LoFi 42 Piece 5"x5" Charm Pack

From Rashida: "Get into the mellow mood of LoFi, my newest linen collection! Working with linen takes me back to my roots as a designer, as I got my start as a blogger at I Heart Linen where I posted my favorite projects using linen. LoFi blends soft, low-volume prints with pops of neon that keep the beat alive. I’m always hopping from genre to genre when I listen to music, but when I need a creative groove, I like to play LoFi in the background. That balance of chill and bright at the same time felt like the perfect name for this collection. Soothing, surprising, and full of personality!"

Content: 85% Cotton, 15% Linen
Designer: Rashida Coleman Hale
Collection: Lofi
Manufacturer: Ruby Star Society

About This Linen/ Cotton Blend From Rashida: 

Working with linen just makes me divinely and utterly happy. This fabric, much like cotton, is very easy to work with and can be used for just about any project. The textures of linen also pair well with the smoothness of cotton; those two substrates make a great team!  Ruby Star Linen is made from a linen–cotton blend, combining the texture and breathability of linen with the softness, stability, and ease of care of cotton.
 
Linen can absorb 30% or more of its weight in moisture, which makes Ruby Star Linen great for making things like kitchen towels and summer clothing (it should pull moisture away from the skin during the hotter seasons). It also makes the most luxurious quilts, that depending on the batting and backing used, can be incredibly light weight and yet still cozy. The addition of cotton gives these quilts a familiar softness while allowing the linen to add texture and drape.
How to care for linen
 
If the project you are making is going to be washed a lot, I highly recommend preshrinking your fabric in the wash before sewing, as linen will suffer initial shrinkage. The shrink rate of our linen is the same as our cotton, which hopefully is a helpful gauge.
 
For the maximum shrinkage, Ruby Star Linen should be washed on a warm setting and then dried on a low setting or line dried. You may want to wash it a few times to make sure it won't shrink more. You'll be happy that you did!
 
You'll notice that our Ruby Star Linen has a slightly crisper hand when it's fresh off the bolt. This can be great for certain projects, and if you'd like the fabric to maintain that feel, then washing isn't recommended, and dry cleaning would be the better choice. The more linen is hand or machine washed, the softer and less stiff it becomes. I've found that linen also responds well to spray starch, and it will help in keeping the stiffer hand if that's what you prefer. When washing a finished project, wash it in cold water as opposed to using warm water as you did when preshrinking.
 
Linen wrinkles quite easily, and some people feel the wrinkles add to it's charm. But, I like my work to be wrinkle-free, so I iron it like mad. To iron linen, dampen it with a spray bottle of water and iron it on a high steam setting. Don't worry about scorching it, linen has a very high resistance to heat, but it does tend to develop a shine when ironed too much. To remedy that, simply use a press cloth over the linen to protect it as you iron (muslin or scrap cotton fabric works well for this, or you can use a cotton press cloth).
 
I'm over the moon excited that my LoFi will be your introduction to our newest substrate! I can't wait to see what you make with it! 
 
Warmly,
Rashida