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

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

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

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!

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