Howdy!
I was once asked to teach a
class for a "collegium" being offered by a chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism. As, at the time, I was known for being someone who sewed, I was asked to talk about fabric and/or fibers that would have been available to people in the long ago days covered by The Society (roughly from early CE to about 1600, give or take).
I took the chance to put together a physical representation of the fibers that are known to have been available, and as many samples and definitions of fabric for which we had evidence. It was a lot of information, much more than I had expected!
Way back then, I had a lot of fun getting the information together, as well as gathering as many samples of the different types of fabric, in as many different fibers as I could. Recently, when I came across the rather large pile of fabric scraps and samples while digging through my fabric stash for suitable mask making material, it was fun to sit back for a minute and play with a bit of re-embroidered lace or a nice twill and remember.
Cotton is the cheaper choice, imo. If I have to choose something more mainstream, I'll go for a cotton, or at least a high cotton blend, (hoping for a long
staple ...). It's a hard fabric to like, other then the absorbency. It bags, will stretch out of shape, and is so hemmed in by the cheap, short staple, mass marketed/mass produced general use items, I have a hard time finding good quality cottons.
I know good cotton is out there, but it's easier to find a midline linen that is suitable than to find a good quality cotton. even with the newly revived interest in handwork that I see revitalizing the fiber providers.
I have found that linen is wonderful for wicking sweat away from skin, cooling as it does so - something desperately needed here in the humid South. You can machine wash and dry linen, making it softer with each time, boil the bejeezus out of it if necessary, and not have to worry about a continual shrinkage as you might with some low and mid quality cottons.
I have found linen toweling to be more absorbent, when it was softened, but until it started that path it was generally as stiff and hard to handle as you might expect from something worn to a Main Religious Holy Day, all pressed shiny, or put out by a Named Designer with the Spring Fashion Season.
I have some wet spun linen
thread waiting for me to find a crochet
project I'm willing to make with it, but it seems best suited for a soon-to-be softer lacey shawl, something for a summer evening, maybe.
I have found that cotton fabrics tend to be so variable, it doesn't make sense to label them under "cotton", but by the staple of the fiber, or the type of fabric it was turned into. Some short staple cotton fiber does excellently well as a knitted up dishrag or washcloth, or a soft comfortable blanket that can be repaired over and over.
Long staple cotton has earned the value it used to hold (way back when) when it was considered to be as dear as silk. Finding a really nicely made long staple cotton fabric and being able to indulge in petting it is definitely an experience. Granted, it is getting easier to find some of the long staple varieties, but the weaves are much coarser in the easily found versions, so the cotton "silk" remains elusive.
I have found that it's amazingly easy to find a good cotton canvas, and hemp canvas will last longer (imo, and based on the two samples of it I have seen, both made into all purpose short aprons and worn for any number of outside chores). If there's a linen canvas, and I don't know why there wouldn't be, I have yet to find it. To be honest I haven't been looking, though.
The one sample of
nettle yarn I was able to find is still in the skein it was sold to me as, aside from a
yard or so of sample that I used to experiment on and another handful that was handed out as part of a fiber class I once taught. Unfortunately, at that time, I was unable to find anything more.
I am looking forward to reading the other responses in this thread. So many experiences we all have had!
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