Linen Thread & Sewing Notions

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Linen thread uses a sizing system based on the lea. One lea equals 300 yards per pound. Thus a single ply 20 lea linen thread (expressed as 20/1) has 6,000 yards per pound. A 2-ply 20 lea linen thread (expressed as 20/2) has 3,000 yards per pound. All my linen thread is 2 ply. So 16/2 thread is 2,400 yards per pound, 20/2 thread is 3,000 yards per pound, 35/2 thread is 5,250 yards per pound, and 40/2 thread is 6,000 yards per pound. Visually the 16 and 20 lea threads look the same size, as do the 35 and 40 lea thread.

An examination of extant period woolen coats and smallclothes for the common class of people and soldiers shows they were sewn together with unbleached or undyed flax linen thread between 35 and 60 lea. There are also records of linen thread of various colors being provided to uniforms. Thus whether you sew together your coat or smallclothes with natural or dyed thread in either case you are being authentic. Buttonholes were worked using a heavier thread such as 16 or 20 lea which would generally match the color of the cloth.

Besides flax linen thread it was common to use mohair wool thread to construct cloth (ie wool) garments. Unfortunately mohair thread is not available today. The next closest fiber in appearance is silk thread, which is still available and was also used in period garments. As you might expect, silk thread was often used in garments of the higher class, but it does show up in common clothing as well.

Approximately 25 yards of thread is needed to assemble a coat, and an equal amount to work the buttonholes.

If you are sewing a linen garment, then use a flax linen thread. For example a shirt or shift would be sewn with a linen thread of the matching color between 35 and 60 lea. The buttonholes and thread buttons would use a heavier thread such as 16 or 20 lea.

To order any linen thread: click on this PDF icon and follow the instructions on the top of the page.
Linen Thread Order Form.pdf

40 weight Linen ThreadLinen handsewing thread, 40 lea, from Sweden. Top row: White, Cream (sold out), #470 Light Drab, #3 Light Grey*, #44 Yellow*. Bottom row: #48 Scarlet, #27 Dark Crimson (pictured against Coca-Cola Red), #45 Navy Blue, #8 Medium Brown*, #9 Dark Brown (sold out). Importer has discontinued the dyed colors, thus only a limited supply is available. See order form for quantity available.

10 yard skeins $1.00 each.
33 yard skeins of colors marked * are $2.50 each.

Linen handsewing thread, 20 and 40 weightLinen handsewing thread, 20 and 40 lea, from Ireland.
Available in Natural (unbleached), Dark Cream, Burgandy, Red, Navy Blue, Gold, and Dark Green. Also available in Natural White (half bleached) which is not pictured.
40 yard skeins are $3.

Most are also available in 1650 yard spools (20 lea) or 3300 yard spools (40 lea).
The Natural White (half bleached) and Natural (unbleached) spools are $17 for 20 lea, $24 for 40 lea; and the colors in either 20 or 40 lea are $29.

35 weight Linen ThreadLinen handsewing thread, 35 lea, from Sweden. Top row: #5013 Buff (sold out), #454 Brown Drab*, #503 Brown*, #702 Goldenrod*. Bottom row: #1007 Red (pictured against Coca-Cola Red), #701 Dark Green*, #515 Light Blue, #134 Sky Blue (sold out). Importer has discontinued this line, thus only a limited supply is available. See order form for quantity available.

10 yard skeins $1.00 each.
145 yard spools of colors marked * are $12.00 each.

Linen handsewing thread, 16 lea, for buttonholes, from Sweden. Importer has discontinued this line, thus only a limited supply is available. See order form for quantity available.

Linen Thread 16 wt Reds#517 Crimson, #617 Medium Crimson, #259 Dark Crimson (replaces #635) For reference, these are pictured against Coca-Cola Red.

Linen Thread 16 wt Greens#144 Pale Green, #8 Grass Green, #492 Teal Green, #588 Forest Green.

 

Linen Thread 16 wt Creams & browns #112 Beige (replaces #509), Natural (unbleached), #503 Light Brown, #657 Dark Brown. #592 Dark Brown is not pictured, but is a slightly lighter shade of brown than #657.

Linen Thread 16 wt Yellows to Browns#2030 Yellow, #639 Mustard Yellow, #3 (1224) Light Grey, #605 Royal Blue, #581 Dark Blue. Not pictured: White (bleached) and Black. #101 Goldenrod is not pictured, but it is a match to 35 lea #702 Goldenrod.

15 yard skeins $1.00 each.
50 yard skeins $3.00 each

600 yard spools of #581 Dark Blue are $13.00 each.

[Hook & Eyes]Coat hooks & eyes, large and are close in appearance to originals. They are solid brass with a black finish. Hooks & eyes were used to close the fronts of Regimental coats along the lapels and to hook together the skirts. One package of 4 sets/$1.00

beeswaxBeeswax - pure yellow beeswax. Beeswax should be applied to linen or silk thread prior to sewing to help keep the thread from fraying or breaking.

Small cake (1/8 oz) $.25 Medium cake (1/2 oz) $1.00 Large cake (1 oz) $ 2.00

Sewing Needles
These are not authentic replicas, but modern large eye 'Sharps' needles from England and available in three sizes. All packages come with a wire needle threader. $2.00 per needle package.
Sewing Needles TN Size 3 (.033" dia x 1.740" long) - for bulkier thread such as Size #10 or F silk buttonhole twist, or 16/2 linen. 16 needles per package.
Size 5 (.029" dia x 1.575" long) - for bulkier thread such as Size #10 or F silk buttonhole twist, and 20/2 linen, but a snug fit. 20 needles per package.
Size 7 (.026" dia x 1.450" long) - for finer thread such as size B silk or 40/2 linen. 20 needles per package.


Wire Needle Threaders TNWire Needle Threaders
These are definately NOT a period item, but extremely handy when trying to thread a needle in low light or a moving car. Package of five: $1.00


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