Linen Napkins – French Blue – Set of 2

Linen Napkins French Blue – Light Blue by Linen Tales

The Linen Napkins French Blue by Linen Tales are a pair of cloth napkins in a light porcelain blue, woven in Lithuania from European flax. Stones in the washing drum have softened the fabric long before the scissors were ever set to it.

Linen Napkins are cloth napkins from Linen Tales in Vilnius that come as a set of two and, at 40 by 40 centimeters, are just the right size to stay on your lap. A piece of kitchen twine holds the two pieces together until the first meal.

Porcelain blue, reminiscent of Sunday tableware

French Blue is a light, slightly greyish blue, the kind you know from old stoneware and blue-painted porcelain. The shade remains light enough for summer, yet carries enough grey not to feel cold in November. Combined with white, natural linen, and light wood, it creates a table setting that looks like a country house style without becoming rustic. If you only want one color in your cupboard, it is hard to look past this blue.

The napkin for a long summer meal outdoors

A meal in the garden can stretch on until the candles are lit, and during this time, a napkin takes on several tasks. Placed over a glass, it keeps wasps away; spread over a bread basket, it keeps the warmth in; and it lies still on your lap when the wind picks up. By the end, it ends up crumpled next to the plate and survives that too without damage. Those who set a table outdoors also appreciate that a square of linen won't fly away as soon as the evening breeze starts.

What is behind the two seals

Two certifications accompany this linen, and both say something concrete about origin and testing. EUROPEAN FLAX stands for flax from Western European cultivation and for documentation that leaves no gaps from the field to the spinning mill and the finished fabric. Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX tests the finished fabric, including the dye, for harmful residues. Linen Tales processes exclusively fabric that carries both, which makes all the difference for a textile used near the mouth.

A fabric that lasts for hundreds of evenings

A paper napkin serves for one meal, whereas linen lasts for several hundred, with only a trip through the machine in between. The difference is evident as soon as you set the table: the fabric has a nice weight, stays in place, and does not tear when wiping. At the end of a long life, the plant fiber decomposes completely without leaving anything in the soil. Once you have set the table with linen for an evening, you will rarely reach for the roll in everyday life again.

Wash light blue gently and cool

Forty degrees on a delicate cycle is the upper limit, and a mild detergent without bleach keeps the blue clear. Spin at a maximum of 600 revolutions; otherwise, the fibers will crease in a way that is difficult to smooth out later. The pair can be air-dried, and if you fold them while they are still slightly damp, you can skip ironing altogether. Berry juice is best removed by rinsing the stain with cold water right at the table and then washing it.

Linen Napkins French Blue – Material and Dimensions

• Origin – woven and sewn in Lithuania
• Material – 100% linen, EUROPEAN FLAX certified
• Testing – Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX
• Size – 40 x 40 cm per napkin
• Fabric density – 215 g/m²
• Finish – mitered hem on all four corners
• Content – set of 2, bundled with kitchen twine
• Color – French Blue, light porcelain blue
• Care – machine wash 40 °C, no fabric softener

Natural yarn absorbs every dye bath a little differently, so a later pair may turn out lighter or darker than the first without any change in quality. The table runners and duvet covers from Linen Tales follow the same path, as their fabric comes from the same weaving mill.