Three ladies at South Street Linen use Scandinavian and Japanese aesthetics to create beautiful scarves from their 1800s farmhouse in Maine.
As the saying goes, this isn't their first rodeo.
Portland, Maine artisans Mary Ruth Hedstrom, Jane Ryan, and Lynn Krauss of South Street Linen began their journey as a collaborative comeback of sorts.
Mary Ruth and Jane spent their earlier artistic lives as painters; Lynn, with a printmaking background. Well-seasoned artists with years of experience, they began collectively channeling linen.
The image sharpens: three, gorgeously grey-haired, creative juggernauts—hand-stitching and hand-printing small batch linens in an refurbished 1800s farmhouse off of the rocky coast of Maine.
They are like a living Norman Rockwell with an unanticipated pulse on modern styling.
These ladies at South Street were determined to nail this. They began their search for the type of high quality materials that would adequately compliment their skilled craftsmanship and came across Irish linen.
Irish linen is a specific variety known for its durability, visual appeal, and high quality—a material more comfortable than wool and more durable than silk while unconstrained to seasonal limitations.
The wisdom emanates from each scarf.
Their designs show inspiration from Scandinavian and Japanese aesthetics as well as treasured memorabilia. Their scarves feature geometric simplicity and vivid bursts of color to make a stylish, classic piece.
From the growth of the flax plant, to the processing of its fibers into linen, to the cutting and printing of the material, South Street Linen scarves feel the history, attention, and care of many hands.
In their quaint farmhouse, these designers plan, print, cut, roll, and piece the finish work for these exquisite scarves. While the South Street Linen trio came to their calling later in life, their aesthetic is fresh, modern and instantly appealing.