Canvas linen table linen from Leitner Leinen

Description

“Canvas”

Canvas – the original, the elementary, the reduction to the weaving technique itself. With this fabric, Leitner Leinen returns to the roots of linen processing and gives textile form to a principle that is older than any design: the simple crossing of warp and weft in the classic plain weave. What is described as plain weave or cloth weave is the oldest and most basic form of textile construction – each weft thread crosses alternately over and under each warp thread. This process, unchanged for thousands of years, produces a fabric of maximum stability with a uniform structure. Canvas dispenses with ornamental complexity and makes the materiality of the linen itself the design principle. The special feature of Leitner weave lies in the use of different yarn thicknesses: The yarns are woven into a dense plain weave in the respective color shade and in the natural linen shade – with the exception of the pure white version, in which only white yarn is used. This combination of colored and natural yarn creates a subtle depth and liveliness that machine-made uniformity cannot achieve. What some may still remember as peasant linen is presented here as a contemporary reinterpretation: not rustic reminiscence, but reduced material aesthetics. Anyone who brings canvas to the table is not bringing decoration to the table, but a principle of craftsmanship: structure as form, weaving technique as aesthetics.

European organic linen

Linen for the table is a material with a long tradition in the temperate climate zones of Europe. The linen fiber, obtained from Western European flax cultivation, is characterized by its smooth, closed surface, which initially repels liquids. This protection makes it possible to react to spills before a stain forms. At the same time, linen is highly absorbent as soon as the fiber is soaked – a property that makes napkins functional. The natural smoothness creates the cool, firm feel that gives tablecloths their characteristic drape. Linen is naturally antistatic and bacteriostatic – properties that make it particularly suitable for contact with food. The fiber does not weaken with use, but becomes more supple. Linen develops patina instead of wear. Tablecloths made from European organic linen become softer over time without losing their structural strength. The GOTS certificate guarantees that no chemical bleaching agents or synthetic pesticides are used from cultivation to finishing.

The Weaving Mill

Since 1853 the Leitner Manufaktur in Ulrichsberg, Austria, has been weaving linen according to principles that can only be maintained through continuity in craftsmanship. Linen is produced using the classic plain weave – the oldest and most elementary of all weaving methods, in which weft and warp threads are interlaced in a simple alternation. What at first glance appears to be technical simplicity turns out to be precision work in execution: only through uniform thread tension and careful yarn selection is a fabric of the density and strength that qualifies canvas for everyday use created. Leitner Manufaktur works with mechanical looms whose precision lies in the fact that they do not smooth out the natural irregularity of the linen fiber, but rather absorb it. The use of different yarn thicknesses – colored yarn in combination with natural-colored linen – allows the characteristic structure of the material to stand out particularly clearly. This results in fabrics with a vibrancy that machine-made uniformity cannot achieve – a textile manifestation of handcrafted restraint in which the structure itself becomes a statement.

The product: Pure linen bed linen from Leitner Linen

Canvas is available as a tablecloth and napkin in various sizes. The fabric is made of 100 percent European pure linen in a classic plain weave and weighs 180 grams per square meter. The color palette comprises eight shades and ranges from clear pure white to the warm nuance of nature and cool stone. Sakura brings delicate pink tones and is reminiscent of cherry blossom, while Blue Fog conveys a light gray-blue. Terra appears as taupe, Linen as natural-colored linen on linen, Stone as a light stone grey, and Anthracite as the darkest tone lends the panel structural depth. Each color scheme has been designed to show off the characteristic canvas texture – the interplay of colored and natural yarn. The colors appear muted and restrained without losing their intensity. Canvas is a tablecloth for occasions where the table is not intended to make an impression through ornamental complexity, but through material presence – a timeless principle of handcrafted reduction.

✓ 100% European pure linen
✓ Classic plain weave with structural depth
✓ Available as a tablecloth and napkin in various sizes
✓ 8 colors: White, Natural, Sakura, Blue Fog, Linen, Terra, Stone, Anthracite
✓ GOTS-certified
✓ Woven in the Leitner Manufaktur, Ulrichsberg (Austria)

Care Instructions

Linen table linen can withstand temperatures up to 60 degrees, white qualities up to 95 degrees. Washing temperatures between 40 and 60 degrees are gentle on the fibers. Do not use detergents with optical brighteners – they bleach out the color pigments. Do not overfill the machine: linen needs freedom of movement. Spin at 800 to a maximum of 1,000 revolutions and remove the laundry slightly damp. Iron on the highest setting as long as there is still residual moisture. Linen loves heat and moisture – this is the only way to completely smooth out the fibers. Avoid the tumble dryer. Treat stains from red wine or coffee immediately with cold water – the smooth linen fibers release stains more easily when they react quickly.