As a hand spinner, I am also interested in the thread questions Kim raises. I have heard various reasons given regarding why we can’t have linen thread as fine as was used in early pieces. The question of supply and demand may be one of the most plausible. The other point I have always been amazed by is that I assumed that the thread used in these early pieces was hand spun, also remembering that it would be at least two-ply, thereby making the fineness even more of a marvel. Now I wonder if this assumption is incorrect. I have found descriptions of machine spinning of linen thread beginning in the late 1700s. Binche pre-dates that, so what do others think about the early super fine threads being hand spun?
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