A hundred years of Ukrainian linen

The fabric these pillows are made from is approximately one hundred years old. It is handwoven linen, sourced as deadstock from Ukraine, where narrow-loom weaving of this kind was a domestic and folk practice for generations. The fabric was woven, never used, stored, and survived. What we have now is what was left. We cut it, sew it, and fill it with goose down. Each pillow is different because each section of the fabric is different.

What is deadstock linen, and why does the age matter?

Deadstock fabric is fabric that was produced but never used for its intended purpose. It sits in warehouses, in attics, in the back rooms of old mills, sometimes for decades, until someone finds it. The linen for these pillows is Ukrainian deadstock from approximately the early twentieth century. It was woven for use and then, for whatever reason, was never cut or sewn. It has spent a hundred years as fabric rather than object.

That waiting changes what it is. The linen has been stable for a century rather than subjected to repeated washing and wear. The fibres have settled. The natural oils in the flax have continued their slow process. The result is a material with a character that new linen, no matter how well-made, cannot replicate: a particular weight, a particular hand, a surface that has depth without being worn out.

There is also the matter of how linen was made a hundred years ago. Industrial flax processing in the early twentieth century used methods that have since been abandoned or standardised out of existence. The resulting fabric is different in density and structure from what is produced now, even by manufacturers who are doing their best to work traditionally.

The Ukrainian narrow-loom tradition

The fabric for these pillows was woven on small, narrow looms of the kind used for Ukrainian folk textiles: household linens, embroidered blouses, and the decorative cloths that appeared at important occasions. Narrow-loom weaving produces fabric in strips that must be joined to achieve wider widths, which is why so much Ukrainian folk textile shows a visible seam or join at the centre. The strips are not a defect. They are evidence of the loom.

Ukrainian folk textiles were among the most technically refined domestic fabrics in Eastern Europe. The tradition of fine linen weaving in the region goes back centuries, and the skill involved in producing an even, tight weave on a narrow loom with hand-spun thread is considerable. What was woven for everyday use was still made with care, because the objects that furnished a home were not disposable.

How these pillows are made

Tanya cuts and sews the pillows at Mararamiro. There are no outside suppliers involved in the making: the fabric comes from Ukraine, the pillow is made in Roncesvalles. Each one is filled with 100% white goose down, which makes it more substantial in weight and warmer in hand than a synthetic fill. The closure is a zipper, which allows the fill to be removed if the cover needs laundering.

Because the fabric is deadstock and finite, each pillow comes from a different section of it, and no two sections read identically. The irregularities and slight variations in the weave are not quality issues. They are the evidence of hand production from a century ago, and they are the reason the surface of one of these pillows looks the way it does: not smooth and uniform like a contemporary linen, but textured and specific in the way that cloth made by hand always is.

The three sizes

Antique Ukrainian Linen Lumbar Pillow 38 x 16 at Mararamiro Toronto

Tanya Tessier / Made at Mararamiro

Antique Linen Lumbar, 38" x 16"

The long lumbar. Works across the back of a sofa or bench. 100-year-old Ukrainian handwoven linen, filled with white goose down. Zipper closure.

$295 CADShop Now →

Antique Ukrainian Linen Pillow 28 x 15 at Mararamiro Toronto

Tanya Tessier / Made at Mararamiro

Antique Linen Pillow, 28" x 15"

The rectangular pillow. Works on a sofa or bed, behind or alongside other cushions. Same fabric, same fill, different proportion.

$210 CADShop Now →

Antique Ukrainian Linen Pillow 23 x 23 at Mararamiro Toronto

Tanya Tessier / Made at Mararamiro

Antique Linen Pillow, 23" x 23"

The square. Works as a sofa cushion or accent pillow. Sits well on its own or with others in the same fabric.

$225 CADShop Now →

Frequently asked questions

What is antique linen?

Antique linen is linen fabric that is sufficiently old to have been produced under conditions and with methods that no longer exist. The pillows we make use deadstock Ukrainian linen from approximately a hundred years ago, woven on narrow looms for folk textiles and household use. The fabric has never been cut or sewn until now.

What is deadstock linen?

Deadstock fabric is fabric that was produced but never used for its intended purpose. It survives in storage until it is found and repurposed. The linen we use was woven in Ukraine in the early twentieth century and stored as deadstock for approximately one hundred years. It is finite: when the fabric is used, it is gone.

What are antique linen pillows filled with?

These pillows are filled with 100% white goose down. The fill can be removed if the cover needs washing. Each pillow has a zipper closure.

Who makes the antique linen pillows?

Tanya makes them at Mararamiro. The fabric is sourced from Ukraine; the cutting and sewing happen in Roncesvalles. There are no outside suppliers in the making of the pillow itself.

Where can I buy antique linen pillows in Toronto?

Mararamiro carries the antique linen pillow range at 2090 Dundas Street West in Roncesvalles, open Wednesday through Sunday. All sizes are also available online at mararamiro.com, with shipping across Canada and to the US.