tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84523054440826636132012-01-12T16:56:16.081-06:00French vintage fabrics and antique textilesfrench-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.comBlogger821100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-53032515934977288742012-01-09T18:00:00.000-06:002012-01-09T18:00:17.127-06:00

French textile designers took inspiration from the colorful printed textiles that were imported from India by traders and overseas trading companies in the 17th century. The Indian motifs and colors were re-interpreted and modified in order to more easily sell to French households. These French-designed and French-produced textiles in the East Indian style were called indiennes. Some of the more

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-48782243401566752242011-12-18T09:04:00.000-06:002011-12-18T09:04:32.543-06:00

Bonnes fêtes! Happy holidays!

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-41996892170545703922011-11-07T05:17:00.001-06:002011-11-07T05:19:24.210-06:00

"The falling leaves drift by the window The autumn leaves of red and gold...." lyrics by Johnny Mercer The song "Autumn Leaves" was originally written in French by Jaques Prévert and was entitled "Les feuilles mortes" (The dead leaves.) It was later translated by Johnny Mercer. Pictured below are three 19th century French cotton prints with the theme of autumn leaves and leaves starting to

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-18548239000945567132011-09-04T17:35:00.001-05:002011-09-04T17:37:02.619-05:00

Tea towels are a standard in kitchens around the world, but the French tea towel, le torchon, has its own character. Traditionally made of a flat-weave linen or métis (linen-cotton weave), the classic style of tea towel is white or off-white with red stripes. The stripe are sometimes along each end or can be along each of the four sides. On vintage tea towels, there is usually a small

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-91248185913217060932011-08-15T17:42:00.000-05:002011-08-15T17:42:20.088-05:00

The long history of cotton production reaches back at least 7000 years to the Indus Valley which encompasses part of northern India and most of modern-day Pakistan. The shrub-like cotton plant, which is related to hibiscus, was an important agricultural crop in the Indus Valley and was woven into cotton fabric. An early Greek traveler to India described the cotton plant as giving "wool" instead

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-29012345953318653672011-07-21T17:44:00.003-05:002011-07-26T22:19:22.822-05:00

During July in France, the grapes are basking in the sun and ripening, the gardens and markets are bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables ... and many French people spend theirs afternoons in front of the TV watching the Tour de France. This year has been especially thrilling for France because a young French rider was in the lead until the next to the last stage. The Tour 2011 and the month

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-43304731413844329972011-06-23T06:00:00.032-05:002011-06-23T09:50:51.671-05:00

French antique tickings from the Alsace region of France are coveted for their deep red tones and seemingly endless variations in the colors, shadings and widths of the stripes. Although most collectors are familiar with the saturated red tickings, the softer tones are less well-known. In addition to the red tickings, the region produced pastel and pale shades as well as tickings that were

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-70589974791390343932011-05-14T11:02:00.004-05:002011-06-21T11:01:29.383-05:00

Textile weaving, dyeing and printing was a major industry in the Alsace region of northeast France. Textile factories dotted the region and competed fiercely to produce beautiful colors and patterns on cotton fabrics. The region also produced utilitarian fabrics, including woven mattress tickings in deep saturated tones and in colors not seen elsewhere in France. In days gone by, bedding was made

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-59889836489913702802011-05-04T23:21:00.000-05:002011-05-04T23:21:00.479-05:00

To add examples of the use of the color gray in antique French fabrics, this post follows and expands on "Color schemes in 19th century French textiles, part 7." Gray was very much favored in delicate or romantic foreground motifs in combination with one or two other colors. Pink and burgundy tones were commonly paired with gray, but other colors were occasionally also used. The five pieces shown

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-27353887713021837242011-04-22T06:41:00.004-05:002011-04-22T06:41:00.227-05:00

This post on the popularity of red backgrounds in French fabrics is an expansion of the earlier post "Color schemes in 19th C French textiles, part 4." One of the more surprising color schemes is the use of a dark red background with a black monochromatic foreground motif. These seem so heavy, but were probably very warm feeling during the dark winter months and would have looked beautiful in

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In many of the gaily printed fabrics from Provence, red and gold were frequently paired. Sometimes a touch of aqua was used as a complement to the red and gold motif. Here are a few examples: Another perennial favorite that we don't see very often nowadays is using shades of turquoise or aqua with shades of red. Some interesting variations on this color scheme are shown below, starting with a

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-59310565548809891802011-03-18T17:59:00.000-05:002011-03-18T17:59:52.926-05:00

The motifs in this 19th century French fabric, circa 1870, were inspired by aspects of Japanese art and history. Quaint and romanticized depictions are set on a medium beige background. Interestingly, the motifs include fans, stylized lanterns, exotic flowers, cranes and  ... a towering tsunami. The tsunami is shown in blues, white and brown. (The pictures are smallish because they were taken

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-86261154640897533422011-01-07T15:31:00.002-06:002011-07-17T04:54:24.528-05:00

Although Chinese forms and porcelain patterns were known in France very early in the 17th century, Chinese-influenced design came to prominence during the reign of Louis XIV (ruled from 1643 to his death in 1715.) Louis XIV's reign was characterized by sophisticated elegance and a flourishing of French art and architecture with the palace at Versailles as an example of French mastery and taste.

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-39821831351546135212010-12-19T17:41:00.000-06:002010-12-19T17:41:50.865-06:00

Joyeux Noël! Meilleurs voeux pour une année remplie de bonheur! Merry Christmas and best wishes for a new year filled with happiness. 

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-80604425237497422002010-11-11T21:01:00.001-06:002010-11-16T15:38:18.553-06:00

An important aspect of the Art Deco movement was characterized by designs that were stylized depictions of aspects of everyday life - parties, sailing, outdoor celebrations, houses and more. Raoul Dufy was one of the leading designers of this style, which quickly became popular. Dufy's ideas and style were copied and re-interpreted by other artists and by many textile companies. By the 1930s, the

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In the fall of 1905, all Paris was talking about the new style of paintings exhibited at the Salon d'automne. A group of artists led by Henri Matisse, who came to be known as Fauvists, used bright and clear colors in their revolutionary work. Similar movements took hold in the art world in Germany and Austria. French textile designers from that era included Sonia Delauney and Raul Dufy whose

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-72538113972784408092010-09-28T04:35:00.002-05:002010-09-28T04:35:00.364-05:00

In rural France, hunting is a popular sport that almost seems out-of-step with the French love of nature. Each fall, the fields and woods are in a frenzy with dozens of hunters and frightened scurrying animals. In the last French national election, one candidate for parliament promoted only two policies: to retain bull-fighting and to keep all rural land open for hunting, i.e. to disallow the

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-32324004537178545372010-09-19T03:00:00.004-05:002010-09-19T06:25:02.085-05:00

Although France is famous for glorious Paris, most of the country is rural with a large proportion of the people engaged in agriculture and agriculture-related activities. The French are very much in tune with the weather and the rhythm of the seasons and take great joy from the flowers, birds and other creatures. The18th and 19th century French textile designs reflected this love of nature in

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The reign of Napoleon III (1852-1870) - called the Second Empire - was characterized by a period of rapid economic growth in France that created a prosperous middle class. Many of these newly-affluent middle class people now wanted to own larger homes and to create interiors that would be like the luxurious rooms in the very wealthiest houses. The printed-textile manufacturers were quick to

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-83073103057173901532010-08-29T04:50:00.001-05:002010-08-29T04:50:00.815-05:00

In the 18th and 19th centuries, botanists across Europe were fascinated by the orchid plant, which originally came from Mexico. This New World plant was included in many plant collections, but getting it to grow and to reproduce was difficult. In addition, the best growing environment for orchids usually required a greenhouse which was a costly proposition. As a result, orchids did not become a

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-17249501970985334562010-08-23T05:21:00.001-05:002010-08-23T05:21:00.488-05:00

Le vendange - the grape harvest- has started in the south of France. The villages and roadways are busy this time of year, buzzing with the many people and the various pieces of agricultural machinery needed to pick the grapes and transport them to the wine cave. The status of the grape in the French economy and in French cuisine is all-important. The culture of the grape is reflected in

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-27746408558880203832010-08-16T17:04:00.001-05:002010-09-03T15:49:41.464-05:00

Images of rural France often include panoramic views of rolling fields of sunflowers - plants that grow as tall as five feet with blooms that follow the arc of the sun. French textile designers took inspiration from these fields of golden flowers and used them as motifs in printed fabrics. The first olive background swatch below is from the late 19th century. The beige and gray stylized motif

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-13786070434258155952010-08-07T05:15:00.029-05:002010-08-07T05:15:00.973-05:00

Sewing was a necessity in homes around the world until after mid-20th century. During the 19th century and earlier, women in France always had a sewing or needlework project close at hand to pick up whenever they were sitting or resting. Everything was hand-stitched - from clothing to bed linens to draperies and of course, decorative items. Aside from the necessary sewing required for the home,

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-34020659060475104762010-07-31T10:31:00.001-05:002010-07-31T10:41:17.467-05:00

In Europe, until the second half of the 19th century, the common waterlily was a wild plant with plain white flowers. By the 1860s, an enterprising Frenchman named Joseph Latour-Marliac began experimenting with the hybridization of these waterlilies and was soon successful in creating hardy hybrids that could be cultivated. In 1875, he opened a nursery at Temple-sur-Lot in southwest France where

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-32580579858833636312010-07-25T10:35:00.002-05:002010-07-25T11:27:18.271-05:00

Reading a news story today about a commodities trader who is busy cornering the world market on cacao, I decided to recount a brief history of chocolate from an article in the April 2007 issue of Art et Décoration. Cacao is a New World plant. When the Spanish explorers first landed in Mexico in 1519, they were welcomed by Montezuma and the Aztecs as if they were gods and were served the 'drink

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-59187146953528513292010-07-16T04:53:00.051-05:002010-07-17T06:59:29.279-05:00

As the Arts and Crafts movement gained in popularity at the end of the 19th century, the 'natural' look became a theme in home decor and found expression in many decorative hand-made objects. The crafts were usually done by women and included pottery, needlework, painting and more. French homemakers, who were skilled at needlework favored pieces made of natural linen which were then

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-29154935494236887522010-07-03T12:24:00.000-05:002010-07-03T12:24:51.299-05:00

July 1 is Canada Day, July 4 is American Independence Day and July 14 is French National Celebration(La Fête Nationale.) All three countries celebrate in a similar manner with family get-togethers, parades, barbecues, picnics and fireworks. Have a safe and exuberant July! Monet bought his famous water lilies from  the Jardin des Nénuphars Latour-Marliac, Le Temple-sur-Lot, France (photo July

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-69126748350996139652010-06-26T04:49:00.000-05:002010-06-26T04:49:00.148-05:00

In the second half of the 19th century, as printing techniques improved with roller printing becoming increasingly automated, French textile manufacturers began to occasionally print a popular pattern or motif in more than one colorway. Over the years of buying French textiles, I have seen very few examples of this, so I believe it was not a common practice. Below are several swatches from the

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-53107409172885203572010-06-19T05:00:00.000-05:002010-06-19T05:00:04.915-05:00

The boteh, called palmette in France and 'paisley' in the English world, has been one of the most durable motifs in textile design. The leaf-shaped motif from the Middle East and India gained popularity in Europe with the import of shawls, textiles and other Oriental products in the 17th century. Luxurious Kashmir shawls, woven of the highest quality fibers, were worn by the Empress Josephine and

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-18001252327070258162010-06-12T04:46:00.002-05:002010-06-12T22:18:14.742-05:00

While looking through some of my photos, I noticed that I've taken many pictures of signs. Although there are new and larger signs in France, old ones are often still serving their original purpose. This sign is on a stone bridge over the Canal du Midi near Capestang. Next is a street sign for a narrow laneway in the village of Puisserguier. It commemorates Saint Clementine, the monk who,

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-65520263564760705442010-06-05T04:00:00.006-05:002010-06-05T18:14:23.774-05:00

The printed cotton scarf has a long history as part of ladies' clothing in France and was for decades considered an indispensible wardrobe accessory. Called mouchoir de cou - neck scarf - the squares usually measured about 36-40" each side and were made of light-weight, fine-quality cotton. These scarves were usually folded in a triangle and worn around the shoulders like a shawl. At the

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-83886699919132719662010-05-29T04:13:00.002-05:002010-06-01T16:05:03.641-05:00

The last weekend in May is La fête des mères (Mother's Day) in France. To celebrate the spring to summer days, I am posting photos of a few of the food offerings at a French market day - succulent vegetables, oven-fresh bread, local Mediterranean oysters and roasted free range chickens.

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-64288497128219852922010-05-22T04:22:00.003-05:002010-05-22T04:22:00.136-05:00

Cultivation of the grape vine and the production of grapes into wine has a history that stretches back almost 6000 years. When the Romans invaded Gaul (present day France) and founded the city of Narbonne in 118 B.C., wine making was already well-established. Every region of France has hundreds of acres of vineyards except for northern Normandy (Normandy specializes in apple orchards and Calvados

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-92017083987342847782010-05-15T04:55:00.022-05:002010-05-15T04:55:01.059-05:00

While looking through my photos from France, I decided to post a few pictures from a few of the large shows I attended while there. These were taken at the end of March 2010, so the weather was still chilly. The variety of items offered for sale is astonishing and the shows draw dealers from across Europe and around the world. Trendy and current collectibles are mixed with the the rare and

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Roses were the favorite flower used in French antique textile floral motifs from the earliest days and the pretty rosebud was likewise a very popular motif. Here are a group of 19th century fabrics that use the rosebud as the primary design theme. The variation is seemingly endless!  

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By the second half of the 19th century, when French printing techniques were more precise and faster, following trends or creating trends became part of the marketing philosophy of many textile manufacturers. One design technique that was popular was to create a printed fabric that resembled hand-stitchery. Hand-stitching was still the rule in most homes, so it's odd to think the embroiderers and

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-82519936251973027402010-04-24T05:00:00.002-05:002010-04-24T05:00:01.317-05:00

This post is simply for the enjoyment of French spring colors. The red of the local poppies (coquelicots), lavender wisteria (glycine), yellow baby roses with a lizard basking in the sun, pale pink and white cherry blossoms, bright green leaves of a climbing vine and the tiny new leaves on the grape vines.

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-68770293895649822032010-04-17T04:00:00.003-05:002010-05-28T07:08:16.788-05:00

I arrived in Languedoc region of France just after mid-March. Snow was still deep on the Pyrenees, but the first flowering trees were in bloom. The weather was chilly, but the sun was bright and the sky blue. And best of all, the markets, cafes and brocantes were open!

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-52828771871635338412010-04-10T05:00:00.007-05:002010-04-10T07:39:21.034-05:00

From the earliest days of trade with the Levant, the French merchants brought exotic rugs, tapestries and textiles back to France. During the 19th century, it became fashionable in upper class homes to hang kilims and other Middle Eastern rugs on the walls or to suspend them as room dividers and portières. The woven rugs were expensive and were very heavy, so it wasn't long before French textile

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-73852770025784538622010-04-03T05:00:00.010-05:002010-04-03T05:00:04.108-05:00

In France, in days gone by, young women and their families carefully stitched the dozens of delicate pieces that made up a wedding trousseau. The trousseau would have included an array of bedding, intricately embroidered linens and nightwear as well as day dresses and articles of intimate apparel. Empress Josephine's trousseau included 500 lace-trimmed chemises! The pictures below are of a 19th

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Nineteenth century French textile designers often used a ribbon motif  as decoration for their central pattern while also letting the ribbons create a link between the larger elements in a design. This simple design motif was versatile and popular and remains so today. The first below is a late-19th century fabric that uses a lacy-looking ribbon. The next example, with the white background from

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-71874026496199033802010-03-19T20:50:00.001-05:002010-03-19T20:51:58.376-05:00

In Languedoc, the first signs of spring are the ground-hugging crocus, the large yellow mimosa flowers and the pinks and whites of the hundreds of flowering almond and peach trees. Springtime orchards in many shades of pink will produce the famous peaches of Languedoc by the month of July.

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-5856148491084125422010-03-12T06:59:00.000-06:002010-03-12T06:59:34.726-06:00

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of owning a rare and beautiful early indienne. The large-scale print, done on very fine cotton, was the top face of a hand-stitched light-weight bedcover from about 1800. The colors were still vibrant, although age had taken its toll with some small holes. The fabric had been lovingly darned and patched many times. Notice how the stitcher tried to match the

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-21415967517371820532010-03-05T04:00:00.002-06:002010-03-05T04:00:04.667-06:00

I bought this unusual antique French toile from a dealer in the south central region of France a few years ago. The piece was a large quilted panel that would have hung at the head of of a bed. I first was drawn to it because of the very rarely-seen rose and yellow polychrome print. This toile is from the Alsace region, mid-19th century, and was likely designed by George Zipelius. As I looked at

french-treasureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795423868576208422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-19028914174736775972010-02-26T08:24:00.000-06:002010-02-26T08:24:49.888-06:00

Birds and animals have long been favorite motifs on French textiles.  During the latter part of the 19th century, as private menageries became fashionable amongst the wealthy, textile manufacturers began to incorporate exotic creatures into their designs. Lions and monkeys were favored animal motifs and were usually pictured surrounded by tropical plants and flowers. Parrots and cockatiels joined

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Monochromatic prints - one color printed on white - have often been used as a method of cost-cutting.  In fact, one of the rationales behind beautiful French toiles was to save money by printing in only one color. Using a single color can add drama by simplifying, and thus emphasizing the motif. During the 19th century, the cost of paying a highly-trained and talented artist to create designs

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A popular motif in French textile design, especially during the 19th century, has been a scenic vignette - a snapshot of an aspect of life - framed with foliage and flowers. The people portrayed in these small stories varied widely and could include characters from the ancienne regime or farmers or even children. Romantic and celebratory themes were popular. We'll start with the most unusual,

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Writing checks is never much fun, and luckily, electronic payment systems have lessened that burden. Elsie de Wolfe, who created the art of interior decoration and who promoted the beauty of French fabrics and French design, added interest and drama to her life's daily events that would otherewise be mundane. Her dramatic ritual for writing checks appeared in a small note in the January 9, 1926

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Most motifs in textile design reflect popular taste. Many of the design elements are used year after year because of their enduring popularity. For example, roses, tulips and indienne flowers have been used for decades as central motifs. Sometimes a textile design presents a motif that is not often seen as shown below. These fabrics are traditional in color and overall design, but the motifs are

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In many French homes, mattresses were handmade until well into the 20th century. Sturdy and decorative thick cotton fabrics were manufactured to be used as mattress covers. The methods for constructing the mattress varied, depending on the household. The most common method was to stitch a large 'sack' from the ticking. This sack was then stuff with a soft cotton or with rags. Once the mattress

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As discussed in a previous post, indigo and woad produced beautiful shades of blue. Blue was widely used in porcelain patterns, in toiles by Jouy and was a favorite in rustic ikat woven linens. Besides the better-known dark indigo blues, paler shades were also used as a background color in printed textiles. Here are a few pieces with pale blue or aqua background. The first is a fantasy print from

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By the mid-1920s, textile printing had become a very efficient industry. Thus, more yardage in an ever greater variety of designs was possible. The Paris World's Fair in 1925 - Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes - showcased the new 'modern' style that had developed in the post-WWI era.  The streamlined, avant-garde look was the theme of the exhibition and

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Meilleurs voeux pour une année remplie de bonheur. Best wishes to everyone for a year filled with happiness.

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When trade opened between Japan and the West in the mid-19th century, Japanese motifs began to be incorporated into European design. Often these Oriental-inspired designs pulled motifs from all Eastern cultures. One popular motif was the crane which is the Japanese symbol of peace in harmony. The first fabric pictured below is a unusual 19th century toile that features the crane as well as a

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I love the autumn months in Languedoc. The vineyards are busy as the vignerons hand-prune the vines and prepare the plants for next year. The Indian summer is long, so the leaves only slowly turn from green to saturated reds, golds and browns. The colors of the leaves clinging to the vines depends on the type of grape, so the vista across a field is a patchwork of color. Below are a few samples

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World War II forever changed the world.  The shocking power of atomic bombs, the speedier air travel with the new turbo-jet engines, the advent of television. Technology and futuristic dreams were everywhere. The expression of this emerging post-war aesthetic was seen in fashion with Dior's "New Look" ... in furniture and architectural design with Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright ... and of

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Mary Jane McCarty has been producing beautifully hand-crafted pillows, soft furnishings and decorative objects for the home for almost 20 years. Well-known in the interior design community, her creations are sold in upscale stores and boutiques around the country. Sumptuous pillows of antique fabrics have been the base of her business, but Mary Jane also creates lampshades, framed fragments of

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Sometimes less is more in textile design ... sometimes a simple pattern is just what is needed. The French fabric prints of the late 19th century and early 20th century used a myriad of themes and motifs. One of my favorites is the use of the simple leaf as the focus of the design. Color, movement and scale of the leaf motif can all affect how this most basic natural element can be incorporated

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In 2002, when a local businessman in Puisserguier started to build a car wash on the edge of the village, the backhoe uncovered an Iron Age cemetery. The archaeologists heralded it as one of the most important Iron Age sites in France. Under French law, the government was able to claim the land temporarily so they could devote many months to completing an archaeological dig. Finally all specimens

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Although roses have been cultivated for many centuries, it was only in the latter part of the 18th century that the rose began to be cultivated for its bloom rather than simply for use in perfume or in medicinal extracts.  Josephine Bonaparte, who loved to create lavish landscapes and gardens at her homes in France, became entranced with the beauty of roses and obsessively collected every type. 

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Everyone knows Paris - the great city of art, beauty and culture. But outside of Paris, France is largely rural and agricultural. Driving along smaller departmental roads, I was amazed at the carefully-tended orchards, the acres and acres of hand-pruned vineyards and the many vegetable gardens in and around the villages.La nature est belle. The French revel in nature. They love a lazy afternoon

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The weekly open-air farmers' markets and outdoor brocantes that we see in France today have their roots in medieval times. During the middle ages, many merchants and vendors had to travel to the customers rather than the other way around.  The merchants soon realized that they could enlarge the customer base with less effort if several vendors coordinated efforts. Smaller farmers' markets were

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Although gray is used in chic modern interiors, it is also often associated with industrial or drab paint schemes.  But, not so in 19th century France!  The French decorators and textile designers of that era, in their bold creative ways, used gray as both a lovely background color and as a prominent foreground color, often in various unusual color combinations. Gray was widely used in solid

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Conversational prints were very popular from the 1920s to the 1950s, just as they are today. The subject matter of French conversational prints covered a wide range, but I have chosen a few pieces that I find charming or amusing. Adorable animals were a popular motif like in these two 1930s prints with dogs and kittens and the 1950s print of  kittens playing with red and green balls of

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Continuing the discussion from part 5 of the darker backgrounds that were very common in 19th century French furnishing textiles, we'll take a look at maroon, wine, burgundy and shades of brown as used in the various printed fabrics. (Click on any image to enlarge.) In the 18th century, there was generally not a distinction made between the brown and black backgrounds. They were grouped together

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While red was used extensively in textile color schemes as mentioned in a previous post, other perennial favorites for backgrounds of French furnishing fabrics included gray, maroon, greens or browns - colors that today might seem dull. In this post, we'll look at all shades of green and olive backgrounds. Dark greens were a not a frequently-used color during the 19th century, even though they

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We can only marvel at the intricate and beautiful stitchery on French antique curtains, clothing and quilts. Antique clothing could include tiny hand-stitched French seams, open work, embroidery and appliqué, as on the christening gown pictured below. The huge sets of curtains and bedhangings had long seams that were stitched selvedge to selvedge in tiny, perfect hand-stitches. Once the

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As we've already seen, red-on-red resist patterns held their popularity throughout the 19th century. The French also favored floral, scenic and tropical prints on red backgrounds. Some old French paintings depict rooms decorated with red as the main color. Below are several examples of 19th century French textiles with red backgrounds (click on any image to enlarge.)  The first is a late-18th

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In the latter part of the 19th century, the color schemes were not at all what one might expect or imagine. The French textile companies were still very much influenced and inspired by the decades of indienne imports, so the array of colors they used was much less restricted than what we see today. A very  fashionable combination, for example, was olive leaves with pink or rose-shaded flowers.

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(This post is from the french-treasures.com website, page 2 of Historical notes) Imported floral cotton prints from India had become so popular in France by 1685 that the French silk-producing companies were suffering from a severe loss of business. Fearing permanent damage to the silk trade, the government, in 1686, instituted a ban on the production, importation and sale of all printed textiles

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A longtime favorite fabric color used in many 18th and 19th century French homes - one that many Americans have not yet come to fully appreciate - is the black background. The French designers understood that when a printed fabric with a black background is hung, the background seems to recede and disappear, leaving the beautiful floral foregound motif appearing as if it is suspended in air!

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Before the advent of aniline dyes in 1897, there were several natural blue dyes used in Europe, with only two used extensively for fabric dyeing. When thinking of blue dyed fabric, it's usually indigo that comes to mind.  Indigo dye, from the Indigofera genus and native to Asia, was known in Europe very early, but was not widely used until the 16th century. For many years, indigo was imported

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Many people, when imagining French antique fabrics, have visions of soft faded romantic floral patterns. This kind of motif certainly existed and was very popular, but the French textile designers and manufacturers were too audacious to be confined to using only pale romantic colors. Early in the 19th century, bright chrome yellow dye was discovered and perfected and quickly became a trend. The

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This post is not exactly a textile story, but it does reveal something about the values by Elsie deWolfe - America's first interior designer. She lived on Irving Place in New York City and vacationed at her impressive mansion in Versailles, France during the final years of the 19th century and the early years of the 20th century. Elsie absolutely loved to entertain. She created sumptuous dinner

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The deep red striped mattress tickings and other tickings with saturated colors are from the Alsace region of France and the neighboring regions of Germany. The Alsace-Lorraine region became part of France by the 1500s, but was later twice annexed by Germany - from 1870-1919 and again from 1940-1945. Because of this intertwined history between Alsace-Lorraine and nearby Germany, there were

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During medieval times, the Christian pilgrims who traveled La Route de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle (in Spanish El Camino de Santiago de Compostela and known in English as the Way of Saint James) carried a scallop shell as a badge and essential accessory of their pilgrimage. The shell had been associated with the stories and legends about Saint James and thus was adopted by the pilgrims to

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Early French printed cotton textile designs were copies of the Indian and Persian motifs, slightly revised for the French market. Due to their source of inspiration, these early designs were oriental in flavor. Only late in the 18th century did French textile designers start to use European flowers as inspiration for their motifs.Because of this change in focus, by the early 19th century, the

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Almost everyone is familiar with French toiles and in particular, the monochromatic prints - the toiles de Jouy - produced by the 18th century Jouy factory owned by the Oberkampf brothers.Besides employing top artists and designers to create the patterns for their printed cottons, the company was at the forefront of inaugurating mechanical and technical advances in printing methods as well as

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During the 18th century, dyes for printed fabrics were mostly made from plants and insects. Many of the dyes were not colorfast and the process of getting the desired color was laborious. In 1800, for example, when a floral pattern required green leaves, the green color was created in a two-step process. The first step was to create the design in yellow, using dyes obtained from plants such as

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Although most Americans think of Paris when they think of France, the French identity is much more rural. Most French people live in the same villages and small towns where their ancestors lived. They shop at weekly farmers' markets, buy bread at the local bakery and work at wineries, wine cooperatives and farms in their region. The vineyards of Languedoc are decorated with rose bushes - one at

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In the early 1990s, I made a reservation at an auberge in Languedoc for a summer holiday. I don't know if it was the sunshine or the blue skies or the sweet smell of roses and other flowers, but I fell in love with the entire region.A few years later, I managed to find a place to live in a charming 1000-year old village that is on the wide plain between the Pyrenees and the Black Mountains. The

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During the 1890s, Elsie deWolfe, America's first interior decorator, started spending her summers in France. She fell in love with the architecture, the gardens and the decor of sophisticated French homes. Once back at home on Irving Place in New York, she decided to redecorate her house in the French style. The transformation of the home from a dark, cluttered Victorian-style interior to a

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