Fair Linen Fabric for the Altar

The fair linen is the topmost cloth on the altar, the one that touches the vessels of the Eucharist. It deserves true linen with an even, hemstitch-ready weave, and that is exactly what we cut.

Fabric for sewing your own fair linen

Renaissance Linen is pure Irish linen, 60 inches wide, in the traditional fair-linen weight. It hemstitches cleanly, takes the five embroidered crosses beautifully, and launders to a crisp press for decades.

Prefer it made for you?

We also make finished fair linens to your altar's measurements in our Minnesota workroom. Send your dimensions and we sew it in pure Irish linen.

How to measure for a fair linen

Measure the mensa length and width, then add the drop at each end (traditionally to within a few inches of the floor at the sides, or a shorter drop per your parish custom) plus hem allowance. Unsure? Send us your altar measurements and we will confirm the yardage before you order.

Swatch first

Order a Renaissance swatch for a few dollars and check the white and the weave against your altar before cutting a single yard.

Why buy fair linen fabric here

Family-owned studio serving altar guilds and 22,737 makers, with over 1,000 five-star reviews. We state fiber content plainly on every listing: this is pure linen, never a mystery blend.

FAQ

What is a fair linen? The long white linen cloth laid over the mensa of the altar, often embroidered with five crosses recalling the five wounds of Christ.

Fair linen vs altar cloth? The fair linen is the top cloth; altar cloth is the broader term that can include the cere cloth and linen undercloths beneath it.

First fair linen project? Practice hemstitching on our Small Altar Linen Pattern or start with the Beginner Altar Linen Kit, then browse the full church linen collection.