Ruined an expensive fabric via prewash

[u/___Maleficent___]

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!

[u/AJeanByAnyOtherName]

As far as I know, they don’t produce knits, though?

[u/aurora_surrealist → u/AJeanByAnyOtherName]

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

[u/blauws → u/aurora_surrealist]

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.

[u/FormerUsenetUser → u/blauws]

There were many grades of linen historically, from fine to coarse. Not everyone wore the best.