ETN Field Trip – Flax in Belgium and Northern France

In 2024, Eva-Liisa Kriis participated in the ETN Field Trip – Flax in Belgium and Northern France, organised by the European Textile Network. The study tour provided a comprehensive overview of the European flax and linen industry, covering the complete production chain from flax cultivation and fibre processing to spinning, weaving and the manufacture of high-quality linen textiles. Visits included flax-processing facilities, spinning mills, weaving mills, museums and design studios in Belgium and northern France.

The study visit followed the completion of her research project Technological Reconstruction of Historical Estonian Linen Fabrics. Although the reconstruction of flax from fibre to finished cloth was not part of that research, the project inspired a deeper interest in the earlier stages of historical flax production. The field trip provided an opportunity to study the complete technological chain from flax fibre to woven cloth and to exchange knowledge with researchers and craftspeople specialising in traditional flax processing. During the visit, a Dutch textile researcher who had reconstructed the complete process from fibre to finished fabric invited Eva-Liisa Kriis to continue studying these traditional techniques in the Netherlands.

The knowledge gained during the study visit broadened the technological context of the research without changing its original scope. The technological reconstruction of historical Estonian linen fabrics presented on this website remains based on carefully selected modern linen yarns, allowing the research to focus on historical weaving technology, weave structures, yarn systems, fabric density, shrinkage, finishing and the technological reconstruction of museum textiles.