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Joseph Jacquard invented this weaving technique in 1804. A special loom is used to weave a pattern directly into the fabric.

Thread count refers to the number of threads (both horizontal and vertical) in one square inch of material. Generally speaking, the greater the number, the smoother, more durable the sheet. At one point thread count played a large part in what type of sheets sleepers bought, but it’s becoming more important to focus on the overall quality instead.

First of all, because linen’s flax fibers are slightly longer than those of cotton and wrapped a little tighter, linen sheets are stronger which means they will last much longer. If softness is a factor for you, you may want to consider cotton, though. Flax fibers are much rougher than cotton resulting in slightly crisper fabric. But the great thing about linen is that it gets softer after each wash, so essentially it gets better with time.