Linen products populated the material landscape of preindustrial societies. In the economic context of Renaissance Florence, despite the breadth of this material’s uses in all ranks of society, the linen industry has received very little attention, with studies focusing instead on the high-quality manufacture of wool and silk products. A broader study of the household accounting of several patrician families, between the 15th and 16th centuries, allowed me to shed light on the particular involvement of women in the processing, circulation, and recycling of flaxen fabrics. Building upon a wide set of documents - such as letters, accounts, and inventories - I will firstly show how patrician women’s involvement in this sector of textile production goes beyond family self-consumption, opening up to the local and regional market. The talk intends then to explore the connection between the female industriousness in this specific economic area and the acquisition of refined accounting skills and practical knowledge.