On the summer vacation 2019 I visited the museum of flax and river Lys in Belgium. The only museum I know, that is solely dedicated to the history of flax and linen. I wish I had not known so much about flax already by the time I arrived there, because it beautifully tells the whole story of the plant – from seed to shirt. But since I’ve researched quite a lot before I came here, just a few things caught my attention. It would have been perfect to visit this place in the beginning of my research.

The lower floors are dedicated to the farming an processing of flax. I loved the displayed machines and the clear and catchy storytelling of the texts that they have on display. The top floor is dedicated to fabrics and garments and they were stunning to me. What they had on display was so delicate and carefully crafted! I really loved it. I also liked that they gave a contemporary view on linen through Christien Meindertsmas’ work. I can totally recommend visiting the museum if you’re new to linen and flax.The museum shop also has some nice books about the topic. The thing i remember the most about the museum? I was hooked on a video which explained how to make Linoleum. When I came home after vacation, the first thing I tried to make was something new: Linoleum.