Kelsch Tablecloth
Wove and made in Alsace
Traditionnal Alsacian pattern
55 % linen - 45 % cotton
Kelsch is fabrics Alsatian woven traditionally unbleached and blue, unbleached squares and red, or the three mixed colors.
With the origin, this fabrics was carried out in pure flax. Later, when cotton was imported and more known, as from the 19th century, one started to manufacture some in mongrel (i.e. with a cotton warp and a screen of flax). The flax was cultivated in our regions since the 12th century, whereas the culture of the cotton NS y forever be possible.
Kelsch was manufactured by the peasants in winter, in their residence. In the majority of the farms, was also a weaving loom. The dyeings of wire were carried out with the indigo for blue and the garance for the red. The types of squares varied according to areas', tisserands and families.
This fabrics was used to make the covers of pluck and of pillowcases, generally the top of these covers was in “Kelsch” whereas the lower part was in bleached flax. The curtains which closed the alcove " S were also in Kelsch.
The tradition wants that at last century, the catholics had fabrics with red prevalence whereas the Protestants had some very often with blue squares.
With regard to the origin of the word Kelsch, it would seem that he comes from the adjective “Kölnisch” of Cologne recalling the use of the “Blue of Cologne” cultivated” on this edge of the Rhine since the 8th century. Indeed, Charlemagne had ordered and governed by the very strict Edicts the plantation of the pastel (giving the blue color) dyers. Others advance the idea that this word could be of “Celtic” origin. Indeed, the Celts planted the flax and could weave fabrics with square X as still the fabrics testify some today to the clans shelled ......
