This year, with The Linen Project, we’re taking a special step: you can experience the entire industrial process from flax seed to fiber to textile with us. The end result is a beautiful blanket (sprei in Dutch).
By purchasing this blanket, you become part of a shared journey that begins with the sowing of the flax on the land of De Hooge Polder farm in the Biesbosch. After a hundred days of growth and bloom, the flax is harvested and laid out in the field. Then, the flax is processed: retted, scutched, heckled, spun and finally woven into a stunning blanket.
Throughout this journey, you’ll be invited to site visits and webinars, gaining insight into the decisions and challenges along the way. Together, we’ll explore online and offline how flax transforms into a high-quality and meaningful local textile product.
The Linen Project (2018) aims to establish a relational production chain, a model in which all parties involved in the production chain – from farmers and producers to designers and consumers – are closely connected and collaborate. This contrasts with contemporary linear chains, where each link often operates in isolation from the rest. In a relational chain, the focus is on transparency, collaboration, and shared responsibility. It’s not just about making a product, but about the process behind it: the choices that are made, the people involved, and the impact this has on both people and the environment.
For the textile industry, such a chain is crucial, as the sector often deals with opaque and complex supply chains. This frequently leads to issues like poor working conditions, environmental damage, and a lack of knowledge about where products come from.
Partners
Organic farm de Hooge Polder
Van De Bilt Zaden & Vlas
Safilin Linen & Hemp spinner
Enschede Textielstad
Throughout the growth process, challenges can arise, such as drought or excessive rain, which can impact the quality of the flax. These natural variations can result in a textile that is either coarser or finer in texture. As a participant, you can choose between two weaving patterns, which will further influence the final product. The blanket has a height of 1.30 meters and a width of 2.40 meters.
We invite you to join us on this journey and discover the unique characteristics of the product together. The result will undoubtedly reflect nature and craftsmanship – making it a special, personal final product.
For €395, you can participate in the project and receive the blanket by the end of 2026. This amount includes three online webinars and a monthly newsletter during the growing season. Site visits are optional and can be booked later for an additional fee per visit.
Schedule
Before March 16 – Sign up for SPREI
March/April – Sowing
April 10 – Webinar 1*
July – Site visit to De Hooge Polder farm
September – Site visit to Van de Bilt
TBD – Site visit to the weaving mill and Webinars 2 & 3*
December 2026 – Pick up your SPREI
*Please note that the webinars are in Dutch.