Flax – From garden to garment

Karen Neville

Find out how a group of flax growers came together to grow a pair of linen denim jeans – literally from the ground up

If I told you jeans were being grown in Farnham you’d think I was mad but thanks to Let’s Grow Flax that’s exactly what is happening. 

Thirty growers from the Surrey/Hampshire border began by cultivating small flax patches in gardens, allotments, and even plant containers. Together, they sowed, harvested, and processed flax, yielding 10kg of straw, 2kg of fibre, and 1.2kg of linen yarn. 

Some fibre was hand-spun, while Fantasy Fibre Mill in London spun the rest into linen yarn. Brigitte of BeeKayMakes naturally dyed the yarn and wove the linen denim cloth, and London tailor Nick Evans of FirstPrincipals tailored the jeans. 

Brigitte takes up the story: “In November 2024, the linen denim jeans were exhibited at Bristol’s Fashion on Earth event, part of Sustainable Fashion Week UK. These jeans weren’t just another sustainable fashion piece, they were a testament to local, regenerative textile production. This project shows that local communities can drive a positive textile future and make a difference. 

“The significance of these jeans goes beyond the details of sustainable production; they represent powerful connections on multiple levels,” Brigitte explains. 

“They reconnect us to a rich textile history of UK linen production, a practice that thrived for centuries, as well as a sustainable future: flax is a low-impact crop that requires no irrigation, minimal fertilisers, and regenerates our rapidly disappearing precious soil. Its deep roots balance our soil, improve its structure, and sequester carbon.” 

Public engagement also was a key element of the project. Demonstrations at venues like Farnham Museum and the Weald & Downland Living Museum (home of The Repair Shop) allowed the group to share their skills and the progress of the jeans. They were proud to exhibit the jeans at the Fashion of Earth event in Bristol. 

Their vision for the linen denim jeans goes beyond just creating a sustainable garment as Brigitte says: “These jeans are an example of an environmentally conscious, bio-regional and regenerative textile practice, and the power of communities to drive a positive textile future.” 

See the jeans for yourself at an exhibition at the Museum of Farnham which runs until July 5th focusing on reviving the heritage craft of flax as a textile crop. From growing and harvesting to retting and drying, learn the process of turning a humble crop into beautiful sustainable fibre. 

Find out more at letsgrowflax.org.uk