| Vintage Fabrics |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-113 |
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Q: I love vintage fabrics but don't know much about them. What are some good ones to use for decorating?
A: (Nancy Golden, Ask DIY Decorating expert) The first vintage fabric to consider for decorating is toile (figure A ), which has scenic storytelling patterns. It's from the 18th century. The Irish created it, but once the French saw it, they claimed it. A town called Jouy (jwee ) made a ton of it, and that's why you'll often hear the fabric referred to as toile de Jouy. The original scenes on toile depicted contemporary pastoral life and each design had a name, such as "The Four Seasons" or "The Pleasures of Farming." Even today you can see the name of a particular toile printed on its selvage. Years ago toile was a more conservative fabric, mostly black, red or blue printed on cream. Today it comes in colors such as mustard, lime green and purple. Web extra: Some 18th-century toile even depicted special events, such as a hot-air-balloon ride. Carved wooden blocks were used to depict early versions of the fabric, but engraved copper plates came into use in the late 1700s, which allowed for a more refined line. The English also produced toile and brought it over to America. Soon toile came with American scenes and depicted patriots such as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. In its first heyday toile was used informally, and we're getting back to that theme these days. Use toile in bedrooms, guestrooms, even bathrooms, for a wonderful French country look. Or you may want to use a pagoda print to create an Asian theme in a guest room, or one of the childish patterns for a child's room. To make the most dramatic impact, use toile for upholstery, pillows (figure B), window treatments and walls, even lampshades. You have to cover the whole room in toile! Lots of times you can get matching wallpaper to go with the fabric. But you must have the guts to use a lot of toile, to go the whole nine yards. Nobody's perfect: If you're timid, toile is not for you: you can't use just a little. And don't use another busy fabric along with toile. Instead, complement it with small checks and stripes or a plain, bold color. Another vintage fabric to consider is barkcloth, a heavy, textured cotton material that was very popular in the '30s, '40s and '50s (figure C). It's known for bold graphic designs, which run the gamut from floral to tropical to space-age atomic to cowboy. Barkcloth is very sturdy, and it's washable. Today there are a lot of contemporary reproductions available. You can use barkcloths for curtains (figure D) or wonderful little pillows with fringe (figure E). But don't mix barkcloth with toile; use it to complement a more subtle pattern. You can find lots of pieces of vintage barkcloth in antiques stores. And if you don't like antiquing, go to the fabric store for a reproduction! More questions for Nancy:
Q: I need some help with fabric terminology. What's a "pattern repeat," and why is that so important when it comes to figuring out how much fabric to get or use?
A: Fabric repeat simply means how often the pattern on your fabric repeats itself. It's important to measure the pattern repeat if you want the pattern to match up on seams. If there are large patterns to match up, it could increase the yardage you need by as much as 20 percent. To find pattern repeat, measure from the top of the pattern to the start of the next identical use of that pattern (figure F). If you want to save money on yardage and don't care whether your patterns match up, don't worry about the pattern repeat. And some patterns, like a tiny check, of course don't have any pattern repeat, so go ahead with the original yardage they tell you to use.
Q: How can I tell whether an old fabric is in good enough shape to reuse?
A: I draw the line at holes. But if a piece of fabric has a stain, I don't worry about it. I don't think vintage fabric has to be perfect.
Q: Got any tips for getting the musty smell out of vintage fabrics?
A: That's a tough one. If you have a sunny day you can hang it on the clothesline and that might help. You can also use one of those new fabric fresheners -- they really work. Web site resources for Vintage Fabric Vintage Fabrics from HGTV.com Vintage Dressing at HGTV.com Pillows and Teddy Bears from Vintage Fabrics Vintage Fabrics are Trendy at TC Times.com Vintage Linens Pillows at Craftopia.com Books: Vintage Styles: Creating a Complete Look for Your Home
By Cath Kidston, Pia Tyrde
ISBN: 0821226029
Bulfinch Press (1999)
3 Center Plaza
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: 617-263-2797
Fax: 617-263-2857
Web site: www.bulfinch.press
Complete Guide to Vintage Textiles
By Elizabeth M. Kurella
ISBN: 0873416767
700 E. State
Iola, WI 54990
Phone: 715-445-2215
Web site: www.krause.com
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