Beyond the Thread: the Journey from Flax to Linen · Victoria · Sep 17, 2026

  “….from layette to mound/a lifetime of linen/laps us round…..” On September 17th, 7:30PM, at Ross Bay Villa Historic House Museum, join two textile experts for an in-depth look at one of Nature’s finest fibres. Queen Victoria herself was known to have taken up linen spinning as a hobby, and Victorian women with aspirations to gentility would have worn nothing but linen next to their skin. However, linen is a fibre with an even deeper history. From Ariadne to the Egyptians, from royal garments to cruise wear, the production of the fibre that wrapped Egyptian mummies and produced the finest damask tablecloths has not changed over thousands of years. It can be spun for lace, or for weaving into cool hypo-allergenic bedsheets.  Please join us for an illustrated talk and demonstration by Beatrice Keizers and Brenda Nicolson, two of the founding members of Flax to Linen Victoria. They will lead us on an exploration of this process, taking you from seed to shirt as we see flax being processed in person.   Beatrice is very fortunate to be the third generation of a textile-loving family. Her father was a tailor and through him, her grandmother, mother, and aunt she learned the joy of sewing and crochet, knitting, spinning and weaving. Beatrice has been exploring and teaching all things linen for sixteen years. Brenda grew up on a grain farm outside of Saskatoon, and now lives in Victoria, BC, near her family. Her interests in “things Medieval” and working with her hands led her into working with fibre since 1986.  Tickets are $15, and as space is limited must be purchased in advance. All funds raised support the volunteer based Ross Bay Villa Society, which is dedicated to the conservation, restoration and maintenance of Ross Bay Villa Historic House Museum.