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Best Linen Fabrics for Slipcovers

Favorite Linen Fabrics for Slipcovers

Washed linen makes a beautiful slipcover.  It’s strong and versatile, too.  Pick the right weight, texture and color for your project and you will fall in love with the results.

For me, the best washable linen fabrics for slipcovers have these characteristics:

  • Rustic, slubby texture reminiscent of European vintage linen
  • Un-dyed flax colors and other versatile neutral shades
  • Heavy weights or beefy medium weights for durability and good coverage
  • Floppy drape and soft crumpled hand-feel after washed and dried

Here are some of my favorites:

1.  Rustic Linen 4C22 in Mixed Natural Softened:  Medium weight 100% linen made with nubby, thick & thin yarns.  Very rustic weave.  Best for slipcovers that get moderate use and few washings.  I love the greyish-taupe color mixed with natural.  Shrinkage: 4″ on a one yard length, 4″ on the width.

2.  Upholstery Linen & Cotton in Off White from Gray Line Linen:  A nice blend of 55% linen and 45% cotton with a unique check texture.  This fabric is thick and has a lot of body.   Shrinks 4″ on a one yard length, 1″ on the width.

3.  Linen & Cotton Canvas from Big Duck Canvas:  Un-dyed linen and natural cotton are blended in a canvas weave. This fabric has a very rustic, grainy texture that beefs up after washed.  Thick and durable. The hand-feel is less fluid and floppy than 100% washed linen. Shrinks 5″ on a one yard length, 1″ on the width.  Updated April 23, 2015 — I recently washed and dried 20 yards of this fabric for a project and discovered it wrinkled much, much more than my one yard sample. I used a very hot iron with lots of steam to smooth out some of the wrinkle. Expect this fabric to have a textured and wrinkled look in your slipcover. 

4.  Home Furnishing Linen in color White from Gray Line Linen:  A classic heavy weight 100% linen in bright white.  Best used to cover light to medium color upholstery.  Shrinks 3″ on a one yard length, 2″ on the width.

5.  Hemp French Linen from Hemp Traders:  This fabric is 100% hemp that looks like linen! The weave resembles vintage European linen.  It’s a heavy weight with gorgeous drape. Beautiful un-dyed color that resembles pale butter. Shrinks 3″ on a one yard length, 3″ on the width. Fabric update February 2020 — this fabric has been out of stock for along time. But here are many other beautiful options. Read my about my favorites here.

6.  Home Furnishing Linen in color Oatmeal from Gray Line Linen:   A beautiful, heavy weight 100% linen in the classic un-dyed flax color.  I love the old-world look, very Euro-chic. Shrinks 3″ on a one yard length, 2″ on the width.  Fabric update August 2016 — the quality of this 100% linen is not what it use to be. I’ve removed it from my favorites list. 

See more pics of these slipcover linens on my Pinterest page!