Liberty of London fabric designs

Since my previous post about the Liberty of London fabrics that I have for sale, I have had a number of emails from people, some wanting to buy and some just wanting to thank me for showing photos of the different and now rare (due to discontinued lines) designs that Liberty sold.  For many, I think, it has been a nostalgic look back. One reader wrote that she remembered making a dress for her daughter in one design and having a blouse in one of the others.  I could not find any reference to many of the designs so I have listed below the photos and names so that they can remain on view long after they have been sold on eBay!  I will add to the list when I uncover more designs

ORPAH

  

ESKDALE

DOKKUM (available with black background)

ALAMILLO

EUGENIE (available in a number of colourways)

RUBIK

YORICK

MACEDONIA

                                                  CHERWELL

                                                          ANSTIE

   PENJERRICK

BLITHEFIELD

The latest auction purchases - Old Bleach to Paisley

Last week took me back to Yorkshire for the Vintage Costume, Textiles, Dolls and Teddy Bears sale.  I don't buy dolls - I hope the doll collectors out there forgive me if I say that I find old dolls a bit scarey.... I think it's the eyes that seem to follow you about and they often have a very self-satisfied smile on their faces. However, I was very glad that I am not a doll buyer as this sale had some very expensive ones....

This Jules Steiner doll  was estimated in the catalogue at £400 - £600 but actually sold for £4900.. when commission is added on that will be £5780!

These 19th Century Miniature Dolls were estimated at £120 - £180 but sold for £2100. 

This German wooden toy laundry set, including mangle, clothes stands, wooden buckets, in a pine box did appeal to me - I'm glad I have an automatic washing amchine to wash all my linens now however! I need it to wash all the white linens that I bought. Several unused linens with the original paper labels

I also bought a box with a number of Christening dresses and a beadwork and tapestry screen

And an antique paisley shawl and other shawls including the edging from a paisley shawl - perfect for crafts. 

And finally, two Durham quilts... one plain pink and the other a pink patchwork one

  

Exhibition of Vintage Costume & Textiles

An auction house in Yorkshire,Tennants,  is hosting an exhibition and sale of vintage costume and textiles. Whilst there are only a couple of the type of items that I buy to sell - quilts and Victorian whitewear - the catalogue has been a delight to look through.  This is loveliest quilt that I have seen for a long time

Too good surely to sleep under!

And this one is a fabulous example of an Elizabeth Sanderson Star quilt. Elizabeth Sanderson lived in the North of England and developed a school of professional quilt markers (called stampers) in the 19th century and many of these quilts survive especially her favourite design which was the eight pointed star. She was a pupil of George Gardiner of Allenheads who developed a reputation for marking out the patterns on to quilt tops. The quilts would then be sold and would be stitched by another person.  I have some Durham and patchwork quilts for sale at the moment but nothing as good as these!

The other lot which took my eye is not a textile or costume item but it is remarkable.

A perfectly proprtioned 1930's doll's kitchen room set. It is complete with dresser, table, chairs and the tiniest detail has been remembered - cheese grater, whisk and rolling pin! (Click on the photos to enlarge)

This exhibition is well worth a look if you are in the area.

Scrap bag embroidery and lots of antique lace

I buy most of my linens at auction and as with all bulk purchases of antique and vintage linens it is inevitable that there will be tablecloths and other textiles with some damage. And I am incapable of throwing away damaged items if they are nicely embroidered or have pretty lace. For a number of years I have kept several embroidered "patches" in the hope that one day I will find time to do something with them! I had harboured the grand idea of a patchwork quilt with every other patch having an embroidered motif. However, I have decided to cull the stash........hence the new listings on eBay of "Scrap bag collections" of embroidered patches and lengths of lace.

Most of the embroidery squares are relatively small  but ideal to mount as a greeting card or in a lavender heart.  Lace and broderie anglais trim makes a pretty addition too.

This is a photo of a lavender heart sent to me by a buyer of some of the fabrics - if you make anything from my scrap bag collections send me a photo and let me show it on here to inspire everyone else!

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!

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.

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. 

                                        .

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.