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.

Floral & Paisley Eiderdown Quilts

Last week I was looking through my stock for interesting items to list for sale and found some eiderdown quilts. The one above is very pretty... very summery.

These cotton fabrics are so evocative of an earlier age but they can be used very sucessfully in a contemporary interior too.

This one has a more of a paisley design with a lovely duck-egg blue background.

This one I have described on Ebay as pistachio green with pink/red flowers. It is actually prettier in "real life" than it appears in the photo! Cath Kidston has taken many of these old designs and reproduced them in her fabrics but I think that the vintage designs are just that little bit better!