Wools - Linsey Woolsey, Bag Hose, Jean Cloth/Virginia Cloth, Special Weaves

Wools

Wool was the most common fabric in New England in the 18^th century and used to make all garments because of its durability. It was not only used for warmth but, worsteds, due to their absorbency and ability to breathe, are cool when used in the summer. It accepts dyes easily and is available in many colors.

Bag Hose | Linsey Woolsey | Broadcloth | Worsted | Flannel | Bay | Jean Cloth/Virginia Cloth | Specialty Weaves

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Bag Hose

Bag hose fabric was used to make both Scottish trews and hose as may be seen in this detail of the 1780 The Highland Wedding and this picture of a 1744 Highland soldier. Bag hose fabric may be purchased by the bolt at wholesale prices so please contact us. This is in a limited supply (this is a one time weaving of this hard to find fabric). When the fabric is fulled it will shrink to about 53" wide. It takes approximately 1 to 1 1/2 yards of bag hose fabric to make a pair of size 9 bag hose. Directions for well fitting bag hose may be found in the book Baghose: The construction of (diced or otherwise). Off white linen thread of 35/2 will work well for this fabric when hand sewing.

If you like this fabric you might also be interested in these other plaid wools. The books Tartan: The Highland Habit and The Black Watch at Ticonderoga may also be of interest.

Bag Hose Fabric, 100% wool, 58" wide.
$54/yd. Now only 48.95/yd.

Bag hose fabric for Scottish historic reenactors and museum interpreters.

WWH 100 scarlet red/white/black check
shown before (top) and after fulling (lower).

Add Diced Bag Hose WWH 100 to Cart

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Bag Hose Fabric, 100% wool, 58" wide.
$54/yd.

Bag hose fabric for Scottish historic reenactors and museum interpreters.

WWH 101 scarlet red/white check
shown before (top) and after fulling (lower).

Add Check Bag Hose WWH 101 to Cart

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Linsey Woolsey

Linsey Woolsey
55% linen 45% wool, 56" wide, $29.95/yd.

Linsey woolsey (also called lincey or linsey) gained its strength from its linen warp threads and color and warmth from its woolen weft threads. Because of this the stripes run across the fabric rather than with its length. Linsey woolsey is a very old fabric being mentioned twice in the Bible. Linsey was extremely popular for clothing the poor in England and America from (at least) the 16th to 19th centuries and in the 18th century was especially common for women's gowns, jackets and petticoats and for men's under jackets, waistcoats and occasionally coats, linings, trousers, leggings, aprons, hunting shirts, and bed curtains. In the book Recreating The American Longhunter 1740-1790 Rev. Dr. Joseph Doddridge is quoted as saying the women on the western frontier wear "linsey petticoat and bed gown, which were the universal dress in early times". Our linsey woolsey is made of unbleached 100% linen warp threads and will soften with washing but wash as you would any fine wool: on delicate cycle and in cold water with minimal agitation. Lie the fabric flat to dry. Most shrinkage is 10% in the length or linen warp direction. When hand sewing this fabric try 35/2 off white linen thread.

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WLW 100 natural white

In The Virginia Gazette of 1772 "RUN away from the Subscriber [in] Maryland, the five following SERVANT MEN . . . All the above Servants had on under Jackets of white Linsey". When hand sewing this fabric use 35/2 off white linen thread.

Add Natural White Linsey Woolsey WLW 100 to Cart

Lincey woollsey for 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th century reenactors, military historians and museum interpreters.

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WLW 102 blue and brown stripe

In The Pennsylvania Packet,in 1781, "Ran away . . . a Scotch Servant Girl . . . had on and took away with her, 2 linsey petticoats, the one a red the other a blue stripe". When hand sewing this fabric try 35/2 off white or navy blue linen thread.

Add Blue and Brown Stripe Linsey Woolsey WLW 102 to Cart

Linsy woollsey fabric swatch for 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th century re-enactors, military historians and museum interpreters.

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WLW 103 natural stripe

In The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, London, in 1806, "MARY STAFFORD was indicted for feloniously stealing . . . a child's frock, value 1 s. and a child's petticoat, value 6 d . . . the child (she is three years old) . . . had only a little smock and linsey petticoat on then". When hand sewing this fabric try 35/2 off white or cinnamon linen thread.

Add Natural Stripe Linsey Woolsey WLW 103 to Cart

Linsy woollsey fabric swatch for 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th century re-enactors, military historians and museum interpreters.

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Child in natural stripe linsey woolsey (WLW 103) gown.

Young child in the Mill Farm Girl's Gown made of natural stripe linsey woolsey (WLW 103). The child at right is wearing a mixed wool flannel gown. Both are comfortable at this cool October gathering.

WLW 104 black and brown stripe

In The Pennsylvania Chronicle, in 1772, "Ran away . . . a Scotch servant woman . . . Had on . . . [a] stripe linsey petticoat". When hand sewing this fabric try 35/2 off unbleached linen thread.

Add Black and Brown Stripe Linsey Woolsey WLW 104 to Cart

Linsy woollsey fabric swatch for 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th century re-enactors, military historians and museum interpreters.

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WLW 105 blue and natural uneven stripe

In The Virginia Gazette of 1774, "RUN away . . . two convict Servants [one of them] . . . a Welsh Woman . . . had on, and took with her, a . . . new striped Country made Linsey Bed Gown and Petticoat . . . She is smart and active, and capable of any Business, can read and write" is cited in Wenches, Wives and Servant Girls. When hand sewing this fabric use 35/2 off white or navy blue linen thread.

Add Blue and Natural Uneven Linsey Woolsey WLW 105 to Cart

Linsey woollsey for 14th century, 15th century, 16th century, 17th century, 18th century, and 19th century reenactors, military historians and museum interpreters.

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Hazel wearing the Fig Leaf Open Robe ca. 1771 gown made with the closed robe option of blue linsey woolsey (WLW 106) while she measures natural stripe linsey woolsey (WLW 105).

Hazel wearing the Fig Leaf Open Robe ca. 1771 gown made with the closed robe option of blue linsey woolsey (WLW 106) while she measures natural stripe linsey woolsey (WLW 105).

WLW 106 blue

In The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, London in 1741 a woman "was indicted for stealing 2 flaxen Sheets, value 3 s. 2 Linsey Wolsey Bed Curtains, value 3 s." When hand sewing this fabric try 35/2 off white or navy blue linen thread.

Add Linsey Woolsey Blue WLW 106 to Cart

Lincey woollsey for 14th century, 15th century, 16th century, 17th century, 18th century, and 19th century reenactors, military historians and museum interpreters.

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WLW 107
navy and natural stripe

As cited in Wenches, Wives and Servant Girls of 1780, in the New Jersey Gazette "Ran away . . . a Negro Wench . . . she had on, or took with her, a pale blue and white short linsey gown and petticoat almost new". When hand sewing this fabric try 35/2 off white or navy blue linen thread.

Add Linsey Woolsey Navy and Natural Stripe WLW 107 to Cart

Linsey woolsey for 14th century, 15th century, 16th century, 17th century, 18th century, and 19th century reenactors, military historians and museum interpreters.

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WLW 108 Madder red
with stripe

In The New Jersey Gazette of 1781, "Ran away . . . a negro woman . . . bred in Carolina has the manners of the West-India slaves; she had on a red striped linsey short gown and petticoat" is cited in Wenches, Wives and Servant Girls. When hand sewing this fabric try 35/2 off white linen thread.

Add to Linsey Woolsey Madder Red with Stripe WLW 108 Cart

Lincey woollsey for 14th century, 15th century, 16th century, 17th century, 18th century, and 19th century reenactors, nautical historians and museum interpreters.

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WLW 109 Grey Stripe

In 1778 advertised in the Pennsylvania Packet, "Ran away . . . living in Germantown, a . . . servant girl . . . She had on and took with her . . . three or four homespun linsey petticoats, one of them white, some blue and white striped, and some of a dirty sheep's grey striped, two or three bed gowns of the same" as cited in Wenches, Wives and Servant Girls. When hand sewing this fabric 35/2 off white linen thread works well.

Add Linsey Woolsey Grey Stripe WLW 109 to Cart

Linsey woolsey for 14th century, 15th century, 16th century, 17th century, 18th century, and 19th century reenactors, historians and museum interpreters.

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WLW 110 Grey

In New Jersey of 1780, a male slave ran away with a "grey linsey woolsey waistcoat, much worn". When hand sewing this fabric try 35/2 off white linen thread.

Add Linsey Woolsey Grey WLW 110 to Cart

Linsey woolsey for 14th century, 15th century, 16th century, 17th century, 18th century, and 19th century reenactors, historians and museum interpreters.

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Jean Cloth or Kersey Wove Virginia Cloth

Jean Cloth, 76% wool 24% cotton, 22 oz., 60" wide, $23.00/yd.

Jean Cloth is strong twilled fabric used for Civil war men's trousers and jackets. In the twilling process the cotton lays toward the wrong side of the fabric keeping the wool toward the outside and away from the body. In the 18th century this fabric is one of many types of Virginia cloth which was a homespun fabric usually made of cotton and woolen fibers. Kersey is both a fabric and weave and in the case of Virginia cloth indicates a twill weave. Virginia cloth of kersey weave was used to make durable cheep men's outer garments like breeches, jackets, coats, and waistcoats. Not all Virginia cloth had a kersey weave to it there were many other types of Virginia cloth.

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WWW 828 Brown

In The Virginia Gazette of 1776, "RUN away . . . a slim black fellow . . . I know not what clothes he took with him; but if he has his new waistcoat and breeches, they were of Virginia wool and cotton cloth of kersey weaving." When hand sewing this fabric try 35/2 unbleached or cinnamon brown linen thread.

Add Jean Cloth Brown WWW 828 to Cart

Jeancloth fabric swatch for 18th and 19th century re-enactors, military historians, and museum interpreters.

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WWW 829 Oxford

In The Virginia Gazette of 1744 to 1745, "RUN away . . . an Apprentice Lad . . . being a Mustee . . . Had on a Virginia Cloth Jacket, Kersey-wove, and the Sleeves plain". When hand sewing this fabric 35/2 unbleached linen thread works well.

Add Jean Cloth Oxford WWW 829 to Cart

Jeancloth fabric swatch for 18th and 19th century reenactors, military historians, and museum interpreters.

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WWW 821 Silver Grey

In The Virginia Gazette of 1773, "RUN away . . . an English convict servant . . . by trade a house carpenter and joiner . . . Took with him a . . . a Virginia cloth waistcoat, kersey wove, of black and white". When hand sewing this fabric 35/2 unbleached linen thread works well.

Add WWW 821 Silver Grey to Cart

Jeancloth fabric swatch for 18th and 19th century re-enactors, military historians, and museum interpreters.

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Specialty Weaves

Green Welsh Cotton, wool, 60" wide, $15.00/yd.
WWC 108

Welsh cotton was a loosely woven woolen produced and worn by the laboring class of Wales and exported. It is similar to flannel being made without a nap but a bit more coarse. Welsh woolen cloth was used as a lining and to make common people's clothing such as men's waistcoats, and breeches and women's gowns and petticoats. In The Virginia Gazette of 1775, "RUN away . . . two indented SERVANTS, one . . . an Englishman . . . by Trade a Joiner . . . He had on, and took with him . . . a new green Cotton Waistcoat with Plaid Sleeves, and lined with Osnabrug".

Add Green Welsh Woolen Cloth WWC 108 to Cart

Welsh woolen cloth fabric swatch for 17thm, 18th and 19th century reenactors, military historians, and museum interpreters.

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Gray Herringbone, 100% wool, 60" wide, $10.00/yd.
WWC 107

Herringbone wool is found both before and after the 18th century but for some reason is not found during the 18th century. Because of this, this fabric may be better for 17th century and earlier and 19th century historians. Herringbone is an easy variation of twill and twill wools are commonly found in the 18th century. Being a mixed gray herringbone the herringbone weave is not readily apparent and may be used to a limited extant.

Add Gray Herringbone Wool WWC 107 to Cart

Herringbone wool fabric swatch for 17thm, 18th and 19th century reenactors, military historians, and museum interpreters.

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Bag Hose | Linsey Woolsey | Broadcloth | Worsted | Flannel | Bay | Jean Cloth/Virginia Cloth | Specialty Weaves

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