French fabrics - pink roses, peonies & birds

Our family had many holidays in France and for around 10 years had a holiday home there around the Pont Aven area. (Actually a large static mobile home but a holiday home sounds so much better!)

I bought some French fabrics (currently listed for auction on eBay) during one of those trips to France many years ago.

I have held onto them for a long time now trying to decide where to use them in my house but have finally decided to let them go. Two are curtains and could be used as such. Or could be used for crafts - blinds, cushions, upholstery etc.  The fabric has been stored for a long time and will need cleaning and there is a little sun fading to the edges, the linings are old and faded - but personally I like the tea-stain look of old textiles.  Very shabby chic, old French chateau!

This bird fabric is glorious - in fact, maybe I don't want to sell them after all!

And this one is a profusion of pink roses and purple flowers.

A lovely day out ..and lots of new stock.

I had a lovely day on Wednesday. OK, so I had to set off at 7.15am to the depths of the countryside, sit in a very cold, draughty cattle market shed and then concentrate very hard on the "machine-gun" delivery of a sale by a cattle market auctioneer (if you have seen sheep or cattle being sold you will know what I mean!). Some of the locals who attend bring their own cushion, blanket, flask of coffee and sandwiches and have a day out ( sitting in a cold, leaky wooden shed for hours?) ...they are made of stern stuff in the Northumberland countryside.  But I bought some great textiles....quilts, linen sheets and pillowcases, damask cloths, lace, tapestries, blankets and embroidered tablecloths. There will be more but I haven't unloaded all the car yet!

A bit like this one but fortunately (given the weather in the North East) it all fits inside!

This is a sample of some of the quilts - very typical of the Victorian period and now very sought-after roses and paisley designs.

And superb hand stitched quilted designs - the hours of work involved is incredible.

At this auction the lots are all tied up very tightly into bundles so it is impossible to really view any of the items before buying. It is really like buying blind  but it does make it interesting when you get your purchases. Have I bought a bundle worth twice or three times what I paid for it?....or do I just have a lot more cleaning cloths!  (Let me tell you I need more cleaning cloths like a I need a hole in the head). So now to explore some more lots - fingers crossed these ones have some treasures amongst them!

Expert needlework skills - embroidery everywhere!

Sales have started to pick up pace for Xmas. Every year, I resolve to be ready in good time for the buying season with lots of stock laundered and photographed...and every year is just as the last - me rushing around trying to cram 36 hours into 24! 
This year hand embroidery is very popular - more so I think than it has been for a long time.

This is a tablecloth currently selling and was bought along with others from a house in Northumberland.

By the same hand - expert needlework skills!

And Crinoline Ladies (or Southern Belles as they are called in the States) remain as popular as ever.

I have also bought this week a collection of hand embroidery tablecloths and napkins with a European flavour. Danish Hebedo embroidery, English whitework, Italian Reticella and Cyprus Lefkara work. 

Each corner and border motif has a different design infill

This one has the English Rose, Scottish Thistle and the Irish Shamrock in the design

 Ideal for the Xmas table or as gifts - now can I get them laundered, ironed and ready for selling in time?

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!