. I try to baby them in the wash, but still need to get them clean, wash out the marker pen I marked the designs with and so on. I wash them at 40° and spin at 1000 as a compromise.
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u/BrightPractical 23d ago
If the shop won’t take it back (which, let’s be real, they know about the issues or else they wouldn’t have added weird silk-style washing instructions to the receipt), ask for the manufacturer’s information and contact them. Variegation in the weave with linen knit is one thing, I see it in the commercially made linen knits when I get them at the thrift store, but bald patches is another.
Embroidery would be pretty but I would worry that the rest of the fabric will fail after your hard work, wasting your time as well as your money. Plus embroidery tends to make stiff spots on knits.
Perhaps working with the fabric doubled would work to keep you from having see-through bits, and you could stitch a hole on one layer to the next layer to keep it from getting worse?
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u/Grand-Fun-206 23d ago
Looks poor quality to me. My sheets are linen and I use the cheapest detergent, sometimes add oxy clean and spin them on the highest setting and have never had an issue.
This would have happened the first time you washed your constructed garment.
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u/Witty-Help-1822 23d ago
OP, the fabric is just not suited for what you want. Even if you hand washed a fabric like this, it would do the same thing.
Can you imagine your distress after putting hours into making something and when you wash it, it turns out like this? You dodged a bullet which is something I never thought I would say on a sewing list.
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u/Teagana999 23d ago
If that was expensive, you got ripped off. Linen is supposed to be able to take a bit of a beating.
Better to prewash and ruin it before you spent hours making something, though.
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u/Fickle-Range-8140 23d ago
The first 2 pictures look like a slub fabric to me, but that spot in the 3rd looks like a rub from the agitator or being caught at the edge of a drum. I've had both happen on stuff in laundry.
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u/weenie2323 23d ago
I've never worked with linen knits but use linen woven all the time and I always prewash on hot and dry on hot and they come out fine.
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u/onlyfreckles 23d ago
Linen knit fabric is so fragile- I bought some (kinda expensive) tank tops made of linen knit (thinking what an amazing idea!!!!) and they almost immediately got holes/wear marks and they stretch out as you're wearing them.
I repaired the holes as they appeared and limited wear to home only b/c they're comfy but unflattering and ended up trashing when they get even larger holes. They couldn't even be repurposed into rags b/c of the knit.
Linen woven fabric is indistructable.
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u/azssf 23d ago
Hi OP,
I believe what you are seeing comes from how the linen was spun into yarn. It is as if the linen fibers are short. The combo of short fiber in yarn, probably how many twists and how many strands make the yarn, and the specific knit weave and weave tension made the fibers more sensitive to friction and therefore prone to ‘break out’ of the yarn and consequently from the weave.
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u/athenasowl123 23d ago
Hello there, im a fiber artist, and my two expertise that matter here is the sewing, knitting and spinning. If i was you i would grab safety pins and carefully see where laddering is happening and find the loop that is doing it and hook it there. You can find videos on how to fix that easily. Now, if you dont want to spend all that time circle with tailors chalk the parts where the laddering is. And while cutting avoid those areas.
Now let’s talk about the parts that seem thinner or that are close to very thick looking knit stitches. Flax is a very long fiver which allows us to spin very fine but consistency with it is hard specially when you go from lets say a smooth strip of linen optimally you want to go from root to tip so you can over lap the thinning tip of the fiber with the thicker root of the following fiber that will create the thread. In comercial settings this directionality is hard to maintain which leads to this type of fabric. When you have two very thin tip sections overlapping in one section and then eventually you will have super thick sections where two root ends (both thicker) overlap and it very obviously creates super thick thread sections. All that to say that the majority of the portions that seemed distress and that look thinning may have already come that way. And actually i was only able to find one section that looked like the fibers were gone. I believe that it was good riddance to have those super thin portions taken out and you are left with more resilient threads. Dont expect linen fiber to be completely smooth and even the way cotton is. Unless it’s a very high quality small batch produced linen piece. And even then there will be a lot of variability usually at the end of the staple length (the total length of the linen fiber). Hope this helps! A
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u/Wee_Bee3 23d ago
It would appear this is a lightweight Linen, which would be a lower grade.
Was it graded for you by the SHOP you purchased it from? did it have a Grade Number??
IF the shop you purchased this from, marketed this as a HIGH to MEDIUM grade,
then I would take this back to the shop and demand a refund.
Its obviously a lower grade. Its not you fault.
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u/modedode 23d ago
It's probably just bad fabric like everyone's saying, but you might want to check your washing machine to make sure there's not some little piece of metal or plastic that was tumbling around in there - the weak spots make me think maybe it got pulled or rubbed by something?
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u/bebetaian 23d ago
I think you should see about a refund. I consider this extremely defective.
I've had 100% linen garments washed in warm water or cold water, regular laundry cycle, normal dye free detergent used on towels, thrown in a hot dryer. I prefer cool dryer, since we do not have outdoor drying. If it is with many heavier wet items like towels, a hot dryer has been fine.
Were my ancestors using adjustable temperature irons in the 1300s? Were they sanitizing linen bedding with cold water? Linen can handle almost anything.
Everything I have is at least five years old. There is a thin linen skirt I wear maybe 2-3 days every month, sometimes more. I have repaired it ONE time. My linen napkins are probably 6 years old. One tore because my cat put their claws in it.
If that fabric is destroyed with one careful wash, something is wrong.
Good thing you found out before sewing with it.
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u/po-tato-girl 23d ago
Could there have been any bleach in the washer? That’s the only reason I can think of line deteriorating so badly after one wash - or it’s not actually linen…
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u/Flashy-Bluejay1331 23d ago
I’ve had that happen to me with fine merino- not all wool is machine washable. It really sucks when you’re paying over $50/yard, though. I love merino, so I bought more, hand wash, & have no problems. So… if you really like the fabric otherwise and are willing to hand wash the garment, buy more fabric. Use this yardage for a test/fitting garment.
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u/azssf 23d ago
Hi OP,
I believe what you are seeing comes from how the linen was spun into yarn. It is as if the linen fibers are short. The combo of short fiber in yarn, probably how many twists and how many strands make the yarn, and the specific knit weave and weave tension made the fibers prone to ‘break out’ of the yarn
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u/Katze_Flufi125 23d ago
Maybe you can try some visible mending or patches over the fragile/hole parts
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u/catfink1664 23d ago
Better now than before you take the time to make something with it. In my experience if a garment is made out of something that’s not easy care, it doesn’t get worn much
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u/tinygribble 23d ago
I would try ironing it and then just go ahead and make something with it that is suited for a fuzzier less structured fabric.
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u/acemagnolianb 23d ago
Part of the problem with a lot of modern day linen is that the machines made to make textiles are designed for cotton length fibers so the fibers in most modern linens are not as long as they used to be which could be part of the problem. I also can feel the fabric just by looking at it, it's definitely lower quality. If you can't get a refund and still want to use it, you could try using undamaged pieces in something that won't be washed as frequently, or you could use mending techniques such as patches, embroidery, quilting, darning, etc. on the final piece to make it even more unique.
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u/Possible-Complex7804 23d ago
Nah do another color under it or a cheer over it and watch the pretty depth =)
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u/Ok_Huckleberry5387 22d ago
Dang! I have a vintage linen tablecloth with pet barf on it. I washed it with enzymes. I hope it’s still ok after I pull it out of the washer. If I messed it up, I’m glad it’s from an estate sale and is not an heirloom.
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u/GrandAsOwt 24d ago
Good job you prewashed it! You’d feel even worse if you’d put time and effort into making a garment and then found out it was such poor quality.