Textiles auction fever!

I've spent the last two days going back and forward to Yorkshire to Tennants auction house - yesterday to view and today to go to the actual sale. An absolute feast of textiles and very well attended (too well maybe as I was out-bid on several lots!).  There does not seem to be much evidence of a recession in the auction world - lots of high prices paid for items so I was pleased to be successful with the lot below -

There is a lovely quilt made up of padded hexagons all in gorgeous pink roses and lilac floral fabrics and the rest of the lot is lace trimmings, lace flounces and ribbons.  Perfect for all those crafts.

I was tempted by the lot below - I love "rooting" around in mixed lots like this and coming across unexpected finds.  It had needle cases, thimbles, old perfume bottles, old tins

Another temptation (if only they would fit!) were the Yves St Laurent suit and the Panache dress and matching jacket. Clothes make up a large portion of the sale; everything from hats to shoes, mens clothes to baby's, 1800's to present day.

I resisted the suits and went for the collection of baby clothes and bonnets. Now I have to sort them all, wash them, repair if necessary and then list them for sale.................I may be some time!

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

Hand embroidery linens at the Linen Cupboard

I've been to a local auction today and came across a box of lovely hand embroidered linens. This tablecloth with Madeira embroidery of Calla Lilies is superb - very long and with matching napkins. Ideal special occasion cloth - this would look fabulous on a wedding table!

This photo shows the cloth on a bed - I haven't got a table long enough to show it off well!

The same box had several other large cloths - all beautifully embroidered.

I think again that this is really a tablecloth but doesn't it look good on the bed?

And this one really is a bedspread - white lace with figural motifs.

The motifs are all of hunters

When I find linens like these I wonder about the household that they came from and how many celebration meals and family get-togethers that they have seen. They are all on sale on my eBay site from tonight - maybe they could preside over your next family occasion!