White Crossbar Pulled Thread Linen
Linen cloth, such as this White Crossbar Pulled Thread Linen, was woven of flax fiber in many grades and weaves. Used in every aspect of living, from clothing, to household needs, to furnishings, to the shroud made for the corpse, linen was so common that a tax was proposed as a source of easy revenue on the coarser sorts being imported into the US towards the end of the 18th century.
Pulled thread linens can be found as far back as 1200 AD, including examples of them being used as a base for white work which dates from 16th century Italy. Originally done by hand, the 19th century brought about engineering of larger quantities.
