Sunday 11 March 2012

Old Linen - Part 1


Sorting out my linen collection....



...being inspired by  Trish's  fabulous recent posts
Trouvais:     here

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...and being finally motivated to make an inventory by going through the whole collection,
 distributed, stored in cupboards, chests, drawers, trunks, and.....and....
...in the house, the barn...just everywhere



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here we go...
...to the Swedish cupboard, filled with antique and vintage textiles/fabrics,
table cloths, sets of napkins, kitchen/guest towels, bits and pieces....
...and...and...and...


"Monsieur", pretending to assist ???
In fact - he's probably only looking for a hole to snuggle up in...
...or he just likes to annoy me...?!?

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pieces of antique textiles,
roll of French damask linen for napkins in its original ecru color (image shows the color correctly)
19th tablecloths in banquette sizes.....

19th French linen damask for - at least - 12 large napkins, 65cm - 25 1/2" wide
but could be perfect for a few stunning table runners, or....




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Table cloths in linen damask, between 4 and 5 meters long
 



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19th century French ticking and 20th vintage fabric

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Serviettes de visage
late 19th French guest/toilette towels in fine linen/silk damask

 

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"Rough and Smooth"

Mid-19th century home loomed German farmers linen,
early 19th century French ticking and 1980s Italian silk damask

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German Art Nouveau hand/kitchen towels, around 1900

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monogrammed French linen Draps


French late 19th century drap
in very fine fil de lin  and superb embroidery

with a very large monogram ML
in the size of  39cm, 15 1/2" wide x 21cm, 8 1/2" high








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Fil de lin, late 19th century with an exceptional large monogram CD
39cm - 15 1/2" wide by 34cm - 13 1/2" high

Update:
SOLD - Thank you!


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 Drap du mariage, 19th century

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French 19th pillow shams in ecru color


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 Set of 24 German kitchen towels,
19th home loomed pure linen

the irregularities in the weave are good signs that it was really home loomed!

Truly original trousseau pieces!

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 roll of 19th German home loomed hemp
and french linen damask napkins
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Old tassels....


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all kinds of charming objects,

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...laces...


...and trimmings, passementerie

Having taken out a few pieces for photographing....

like this very rare roll of home loomed wooly hemp
from the Bearn region - North Basque, South-West France
 

....and turned my back only for a few minutes....

...???...

...he is a real rotter !!!

"out, OUT !!!..."

".....don't look at me so muffig"!

finally...  :-)

By the way - as one can see his coat is slowly growing back
after the major operation on his leg in December.

Sorry for 'inserting' Oskar all the time, but he's always poodling  around me...
...especially when it comes to the linen business....
and these photos were taken while I worked on the cupboard, yes!


I guess - we all need a break by now....
and I'll continue with  Part 2  in a few days time,
together with a short guide-line for buying old linen.

For further information and/or any inquiries please  contact

Here a brief preview:

hand dyed 19th French chanvre - hemp and linen


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French hemp - waiting to be washed, dyed, or....


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'Kelsch'


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German mangle cloths


19th century German grain hemp grain sacks


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French linen chemises

genuine German printed grain sacks


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19th French linen and hemp

...and plenty more
Part 2 will also include a short guide line for buying old linen

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Dear readers and blogger friends,
Finally, on a personal note, about an existing concern I have
with visiting all your beautiful and interesting posts as well as writing comments:

About 4 weeks ago I had a not funny adventure on the ice in our courtyard  :-(
Not going into details, but the result - I could hardly sit at the desk for any length of time,
neither moving around as usual nor doing proper work...
...and just managed to write 3 posts since then.
To add to that, due to the exceptionally low temperatures, minus 13 - 18 degrees,
for nearly 3 weeks in February, our garden has taken a terrible hammering
and is crying out for attention !!!
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Please, don't feel neglected by me,
as occupied I'll be for the next few weeks with my linen inventory,
gardening and other matters here at La Pouyette,
I will definitely try to visit all your blogs to read and enjoy your posts.
I do need about 20 to 30 minutes for each blog/post to read proper
and not just overflying.  And then sometimes there are links,
and "schwupp-di-wupp" one hour is easily gone.... I guess we all now it.
But - you all are in my mind!
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To give you an idea of what we have to "deal" with.....
...here are only a few of badly damaged  shrubs, small trees...


My poor Myrthe...



I'm devastated!


our small olive trees...


...loosing all their leaves


this is how the look normally in winter before the terrible "Sibirian" cold this year
(photo taken last year in February)

:-( no comment :-(

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Oleander...

burned leaves....

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and these shrubs are completely gone....

this image shows them 8 weeks ago when they were still alive !


A bientôt....

 I like to thank you all for your friendly and lovely comments, 
your empathy, and your concern regarding Oskar's 'case'.  It means a lot to me.
Merci beaucoup!

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 Monday, 12th March - short update:
Lovely surprises....

 Flock of cranes - wild gooses...

...coming from their winter quartier in the South...

 ....heading to the North

 I  LOVE  the sound !

patches of wild violets creeping all over...

 ...amongst the stone walls...

 ...around the trees

sedum  has survived

...and a lovely humble bird...

...enjoying spring!

Simple little things - giving my great pleasure on a Monday morning!

Which you all a wonderful and sunny week! 

see also:
Monogrammed French Linen Draps   here

20 comments:

  1. Oh Karin! I am so very sorry to hear that you had a fall! You and Oskar both as patients--it is not fair! And yes, I was out at a friends house in the country and she was so sad about her plants and trees that died from the cold. Very tough for those that love their gardens. Please DON'T feel a pressure to come to my blog--nothing ever happens there! Really! ;)
    Gros bisous, Karin. Prends soin de toi STP!
    -H.
    PS. I still haven't finished your post about "home"--it is amazing!

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  2. I always LOVE peering onto your closets, Karin...so nice of you to oblige! So many beautiful pieces! After all your years of experience, you really know what you are talking about...so I can't wait for part 2. Take care of yourself in between though!! You should be copying Oskar and lying about on your linens a bit more! XOXO Trish

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  3. Karin I love seeing all your linens! Oskar is half the fun too and I’m so glad the little guy is back to being Oskar. I would love some of your old German grain sacks do you sell those too? As a linen fan I could look at your goods all day long.

    I’m so sorry about your garden and all your lovely shrubs and trees. But as they always say when one door closes another opens and here is your chance to grow something new.

    Don’t work to hard and I hope you’re feeling better and on the mend!

    XX
    Debra~

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  4. Dear Karin, This is such a lovely post...so interesting and so many beautiful photographs. I am so sorry about your fall. You also didn't need to have your garden suffer so through the terrible cold. I know how you feel. Hope that some of your more tender plants will come back, just like Oskar who seems to be improving by the day. Don't worry so much about blogging, we will be here when you are better.
    Viele schoene gruesse an dich und deinen ganzen Haushalt. ox, Gina

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  5. Goodness, I thought I had a lot of old linens & fabrics, but absolutely nothing compared to your lovely collection. And, Trish. Isn't she just fabulous? I am so delighted to see these treasures of yours, Karin. Maybe a shop in the future? Now about the fall, thank goodness you're going to be OK. As you know, Texas has had a drought of biblical proportions in 2011...our land & forest have suffered mightily. One of our parks in Houston lost millions of tress. Yes, millions. I've never been able to see through the trees onto the golf course, but now I can because so many old pines and oaks perished. Mother Nature can be very cruel sometimes.

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  6. You have an amazing collection of linens. I loved looking at all the wonderful photos.

    So sorry to hear about your fall - and glad to hear that you are on the mend. Take care of yourself.
    Several years ago we had a hard winter and lost a number of shrubs, however, some came back and we've learned to not pull them out until well into spring when it's very evident that nothing is growing. Maybe you'll be able to salvage a few of yours.

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  7. Hello Karin...
    I am speechless! Fantastic collection of linens...each photograph filled with such loveliness! Thank you so much for sharing it with us!
    I hope that you are fully recovered soon and trust that your garden will recover too. Love seeing your Oskar and am so happy that he is doing well now...even if he does curl up on those gorgeous linens! :)

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  8. Simply Fabulous! Makes my heart sing to see all of your collection.I have started my own and hope to continue.
    So sad about the cold and now all your greenery is gone~Cheers & Blessings Kim

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  9. Oh Karin ~ I have simply melted into my shoes!!! The linens are just gorgeous and I can't imagine having to many to touch and feel! Can't wait to read your buying guidelines and have so appreciated all your wisdom in recent weeks! I hope you continue to heal and feel better...pamper yourself! You deserve it! My website is almost ready - hopefully by April! Blessings dear friend! Love, M

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  10. Wow! I feel blessed to have seen your stunningly beautiful grounds last fall before the damage occurred! Try to look at it as a chance to try a few new things. Aren't we humbled by Mother Nature?

    No need to worry about being gone for a bit. We'll be here, holding down the fort. Hopefully you are well on the mend.

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  11. Beautiful!! You have a lovely blog; I'm a new follower ~ ♥
    Best,
    Anne

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  12. Dear Karin, I am so glad that your fall wasn't any more hurtful that it was and that you are healing. But the poor shrubs and trees. Europe and Texas so devastated by both ends of the spectrum. So sad for all of you. I love nothing more than the soft various greens and canopies of trees. May they have speedy recoveries where possible.
    Your linens are always phenomenal!
    Blessings to Oscar and your 'family' for a Spring of renewal...
    xo, Chris

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  13. Hi Karin,
    you got wonderful collection of old linen:)
    have a nice week!

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  14. Dear Karin, Your collection of linens is fabulous, some of your towels and pillow cases with monograms are very similar to those I have wich were made by my great grandmother who lived in Fiume, now Rijeka, in Croatia. I will appreciate them now more seeing your collection.
    I am so sorry to hear about your fall and your plants. We had a rather mild winter here in Hungary.

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  15. Oh your collection of linens has me turning green with envy haha ! such wonderful things. Oskar is so helpful haha my cats are the same always investigating ! look forward to part 2 !! thanks for sharing the photos of the cranes/geese flying over...it is so exciting to see them. But your poor garden ...oh dear....this winter was not too bad for us but the last 2 were so bad we lost lots of plants...I hope the roots have survived and they grow back for you....have a nice week ...gail x

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  16. Oh my, what a fabulous collection of linens. So beautiful!
    Sorry to hear about your fall and I hope you are fully recovered by now.
    Have a lovely week.

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  17. The damage to your garden must be heartbreaking. I had a similar injury ice-skating and couldn't sit for months - it must be very painful and frustrating, especially when your garden needs attention.. The collection and images of your linens had me dreaming........... I can picture them in my house here as well as in My French Folly. Looking forward to visiting you this year.
    Take care.
    Liebe Grüße

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  18. Oh my goodness, what a delightful sight to see your exquisite linens. Absolutely breathtaking and gorgeous. You have an amazing collection and you are so knowledgeable. I look forward to part II.
    It sounds like you had a nasty fall so be sure to take care of yourself. Oskar looks in fine repair so you need to pamper yourself like you did Oskar...but, definitely not the cage!!!
    I am sorry to see the damage your garden suffered during the extremely harsh winter. I hope you will see signs of life as the warm weather progresses. As cruel as Mother Nature can be, she often works miracles too.
    Don't worry about blogging. We will all be here and look forward to hearing from you when you are feeling better.
    Take care xx

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  19. I'm sorry to see what happen to your lovely garden. You have a nice collection of antique linen. I was lucky to buy Antique French linen in France in the 1990's at great prices. I built up a large collection then. It seams that the last time I was in France all of the linen was very costly. I attend a monthly estate sale here in Mobile, Alabama. All linens are just one dollar. I have built up my collection of 19th century French table cloths and napkins that I don't look at them anymore at this sale. I only buy linen towels as they seam to be rarer.

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  20. Bonjour, mon amie! It's been a long time! Another thing we have in common! I love linens. I fell in love with French linens during my first trip 10 years ago. I bought everything I could afford (which wasn't much at the time!). I even bought some embroidery books (in French!) and taught myself how to hand embroider.

    I'm so sorry to see what the cold weather did to your beautiful gardens. If anyone can make them lovely again, it's you!

    A bientôt!
    Linsey

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