Lots of new gorgeous linens, embroidery ..and the ones that got away!

The end of January saw the first Antique and Vintage Textiles auction of 2016 at Tennants in Yorkshire. The usual fabulous array of quilts, costume, household linens and more luxurious accessories.  I go to buy the linens and embroidered items that I like to sell but always take a look at the costume and have the thought that if only I had somewhere to wear such stunning pieces I could be seriously tempted!  The evening stole and the lame evening coat below are perfect examples of this..

White ermine fur with black velvet trim.

Circa 1930's lame evening coat with fur collar

 Embroidered vintage shawl

The other interesting items included Chinese costume  (sold for £1000)

 And a very old unusual paisley wool shawl

This was estimated in the catalogue at £200-300 but eventually sold for £1300!

The Biba tapestry coat from the late 60's was also very stylish and sold for double it's estimate

I was very happy with the items that I did buy however.  Lots of superb quality Irish linen sheets and pillowcases with hand embroidery and monograms.  Some are shown below and are currently selling on eBay.  Lots more to come!

In one lot was an exquisitely embroidered white Irish linen tablecloth with Chinese figures, florals and motifs.  The embroidery work is superb - this one is attracting lots of bidders on eBay already.

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.

Patchwork and Queen Victoria!

This week I have been down to Yorkshire and back to the North East buying lots of lovely linens and textiles - Irish linen sheets, pillowcases and tablecloths are always in the lots that I look for but this week I have also come across some more unusual, even quirky, items.  The photo above shows a hand stitched patchwork quilt top that I found in the bottom of a box. 

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Queen Victoria at the time of her Jubilee - 1887 - so presumably this fabric was made around that time to comemmorate the event.

Then these fabrics have Chinamen on donkeys and dogs and hens and roosters.

I also came across a great example of 1950's - 60's kitsch.

A collection of soft dusters with a dishcloth folded to look like the body of a cat and the motto underneath

And finally, for today at least, some tapestry work - some completed but never used and some obviously used but treasured and put away to "do something with later" ( I have boxes and boxes of textiles waiting for "later" too!)

All the items featured are going onto eBay this weekend.

Lake District Country House Linens & Treasures!

I have been so busy lately that I haven't had time to keep the blog updated. Lots of auctions to attend and lots of internet sales .....not much evidence of a recession in the world of antique and vintage linens. Yesterday I went to a very interesting auction sale of the entire contents of a large country house in the Lake District - Holywath.

This sale followed the death last year of  Major John Wilfred Barratt Hext M.B.E. who died at the age of 92.  Holywath in Coniston, Lake District Cumbria has been the home of the Barratt Hext family since 1830 and was a time capsule as the family had never thrown anything away! The family had connections with Ruskin, Kate Greenaway and Beatrix Potter amongst others.

The auction house took photos of the interiors as they found them before taking the entire contents (including everything from  the cellars and the attics) to auction.

The sale included such diverse items as a tiger skin (seen on the wall above the staircase) to old fire hydrants and hoses. The linens and textiles that I bought were equally eclectic.. a large wicker hamper with dressing up clothes ranging from a barristers gown to a scuba diving suit!  I bought the usual linens that you would expect from a country house - bedspreads, sheets, pillowcases and lots of huge damask tablecloths - and also many vintage items of clothing. From ladies vintage hats and coats to mens vintage shooting apparel (plus fours and other breeks) and bowler and top hats.

Now I just have the task of sorting through everything and photgraphing them for sale! So it maybe another few weeks before I get the chance to blog again!