Antique bedspreads for the summer

Antique linen bedspreads are very popular at the moment. Perhaps it is to do with the summer arriving and being able to put those winter blankets away for a while! These three are currently listed for sale and show the variety of designs and styles that the Victorians and Edwardians used in the home. I bought them at an auction in Dundee, Scotland when I was there helping my daughter move into her new flat. It's always good to go to new auctions, watch the dynamics of the bidding and who buys what! And often the prices in one part of the country are very different to those in another

 The one above is all hand embroidered and then set with inserts of bobbin lace with a lace border.

The one below is in Pina "linen"  - fabric very like linen but made from the fibres of the Pineapple plant and not flax. Beautifully hand worked needlelace infills and drawnthread - hours of work!

And finally this last one below is more unusual as it is in a creamy yellow - most bedspread from this era are white. This one also has drawnthread work and uses Tenerife lace infills - very elaborate work

Old trends and new - shabby chic to antique linen.

I have neglected this blog for sometime! Just too busy with sourcing and selling linens and family life.  There are new trends to keep up with too.  "Shabby chic" style is still popular and I have had many requests for colourful embroidered tablecloths and napkins for cupcake parties. Apparently, cupcake parties are the new Hen Night! Alcohol is out and sugar rush is in! Vintage crochet lace doilies are also in high demand for dressing the tables at weddings. And I have had at least three requests for linens that would complement the theme of a Mad Hatters Tea Party.  Crinoline Lady embroidered cloths are very popular at the moment!

At the other end of the (linen) scale there is also an increased interest in antique linen damask - particularly those with unusual and interesting designs. I have bought two very large tablecloths recently which originate from a country house in Wales -  Gregynog. It is now part of the University of Wales.

 

The cloths are 20ft and 24ft long - huge!! And have designs of different exotic birds.

 Peacocks to each corner and other birds including long legged cranes along the border.

They have been snapped up by another "linen lover" (you know who you are, Nan!) but I thought that they were worthy of a mention and some pics in the blog. 

Art Nouveau tapestries - Eugene Grasset Calender 1896

I have just found these lovely Art Nouveau hand worked tapestries at auction today. The full set of 12 depicting the scenes from Eugene Grasset "Belle Jardiniere Calendar".  They were probably worked in the 1970's and the colours are still bright and the needlework skill is excellent. They measure 12" by 18" so a great size to hang on the walls.

Grasset was born in Lausanne in Switzerland in around 1841. Between 1869 and 1870, Grasset worked as a painter and sculptor in Lausanne but moved to Paris in 1871 where he designed furniture, fabrics and tapestries as well as ceramics and jewellery. His fine art decorative pieces were made from ivory, gold and other precious materials in unique combinations and his creations are considered a cornerstone of Art Nouveau motifs and patterns.

 
In 1877 Eugène Grasset turned to graphic design, producing income-generating products such as postcards and eventually postage stamps for both France and Switzerland.  he also produced many posters and the scenes from his "Belle Jardiniere Calendar" are well known through out the world.
 

 
I have been very tempted to keep the tapestries however I have put them up for sale on eBay - if there are a couple unsold then maybe they have to be mine!

 

 

 

First antique textiles & linens of 2011.

Finally, now that the snow has all gone and the world has gone back to normal after the Xmas/New year hols, I have been to my first auction of 2011.  I managed to buy a couple of quilts - a paisley and floral Durham and an antique patchwork. The patchwork is grubby but looks in good condition for a 19th century textile - this is a variation on the Tumbling Blocks pattern. The design does not show as well as the colours on the paler cottons have faded leaving the very dominant red.

                       This is a better example of the design - but using modern fabrics.

I also bought a couple of eiderdowns - these still seem to be popular through every season - the flowers remind you that spring and then summer are coming.

And then finally, some vintage/antique clothes.  The hats were a bit of an indulgence (and yes, that is a wig in there!). The large hat is a serious Race Day Hat - very dramatic!

And the baby clothes and other garments are always popular. Amongst the dresses, there were also ladies bloomers, ladies high neck cotton and lace nightdresses, antique camiknicker/bloomer combinations and mens waistcoats - a real mix of antique clothing. The photo below just shows the baby clothes

 So now just the task of sorting, washing, ironing and checking each item before deciding what to sell this coming week.

Xmas is over for another year!

 We have had snow on the ground now for around 4 weeks - to begin with it is exciting......now it is just very tiresome!

The freezing temperatures also caused problems and some of the auctions were cancelled during December which means that some of my stocks of linens and textiles are running low.

So we did have a sort of White Xmas even though it didn't actually snow on Xmas day!

I found this vintage box in the bottom of a sewing box bought at auction - wouldn't this have been a great find in your Xmas stocking in the early 1900's!  The packaging was so much nicer then! (It didn't have any chocolate in it when I found it - just skeins of embroidery thread!)

So I have used the time being snowbound in the house to make these cheeky cushions - Scottie Dogs in cream wool on a tartan background and the opposite colourway. One of my daughters is into knitting hence the basket of wool to the side.

And I have kept the antique 19th century hand stitched patchwork quilt below for some time with the intention of replacing the worn patches but have decided that I may never get round to it so someone else should have it, use it and love it. It is currently for sale on eBay.

Antique Christening Dresses & more

This week most of my auction purchases seem to be all about baby clothes - Christening dresses, night dresses and aprons (for keeping the clothes underneath clean!). One dress in particular has the most beautiful very fine Ayrshire whitework embroidery. Here's a close up................

 And another showing the skirt panel.........................

                                                                Real heirloom pieces.

In reality, it seems that few people do buy them to use as a Christening dress and to pass down the family. Mostly now they are bought by doll collectors to dress up their favourite doll and to display. At least that way the exquisite workmanship is shown off and not put away in a drawer.

The other baby clothing item that was in my purchases is several baby and toddler size aprons ........

          And I couldn't resist showing these two baby's in all their finery - just look at their faces!

The Last of the Summer & Xmas is coming!

It is soooo windy today but the sky is clear and the sun is shining - about a minute after this photo was taken the cloths had wrapped themselves around the clothes line and after about 10 minutes they were dry enough to iron!

It feels like winter now however and after the climbing rose was blown off the house wall by the gales I have had to cut it all back - the last rose of the year is going to end it's days in my kitchen.

So definitely time to start the Xmas sales. Every year I stockpile linens for the festive season - napkins, damask tablecloths being best sellers at this time of year. I have what seems like hundreds of Irish linen damask napkins and whilst they are not all the same design, batching them up into bundles of six gives people an opportunity to buy good quality Irish linen at a reasonable price.

Six large napkins for £5.99!

I also have piles of damask tablecloths - ranging from the enormous 16ft cloth that I have for sale to smaller 6ft cloths. The designs vary too - it seems that the number of designs produced in damask over the years must be in the hundreds. This cloth with the Royal Coat of Arms of Scotland is quite special...

It's also time to look out all those small linen gift ideas. Items that maybe cost only £5 - £10 for a friend or neighbour but as they are antique or vintage linen & lace will show a bit of thought about the gift that you have bought. Boudoir sachets, lace edge hankies, a monogrammed towel or tray cloth - all original designs that no-one else will have.

 Monogram - E - for an Emma. Emily, Eve or Eleanor

Mongram W - for a Wendy, Whitney, Wallis and Willow