Morgaine Le Fay antique Textiles and More

New Website French Florals & Toiles

2011-12-29T12:16:00.001-08:00

Here are the first of the new textiles to be listed for sale on my website, some small but exquisite pieces of mostly 19th century French printed cottons. Happy New Year!

Morgaine Le Fay Antique Textiles

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Hark the Herald Angels sing!

2011-12-16T02:25:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all health & happiness over the holiday and the coming year.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

(New stock coming soon)

On the first day of Christmas!

2011-12-13T01:08:00.000-08:00

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me

A partridge in a pear tree!

A beautiful French woolwork panel: The Lion & the Mouse

2011-12-05T04:54:00.000-08:00

I really like the expression on this lion's face, he seems quite friendly so I think it probably depicts a scene from the fable (I can't remember its name) where the mouse has helped the lion and vice versa. It is mostly worked in gros point in wool, with the lion and mouse worked in petit point. It is worked on stiff linen canvas and has had metal clips with loops attached for hanging.

Patchwork packs of antique florals and toile & metal trims for a vintage fair

2011-11-17T11:04:00.000-08:00

I had a lot of fun today - well, it was work really - sorting out small patchwork packs made from 19th century fabric scraps and 2m lengths of metal trims for a vintage fair my sister and I are doing the weekend after next. I love my job!

I will also be selling plenty of vintage clothes including some vintage furs, lingerie, top hats and more, photos should appear here soon when I find time...

19th Century French Silk Passementerie

2011-11-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

"Right after the French Revolution in 1789 the passementerie industry suffered as did all industries that produced luxury articles. However, the production of the beautiful passementerie returned with the Empire, and Napoleon I commissioned regal passementerie to decorate the royal palaces. In the Spanish campaign of 1808, elaborate passementerie adorned Napoleon's tent. "

"The French word Passementerie means ornamental trimming and evokes the idea of luxury, opulence and sophistication in decoration. Trim, which is the English translation of the word, lacks the romantic and artistic connotations of the word."
Both quotes from Antique French Textiles for Designers by June K Laval.

I am only just discovering 'the joy of passementerie', and occasionally come across it in the form of simple silk gimps,braid and fringes, sometimes I may find something a little more fancy, but at the antiques fair last week I came across a length of this wonderful fancy trimmong in pretty good overall condition. It measures just under 4" or 10cms long including the woven braid.

This length of silk-covered passementerie is probably the best I have discovered, very ornate, in what looks to be a Louis Phillipe style (produced around c1830) - see photos taken also from the above book - but I have a feeling from the construction and overall look that this example is most likely from the later 19th century or early 20th century the style of Louis Phillipe.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Exquisite Bargello or Flamework Silk panels

2011-11-04T06:16:00.000-07:00

The combination of lustrous silk and the elegant design of the bargello or flame work pattern is very appealing as an upholstery textile, as the bargello work catches the light beautifully. These panels are the ideal size of cushion fronts, most likely dating to somewhere about 1900, worked in fine silk thread on a linen canvas base.

There are 2 panels available to purchase from my website:

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk
See link at the top of the page

Have a Horribly Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T04:43:00.000-07:00

Here are a few suitably scary, sepia enhanced images from 18th, 19th & early 20th century French printed toiles... Have a horrific Halloween folks!

Dragons, Birds & Flowers

2011-10-25T06:44:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite French dealers turned up yet again with some really pretty pieces of French printed cottons and embroidery, all looking to be salvaged from large, damaged pieces as is often the way with French textiles. It seems that very little is thrown away as as worn-out or unwanted textiles were either saved and sold to the ragman, or put away to be re-used or recycled into something else at some point. I am convinced that this is why there are so many more old French textiles that survive, as the general British culture seems to be: out with the old in with the new...

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

67 unused miniature French 19thc purse frames

2011-10-23T03:32:00.000-07:00

I particularly like this batch of 67 unused late 19th century miniature metal purse frames that I found yesterday as the 3 different designs here are good examples of the 3 main decorative trends of the late 19th and early 20th century: The celtic design is a lovely example of an Arts & Crafts piece both in the bold celtic design and the rounded shape of the frame, the small flowing leaf is a very delicate example of the Art Nouveau style set within a slightly square but still rounded frame-shape, and finally the largest frame is more typically late Victorian, both in its shape and the style of the dainty, more naturalistic flowers.

Measuring about 2"/5cms across, they could easily be turned into period purses.
There are only a handful of the Victorian and Art Nouveau ones, but lots of the celtic Arts & Crafts style. I shall put them on my website later today, please contact me via the website email if you are interested.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

The sweetest, tiniest pair of 19th century child's clogs.

2011-10-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

I have just listed this tiny, almost perfect pair of late 19th century child’s clogs on my website, they are very small at only 5.5"/14cms from heel to toe, so must have been meant for a very young child.

They have leather uppers nailed onto a hand carved wooden heel & sole unit with metal rims nailed onto the sole and heel for grip and wear. They do up with tiny mother of pearl buttons. As sweet as they are, they must have been very uncomfortable to wear, but they come from an era where whether they were hardwearing was more important than whether they were comfortable.

They display well, and would make a very sweet addition to a collection, or would suit a doll of the period.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

The Most perfect present: Daisy my new English Wooden doll

2011-10-08T03:53:00.000-07:00

Imagine my surprise and delight when I opened an unexpected mystery parcel from Canada to find this incredibly beautiful reproduction English wooden doll made secretly for me for my 50th birthday by David of The Old Pretenders who, together with Paul, make the finest museum quality reproductions and restorations of 17th and 18th century English wooden dolls.

We have been friends for a while now and I source authentic scraps of fabric from the period for them to dress their creations wherever possible, and we often chatter away about life, the universe and everything via email. I have always loved these dolls with a passion, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would own one, especially such a beautiful girl, who so reminds me of my daughter when she was a wee bairn! Her name is Daisy, she is about 14"/35.5cms tall, and has the most perfect patina with the most delicate eyelashes and brows. Thank you David, you have made a dream come true...

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

A pair of late 18th/early 19thc Aubusson tapestry chair panels

2011-09-22T03:57:00.000-07:00

These pretty hand-loomed Aubusson tapestry chair panels are quite faded, but to lovely antique effect. It also shows how they here attached to the chairs with large round upholstery nails or some-such fixing as the tapestry is less faded where these were nailed into place.

The tapestry is woven in fine wool and silk on a linen warp. A few weft threads have rotted away here and there, but these can be restored as the weft is intact. I am selling these via my ebay shop, the listings will come on this evening.

A pair of framed Regency silkworks c1810

2011-09-18T01:53:00.001-07:00

I found this pretty pair of early 19th century silkworks at an antiques fair a few weeks ago, both are in very good condition, prettily expressing the romaticised pastoral vibe so popular at the time. The background silk is so often shattered in these embroideries, luckily these two are in lovely condition, just some fading. The hands and feet are hand painted.
I like the sizes of these embroideries as I was able to put them both in my small cabinet in one of the wonderful antiques malls in Lewes, Cliffe Antiques Centre, usually the framed textiles I find are too large to display there!

An exciting unused bolt of early 19th century toile de Nantes

2011-09-13T00:54:00.000-07:00

Last week I was at a large antiques fair and the weather was appalling. We needed refreshment and a break from the wind and rain so made our way to the café building which also had some stall holders on the ground floor. From across the room I could see a large pile of red-printed fabric and walked towards it transfixed. It turned out to be an unused bolt of roller-printed neoclassical Toile in deep madder red, possibly from Nantes, most likely dating to about 1815. It depicts the story of Joan of Arc. It had been found tucked away in an old French amoire. I asked how much there was and was told there was 6.3 meters. The price seemed very reasonable, so I bought it straight away and tucked it into a bag to protect it from the rain.

It wasn't until later that I realised there was quite a bit more than 6 meters, it turned out to be a 20 meter bolt, probably a length intended for a whole set of bed curtains etc but never made up. The last picture is a reference to the same toile in a different colourway from the book: Antique French Textiles for Designers by June K Laval, I have an apron printed in Blue in the same toile, but am thrilled to bits with this wonderful unused yardage which has gone to Christie's for an appraisal.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

My first attempt at upholstery - it only took 10 mins!

2011-09-04T05:19:00.000-07:00

I'm really chuffed, I recently bought this Edwardian two chair-style sofa, it was quite well upholstered with a white brocade, but I wasn't keen and it didn't really fir in at home. I was a bit bored this morning and suddenly remembered I had a small, wide piece of 19th French century silk & gold brocade and a stapler, so 10 minutes later I have a newly re-upholstered sofa, it looks bloomin' professional even if I do say so myself! Unless you look underneath which looks more like a sows ear... The penultimate photo shows it in its original condition in the Brocante before I bought it.

I sell a lot of antique and vintage fabric to people for upholstery or projects, and it is amazing how simple and quick it is to make a change like this.
It's amazing what can be done with a scrap of antique fabric and a stapler!

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

19th Century Patchwork/Reference Scraps

2011-08-25T06:11:00.000-07:00

I recently bought a lovely batch of tiny French fabric swatches and scraps which inspired me to sort out a selection of small pieces of mostly 19th and some 18th century French printed cottons. All these pieces are small, some very worn but all are interesting pieces.

I have listed the first batch on my website, all range in price from £5.00 to £20.00, lovely little gems that are fantastic, unique reference pieces for study or perfect for cutting into tiny patchwork pieces for a special project.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

A Victorian Gothic window filled with Flowers

2011-08-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

This is rather a lovely 19th century Victorian woolwork panel, the design mimicking a gothic mullioned window filled with florals.

It has been worked in wool on canvas somewhere towards the end of the 19th century, an example of Berlin woolwork, I think, where women could purchase a painted paper pattern to follow or later, pre-printed canvas to embroider. The reverse shows the much brighter sometimes slightly garish colours fashionable during this period as new dyes were invented and sometimes overused due to their newness.
The colours on the front are now more pleasing as they

have become more muted over time.

I like this panel a lot, it would have been framed and hung somewhere about the house, perhaps in a room without large windows to evoke the world outside, but perhaps it also had a religious or devotional undertone as the window imagery evokes Church stained glass windows and the flowers such as the lilies shown here were often used as symbols in religious iconography.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

New Antique & Vintage French Florals & Toiles

2011-08-11T03:27:00.000-07:00

Imagine my excitement when a text from a dealer told me that they had just taken charge of a large batch of antique & vintage French fabrics and would I like to come and see them? Needless to say I didn't need too much encouragement, and ended up buying up most of what they had.

Here are some of them, a wonderful array of colour and pattern. Some are for sale through the website, others in my ebay shop, but it will take me a while to list them all!

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

A new Brocante in East Sussex: 'Chapelle Rouge'

2011-08-05T05:32:00.000-07:00

Some friends of mine recently opened a large French Brocante-style Barn in West Sussex to sell their wonderful finds: rustic oak furniture, armoires etc, Linen sheets & bedding, textiles, kitchenalia, gardenalia (if there is such a word), architectural salvage and so much more. Here are a few photos I took on my visit today. If ever you are in West Sussex, it is definitely worth a visit.

Chapelle Rouge

Cherry Tree Farm

Henfield Road

Small Dole

BN5 9XT

Tel: 07931660592

grayman57@gmail.com

A riot of Midsummer French Florals c1880-1920

2011-08-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

‎"People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us." ~Iris Murdoch, A Fairly Honourable Defeat

"Earth laughs in flowers." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Hamatreya"

"I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck." ~Emma Goldman

I will be trying to get some of these lovely fabric listed on the website in a few days, but I am really busy, so let me know if you are interested in anything as yet unlisted.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Some Interesting Victorian Items

2011-07-31T04:21:00.000-07:00

I am starting to feature some interesting Victorian items on the Misc page of my website, here are the first three items, a collapsable Opera hat or top hat, a farthingale and a miniature Etui in the shape of a Gladstone bag.

Victorian silk Opera top hats are so called as they can be easily collapsed flat to stow away safely, for example in an opera cloakroom. These hats were invented in 1812 by Antoine Gibus in France when the fashion for wearing very tall hats in such places as the Opera became an annoyance to those seated behind the wearer…

The farthingale dates to about 1860 - thanks Glo for the help with the dating - flat fronted with a bell-shaped back to give the correct shape for the period. It is made of pink wool lined with cream silk with metal boning. It too collapses flat for storage. It is quite tatty, but as very few from the period survive it is an interesting piece for reference or study.

The miniature gladstone-style etui is very sweet, perfectly elegant yet eminently practical at the same time! I have sen a few ordinary 19th century handbags in the is style - all French - so although this was bought in the UK I suspect it to be French.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

A Magpie or possibly a Dragon's Hoard

2011-07-26T02:33:00.001-07:00

More glittery things from the magpie's hoard

Those of you who often visit this page will be aware of my haberdashery habit, or fixation with threads, especially of the vantage glittery variety! I staggered home under the weight of quite a few kilograms of booty last weekend, all vintage or antique French threads and braids, ranging from the 1960s right back to about 1916, so some are almost 100 years old!

Where does it all come from? Well, I have been lucky enough to get to know a dealer who cleared an old French factory; he started off a few years ago with a large lock-up stacked full of it all, but now there isn't too mach left, so I greedily grab a bit more whenever I see it... And yes, I do sell it from time to time, but not too much... It is 'My Precious'...

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Sleeping Beauty, a French toile c1920 in 2 colourways

2011-07-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favourite early 20th century French 'toile' designs depicting scenes from Perrault's fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. I am sure I have posted this before, but it is so beautiful, and I only recently came across the purple version. I have now had it in two beautiful colourways: grey on white & purple on ivory, I like them both equally, and wonder if there may be any other colours still to find! It would be fabulous in blue on white, or even in pink.

I used the grey textile for my website logo and business card, as it is so photogenic. I have a piece of each colour saved for framing, but am still waiting to find exactly the right frames...

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Vive La France!

2011-07-15T06:52:00.001-07:00

In the wake of Bastille Day, I found some lovely antique and vintage French things at a local Brocante today. I shall put them all in The Plethorium of M. Le Fay this weekend (a small unit in Emporium Antiques Centre, 42 Cliffe High Street, Lewes, East Sussex) , they will look tres belle!

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Patchwork packs of antique florals and toile

2011-07-11T05:04:00.000-07:00

Several times a year I clear out my scrap bags and make up patchwork packs, here are the latest pretty bundles, perfect for small projects such as lavender bags or patchwork. All five packs will be for auction on ebay in my shop Morgaine Le Fay antique Textiles from this evening.

If you would like me to make up a similar batch or one of a particular type or base colour/theme for your projects, please contact me via my website, I may have just what you are looking for!

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Pretty 19th century French prints

2011-07-06T05:46:00.000-07:00

These pretty French prints arrived in the post today and have been a real pleasure to photograph and process for the website as they are so interesting and photogenic. Natural dyes like indigo and madder give such wonderful colours and shades especially when gently faded over time.

18th century prints began by imitating book printing styles butthe 19th century saw the gradual invention & introduction of a new textile repertoire using innovative ideas and motifs along with traditional ones that exploited the growth of new technology such as roller printing.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

July 4th, A British toile commemorating Independence Day

2011-07-04T04:46:00.000-07:00

Happy July 4th to all my American friends! Here is a very special fragment of a late 18th century British toile commemorating Independence Day, called America Presenting at the Altar of Liberty Medallions to Her Illustrious Sons. It was given to me by an American friend and fellow collector a while ago as a thank you for sourcing some early block printed textiles for him (thanks Bronnie). It is a rare and sought after design, especially when there is a full pattern repeat, which this fragment doesn't have, but there is enough here to get the gist of the design, The famous toile company at Jouy produced a very similar design in 1790 that was in print for 17 years.

The Plethorium of Mme. Le Fay

2011-07-03T06:28:00.000-07:00

We have filled The Plethorium, our unit in an antiques mall in Lewes, with new stock; top hats & bowlers - all quite small - collars & shoes, corsets and mannequins as well as traveling trunks & cases, some small pieces of pretty furniture and a rather gruesome vintage Dentist's chart.

It is always a lot of fun sourcing weird and wonderful pieces to sell here, it makes a change from selling via my website, as I get to arrange everything just so...

Emporium Antiques, 42 Cliffe High Street , Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2AN

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Website update continued...

2011-06-30T05:00:00.001-07:00

Some of the new things in the website today; some heavy vintage pure linen yardage, a pair of long French chenille chateau curtains, an 18th century toile portiere and a 19th century toile pelmet, misc French trims and embroidery threads and much more!

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Website update, a work in progress!

2011-06-29T13:20:00.001-07:00

My new website has been a great success so far, I have been amazed at the amount of visitors & customers from all around the world since February when I first went online. I am about to start to re-stock with new textiles which gives me the perfect excuse for three of my favourite activities: handling textiles, photography and research! Watch this space for more pieces from the past.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Beautiful 18th century partial caraco/bodice

2011-06-24T05:41:00.000-07:00

After a tip-off from some Canadian colleagues (thanks David & Paul) I purchased this wonderful partial 18th century silk bodice or perhaps a caraco . Apart from its missing sleeve and unfinished existing sleeve it is in immaculate condition, the complex silk brocade still strong and not at all fragile as is often the case with silks of this period. It is beautifully lined with linen; two types. I love the way it has been constructed, a wonderful technique that balanced the need for careful tailoring to utilise every scrap of silk from the narrow loom widths of the time with the needs of fashion to cut for a perfect, close fit.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T01:31:00.000-07:00

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Six fragments of 18th century French woolwork & tapestry

2011-06-13T04:46:00.000-07:00

I bought a lot of good stock from a recent fair, here are my current favourites, a good batch of French textiles c1750: 2 strips of tapestry - 1 typical Aubusson with roses, the other of unknown origin which needs more research (I have photographed them next to each other to see how different they are in style & structure)- and 4 woolwork chair seat or back panels. The condition is mixed but not at all bad for their age, all are still bright and vibrant, wonderful examples of this type of early textile. The woolworks are worked in a mixture of grospoint or petitpoint tent stitch or varying sizes.

My favourite detail is the stags at the bottom of the vase of flowers, I think I will definitely keep this one and try to find a suitable frame to protect it from moths!

Have a wonderful weekend whatever you are doing!

2011-06-11T04:41:00.001-07:00

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Paisley Shawls & Embroidered Slipper-fronts

2011-06-09T02:42:00.000-07:00

I am always thrilled when I come across unused Victorian embroidered slipper fronts, they remind me of 'The Elves and the Shoemakers', a favourite tale from my childhood. Embroidered on canvas from a pattern and turned into house slippers, I love the slightly clumsy, two dimensional shape that only comes into its own when transformed into comfy slippers. The two floral pairs here are English Victorian and date to about 1860-80. The goldwork and silk floss pair on brown wool have most likely been imported from India during the late 19th century.

These two paisley shawls are interesting, the more typically coloured red-toned shawl is an example of quite a late shawl, It is a double weave square shawl in wool, possibly with some silk in the weave. It is reversible and dates to about 1880, the condition is excellent apart from a tiny patch of thinning. The other shawl is a bit of a puzzle, the colours are quite unusual, green, cream & pink; it is much smaller than the usual fairly standard sizes. It is a wool woven shawl with interesting elongated 'boteh' or paisley motifs, self fringed. Both came from France but could have originated elsewhere.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Hat Boxes & Collars

2011-05-27T01:40:00.000-07:00

These beautiful but shabby hats and hat boxes are quite cheap to find at markets and fairs, yet they display so well, nonchalantly piled and arranged on top of cupboards and dressers. The collars in their original boxes are wonderful, and for sale on my website, the hatboxes and hats are not, they are far too pretty as well as extremely useful for storage!

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

A French patched & darned 'Make Do & Mend' corset c1900-1910

2011-05-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

Here is another wonderful 'make do & mend' French corset rescued from a rag warehouse in Northern France that closed down about 50 years ago. This garment has been treasured by its wearer and has countless little mends and patches. Even after such a long life it wasn't thrown away but was sold to the rag man. I think the corset would have originally dated to about 1900-1910, but was kept going for many years beyond that by the looks of it. Perhaps it was her only corset with no means to afford another one, so it had to be kept going with any spare scraps of linen available. I collect such tatty, humble garments as they are unique textiles that have so much history and 'life' in every mark, darn or patch. Most museums collect & display higher status/better condition garments which are wonderful in their own way, but to me they don't have the lure of this sort of garment. I can imagine the wearer, and learn a little more about her life, and how different and difficult it must have been.

A superb fragment of 18thc French embroidery on wool c1750

2011-05-19T04:20:00.000-07:00

This small fragment of embroidery on blue woolcloth is deceptively simple, plain horizontal rows of tent stitch (I think, I am not very good at identifying stitches) in wool and silk creating a complex illusion of 3-dimensional naturalistic flowers insinuating themselves around a beautifully carved architectural column. This tiny (approx 12" by 24") slightly moth-eaten fragment is wonderful enough, I can only imagine what the whole panel would have looked like, I think it was a large tapestry-style wallhanging for a chateau or large house. It dates to about 1750 and may have been produced by Aubusson, or to imitate Aubusson tapestry as a slightly cheaper alternative. I sold this piece a couple of years ago, but can still enjoy its beauty to some extent through photos in my library.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

19th c neoclassical toile de Jouy 'Amour et Médaillons'

2011-05-13T09:51:00.000-07:00

This popular neoclassical toile de Joy was designed by Huet in 1808; I believe it is a later copy, probably dating to the late 19th century, an unused panel in superb condition, roller printed on cotton. Here you see the Napoleonic or Empire influence on design at its peak.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Birds, Flowers & Butterflies

2011-05-08T05:57:00.000-07:00

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

18th century silk & 2 17th century velvets

2011-05-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some beautiful pieces of early velvet and silk. I think the pink silk is 18th century, French, some small fragments of a large scale damask pieced together, mismatched, some even back to front, but still a wonderful reference piece. The deep blue/green velvet piece is made up as a runner with passementerie trim and a silk lining, again, pieced from fragments. I believe it to be Italian, late 17th century or early 18th century, but cannot find any solid references, but it is very similar to the red & gold piece, which I could reference: I think it is Italian and dates to the second half of the 17th century. Velvet was extensively used as a furnishing fabric because of it's comfortable, hard-wearing pile. The pile was often one colour, generally red as it is in this example, on a matching or contrasting background.

It is known as Ciselé velvet, the pattern, incomplete here, shows large styalized florals and leaves in pinkish red pile, cut and uncut, on a yellow satin ground. The selvages have narrow stripes of green and cream silk.

Referenced from the book: European Textiles in the Kier Collection 4000BC to 1800AD by Monique King & Donald King published in 1990 by Faber & Faber

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Palest Pastels & Ice-cream Coloured Florals & Toiles for Pretty Spring Projects

2011-05-04T01:58:00.000-07:00

Nothing brings a fresh Spring or early Summer ambience into a room like palest pastel and ice-cream coloured antique and vintage textiles, particularly florals and toiles. Even the smallest scrap can be used for something; a lavender bag or shelf trim, a patchwork cushion or cottage-style window pelmet, or a delicately faded floral tablecloth or throw to brighten and freshen a room in an instant.

All the above lovely fabrics & textiles are for sale (or possibly already sold) in my ebay shop & website this week, but please contact me via my website (web address top right of) if you would like a patchwork/project pack custom made for your requirements, prices are usually around £22.00 for florals or tickings, £33.00 for vintage toiles or £44.00 for early antique toiles when available, mixed packs can always be made up for your too!

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Passementerie

2011-05-01T05:08:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I was delighted to discover the French word for decorative textile trims & braids: Passementerie. Such a wonderful word for such beautiful creations, Wikipedia defines the word as: Passementerie or Passementarie is the art of making elaborate trimmings or edgings (in French, passements) of applied braid, gold or silver cord, embroidery, coloured silk, or beads for clothing or furnishings.

While I don't know very much about their history and construction techniques, I really like these trims, tassels and braids, and will be doing some research into them when I can find the time.

Here are a few antique French examples, I love the one made up of wooden drops covered in woven silk with a chenille tuft at the end, this has been made somewhere about 1900 in a Louis Phillipe style c1830. I like the orange silk fringe with the fancy gimp along the top, this is a Napoleon III trim dating to about 1860, as is the multi-coloured tassel trim made from wool. The woven silk bands are simple but lovely, the bottom one is made up like a ribbon, the one in the middle of the bottom picture is made up like a braid.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

To Celebrate May Day!

2011-05-01T00:47:00.000-07:00

I am not at all religious, but love traditional religious symbolism, and am very drawn to that of The Green Man, symbolising growth and rebirth, an appropriate and beautiful image for May Day or the Festival of Beltane.

The fabric is a fragment of beautiful 19th century French printed cotton furnishing fabric used to upholster a bed's head & footboard, the carving is a small piece I bought about 18 years ago at a medieval festival in Rheims in France. It has been hand-carved out of English oak by a lovely man whose name I am afraid I have forgotten. Finally, my interpretation of The Green Man is a simple tapestry weaving made from wool that I spun, dyed from natural dyes such as madder, indigo, weld and onion skins, and wove myself about 17 years ago.

A Simple Early 19th Century French Wedding

2011-04-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow's Royal Wedding coincided with the purchase of this lovely early 19th century French printed toile de Rouen which arrive in the post today.

It depicts a lovely village wedding, starting with the introduction of the young man to his sweetheart's family. The couple exchange vows inside the church, before parading joyfully out of the church to the merry tune of the Fiddle. Next we see them and their family enjoying their delicious wedding banquet. Finally, we see into the future as the happy couple play with their little daughter.

It is a very charming panel despite being quite faded. The definition of the print isn't as good as it could be, this tended to happen when the engraved metal plates used for printing began to wear down after too much use, leaving a less distinct pattern. This sometimes allowed the dye to flood out a little too much, further increasing the lack of definition. However, I quite like the effect, it softens all the outlines, slightly blurring the detail, adding to the shabby chic charm of the design in this case.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

17th century bobbin laces

2011-04-27T04:24:00.000-07:00

Here are 3 pieces of very early 17th century linen bobbin lace ; 2 pieces of Italian-style baroque lace, and a rather unusual piece of 'pinless' lace most likely from Flanders. This rather clunky looking lace puzzled me and I was unable to identify it at all, so I had it appraised by an American lace expert: 'The pinless laces are called that because they use pins only at the very edges of the lace, not at every intersection of the interior of the lace. They tend to be very early forms and are scattered across Flanders, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Sweden and Russia. Very early Flanders has this type of squared solid clothwork, and a variety of grounds are used, such as the most common trademark ground, the 5 dice, Kat stitch ground AKA Turnhout ground/ Pt d Paris ground, and round ground as found in old Valenciennes.'

The other two floral laces are either Flemish of Milanese as far as I can tell, the wider, finer lace I think may be Milanese while the narrower less delicate lace is probably Flemish - I need to do a bit more research in to techniques before I can be more positive! I find early laces incredibly fascinating in hteir beauty, complexity and variety. I especially admire the hardiness of the linen upholstery laces of this period as they can still be found in wonderful condition due to the hard wearing nature of flax.

Please click and double click on the photos for supersized and enlarged pictures showing the incredible detail of these laces.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

A Riot of Colour and Texture: Indiennes, Tapestry & Needlepoint

2011-04-20T02:16:00.000-07:00

Summer seems to have arrived too early here is the UK; mind you, I'm not complaining, but April in the UK is usually filled with Spring sunshine with that slightly crisp edge reminding us that we still have 'April showers' a-plenty to come before 'May's Flowers' as the old rhyme says. Yesterday was a different story though, 25C at Ardingly Antiques Fair; I was a little ill-prepared, and ended up getting a little sun-burnt and dehydrated and had to leave early, but before the heat overcame me, I managed to find some real treasures: some lovely fabrics including a couple of chintzes & indiennes (I suspect the yellow one is from Jouy), a Berlin woolwork panel depicting a playing card theme and an older Chinoiserie panel in fine tent stitch and a pair of gorgeous cushions made from 18th century tapestry fragments. Note to self: Drink more water and have breakfast before going to an all day fair...

Le Char de l'Aurore 1792

2011-04-17T06:13:00.000-07:00

Some inspirational images for such a lovely sunshine-filled Sunday, I hope you all have a relaxing and/or productive day, depending upon your aims.

This late 18th century French toile shows scenes from Ovid's Metamorphoses, the engraving is incredibly detailed, in the style of a sophisticated book illustration as was common in the early days of cotton/linen colour-fast printing technology. It is one of my favourite designs dating to 1792, copper-plate printed by TP Meillier & Cie of Beautiran near Bordeaux.

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Delicately Faded French Florals for Spring

2011-04-15T01:27:00.000-07:00

With perfect timing for Spring, one of my favourite dealers invited me to view their new French stock; she knows well my penchant for gently faded delicate floral fabrics in pale, wistful colours as well as stronger, richer tones, and she had plenty of both!

Most of the fabric here are late 19th century, a few from the first half of the 20th century, mostly lightweight lawns. These kind of antique and vintage cottons are becoming harder and harder to find so I was thrilled to buy up all that she had. The only drawback is that most of the pieces here are quite small, but that makes them perfect to cut and combine in pretty projects like cushion covers or patchwork.

I shall be listing a few pieces on ebay this evening, and should have some small patchwork packs for sale in the website over the next couple of days. I always find that Spring is the best time for buying textile stock, and have several buying trips lined up over the next few days, so watch this space for more oodles of interesting things!

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Dramatic Dragon & Wyvern panel c1720-50 found in a pile of junk

2011-04-13T04:34:00.000-07:00

I was wandering through a street market last weekend after some well needed shopping stocking up on summer shirts when I caught a glimpse of something rather interesting out of the corner of my eye; half-hidden amongst the junk and jumble of a house clearance stall was the scruffiest velvet cushion, literally falling apart, dusty and and a bit moth-holed with what looked like a shabby floral tapestry panel on the front. On closer inspection it turned out to be this incredible woolwork panel worked in petitpoint tent stitch dating to the somewhere around the mid 1700s. The fighting wyvern and dragon are very dramatically worked on either side of a flowering and fruiting tree which I think is symbolic of the tree of life.

The condition of the embroidered panel itself isn't too bad, it has lost some stitches here and there, it has a few small holes and is a little grubby and faded, whereas the velvet, which was Victorian was in a terrible state. I have removed the damaged velvet which virtually fell away from the embroidery, leaving a surprisingly sound panel.

I had thought that it had been cut from a larger piece and applied to the velvet with Victorian trim covering the edges, but now I am not so sure, it looks as if this may have been the intended shape of the panel as the edge of the stitched area is apparent and hasn't been cut. I am assuming that it was originally made to decorate a chair cover or cushion. It cost next to nothing, and just goes to show that it is worth rummaging around in the most unlikely places at markets and sales, you never know what exciting things you will find!

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Neoclassical Toile de Jouy - Les Arts

2011-04-11T01:10:00.000-07:00

This toile was designed in about 1816 for Jouy by Louis-Hippolyte Le Bas. It is roller printed on fine cotton.

'Toiles in the neoclassical style emerged in the last two decades of the 18th century. Their patterns reflect an aesthetic shift in the arts that responded to revolutionary stirrings and replaced rococo romanticism with classical stoicism. Pattern designers borrowed from the sculpture, bas-reliefs, vases and motifs of antiquity brought to light by the archaeological excavations at Herulaneum and Pompeii in the mid eighteenth century.' - Toile de Jouy French Printed Cottons - A V&A book by Sarah Grant

This latest aquisition is a bit tatty, but a wonderful reference piece. The four Arts are represented by four scenes, Sculpture by Pygmalian & Galetea, Music by Orpheus & Euridice, Drawing is illustrated by the myth of Dibutade and Architecture is represented by an architect showing a plan to a roman general, as yet these two characters have not been identified.

The second to last photo references the design in a purple colourway from the book: Toile de Jouy Printed Textiles in the Classic French Style by Riffel, Rouart & Walter.

More beautiful, cosy quilts...Claimed by the cat!

2011-04-05T04:55:00.000-07:00

A few more wonderful quilts for the website, my cat Chya particularly approves of the enormous Velvet patchwork French quilt...

www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-04-03T05:45:00.000-07:00

A wonderful selection of family scenes from late 18th and early 19th century French printed toiles. Happy Mother's Day!

My Guilty Treat....

2011-04-02T02:52:00.000-07:00

I was at a favourite Brocante a couple of weeks ago when my eye caught this thing of beauty that had only just been brought over from France and was priced up as a real bargain! At first I thought it was a fancy fainting couch (as the lovely Niles deliciously calls his in Frasier) or chaise longue, but with both ends there I think it is classed as a sofa. It even has it's two bolster cushions upholstered in matching grey silk damask. I fell in love with it in an instant; my old chaise is falling apart, I only use it to heap textiles on, and have to warn visitors not to sit on it! I asked very nicely if they could keep it for me if I put a deposit dowm and luckily they agreed. Yesterday it arrived, and needless to say I am thrilled. I had better smarten up the rest of the studio now...

Quilts Galore!

2011-03-30T06:04:00.000-07:00

While 'Quilts Galore' may be overstating it a bit, I am pleased to announce a new 'Quilts' page on my website. There are currently 3 quilts for sale there, and more to come in a week or two. An elegant Toile de Bordeaux and Vichy check French boutis, a 19th century double-sided French boutis and a beautiful arborescent toile quilt in need of a little TLC.

Here are some photos of some quilts and coverlets I have sold in the past, along with the ones listed on the website which this should give an idea of the kind of quilts that I will be hunting out and selling.

www.morgaine-le-fay.c0.uk

A very shabby, huge 19th century Japanese dragon embroidery

2011-03-28T15:16:00.000-07:00

I love this panel, the edges are really worn; the silk is in tatters but for the most part, the central dragon embroidery is in fairly good condition. In the subtlest colours, aged over time, the dragon is so full of character. His face seems almost human. It measures about 7 feet long by about 2 feet wide. Despite the damage, it displays beautifully, I hang it over an old tapestry screen to cover the damage on that, the colours blend magically.

I like to look at him in my studio; at the moment he is a powerful reminder to me of the strength of the Japanese people to eventually recover from the terrible natural catastrophe they are suffering and enduring at the moment.

An interesting scrap distraction...

2011-03-27T14:14:00.000-07:00

I always try to save even the tiniest, most damaged pieces of antique & vintage textiles as they are far to lovely to get rid of and I often refer to them for reference when trying to identify a new textile, or make up patchwork packs if requested. However, they tend to to be stuffed unceremoniously into large paper carrier bags and thrown out of sight behind my old chaise longue in my studio. The chaise has finally had it and I have bought a rather lovely French sofa to replace it, so today I am moving it into my store-room until I can decide what to do with it. I thought it would be a quick job, but I had forgotten about the bags of scraps! An hour or so later, I have a wonderfully arranged new 'Scrap Box', but the chaise is still unmoved... Right, I must stop playing with fabric and get on with it!

Magpie Tendancies

2011-03-26T08:08:00.001-07:00

I must have been a magpie in a former life, I can never resist sparkling, metallic trinkets and treasures! I told myself that I was only going for a walk today, but knew I would somehow find myself at a street market where one of my favourite haberdashers sometimes has a stall. As luck would have it he was there, and here is a selection of the booty...

There are some amazing reels of gold and silver threads dating to about 1916, so almost 100 years old, am
and some 50s woven metal lamé ribbons. I also picked up some very dainty gold ric-rac braids and other misc shiny bits & bobs. I am sure some of it will slowly filter onto the website and into the ebay shop, but for the time being I am simply going to arrange it beautifully on a shelf and admire it!