Description: Linen has a deep history in the Pacific Northwest — Oregon once operated one of the largest flax processing industries in North America, driven by wartime demand and WPA-era infrastructure. That industry collapsed in the mid-20th century, and with it, the domestic knowledge and supply chain that weavers once relied on.
That supply chain is being rebuilt.
This seminar traces the full arc of flax-to-linen production: from agronomic variety selection and growing in the Willamette Valley, through field retting, scutching, and hackling, to the characteristics of the resulting fiber and what it means at the loom. Participants will explore what it means to work with linen you can trace from a specific field, and how direct relationships with domestic producers are changing how fiber artists source and think about linen.
This seminar also highlights the work of Coast Fibers — one of the pioneering operations driving Oregon’s flax revival — and the North American Linen Association (NALA), the trade association Coast Fibers helped found to coordinate and accelerate the rebuilding of a domestic linen supply chain. Participants will leave with a clearer picture of where the industry stands today and how the craft community can engage with and support the return of North American linen production.
Fiber samples from Oregon-grown flax will be available for handling throughout the session.
Instructor: Shannon Welsh
Duration: 1/2 Day
When: June 18 – Afternoon
Level: All
Supplies that students will bring: None
Fee: $0
Materials Included: N/A