tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613Sun, 26 Apr 2026 07:18:33 +0000french antique textilesfrench fabricsfrench-treasures.comfrancefrench interiorsfrench textilesvintage fabricantique fabricsvintage fabricssouth of franceinterior decorationtextile designdecoratingtoile de Jouytoilesart decofloralsspringtextile manufacturingembroideryfrance cotton cotton prints french textiles france french fabricslanguedocmattress tickingsprinted cottonsroseselsie de wolfeelsie dewolfeflowersfrench historyfrench vintage fabricsinterior decorred tickingJouyalsaceart nouveauautumn leavescanal du midichintzcotton printsdyesfoodindienneindigojapaneseleavesmulhousenapoleonicpoppiesprovencepuisserguiersilkwinewoadzipelius1950sSaint Jamesantique sheetsartarts and craftsavignonbeziersblue dyeboarbook reviewboutisbowlingbrocantecacaocachemirecanadacarpetchocolatecocoacolbertcolorfulcolorwaysconversationalcranescushionsdeballagedejardindelauneydufyfortunyfourth of julyfrench scarvesgallic roostergardensgobelingobelinsgrape harvestgrapeshandmade pillowsholidayshot chocolatehummingbirdshuntingikatindependencejacquardjosephinekashmirkilimkittenslatour-marliaclinenlinen sheetslouis xivmanufactoringmarketmary jane mccartymid-centurymimosamonetmontpelliermotifsmouchoirnapoleonnapoleon IIInatureneo-classicalorchidsorganicorientalpaintingpaisleyparisparrotspastelpillowspuppiesquiltsromanticismsantiago de compostelascallop shellscarfschoesershawlssommieressongbirdssouthwest francespainstag huntstreet signssunflowerstapestrytapisserietea towelstickingstorchonstour de francetraveltropical birdstrousseautsunamiusavacancesvalancesvegetablesvelvetvendangeversailleswaterlilieswaterlilyyellowFrench vintage fabrics and antique textileshttp://french-treasures.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)Blogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-7011591803803607650Sun, 08 Nov 2015 18:20:00 +00002015-11-08T12:20:48.250-06:00 Winter and summer in homes of the 19th century French bourgeoisie usually called for different textiles to be used in the decor - pale in the summer with darker and heavier weight fabrics used in the winter. This piece, from the Napoleon III era, has a very dark greeny-black background with red and rose flowers as the foreground motif. In this 19th century heavy-weight cotton, the http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2015/11/french-19th-c-textiles-in-shades-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-5125696937268993499Thu, 19 Mar 2015 03:01:00 +00002015-03-19T06:01:14.071-05:00french antique textilesfrench fabricsfrench historyfrench vintage fabricsfrench-treasures.com During the 18th and 19th centuries, rooms in the grand homes and those of the bourgeoisie were often decorated according to the season. Winter furnishings were in darker colors and sometimes in heavier fabrics. There were often more drapes and portières to hang in doorways and hallways to shut out the cold and the drapes for windows were often lined. Quilts and coverlets were part of the http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2015/03/shades-of-green-for-spring-in-french.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-3516792071890593174Sun, 24 Aug 2014 23:55:00 +00002014-08-24T19:02:16.892-05:00The painter, Georges Zipelius, designed some of the most original and beautiful textiles in France during the 19th century.  His work was in great demand and his designs were commissioned by many different companies who produced textiles and wallpapers. Some of Zipelius favorite printed color combinations were deep violet partnered with a greeny-yellow as well as shades of rose http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2014/08/zipelius-design-in-two-colorways.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-5029408786734758117Fri, 25 Jul 2014 14:20:00 +00002014-07-25T11:04:38.559-05:00In the 21st century, digital art has become another medium used by some artists to express themselves. Galleries and museums have been displaying the best examples of digital art in their contemporary art collections. Not surprisingly, French artists are still setting a standard of excellence in all aspects of artistic pursuits, including digital art.  Martine Roch is a French artist from http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2014/07/martine-roch-french-artist-and-her.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-2122600780457296293Tue, 22 Jul 2014 15:54:00 +00002014-07-22T10:58:38.319-05:00antique fabricsartart decofrench fabricsfrench historyfrench-treasures.compainting   This Art Deco painting was the first thing I bought for myself in France and it still hangs on my living room wall.  I found it in an antique center in Bordeaux. The matte was water damaged, but I bought it anyway.  The local framer was able to match the matte color. He replaced the matte, but preserved the original frame and glass. http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2014/07/french-art-deco-lady.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-8282552409153195674Sun, 09 Feb 2014 16:33:00 +00002014-02-09T10:40:46.471-06:00art nouveaufloralsfrancefrench antique textilesfrench fabricsfrench interiorsfrench-treasures.comThe pictures below illustrate some of the gray tones that were used by French textile manufacturers during the 19th century and the early 20th century. The shades of gray included blue-gray, green-gray, charcoal and more. Gray was a popular color since it didn't show the soot from the fireplaces as did lighter colors. The first and third below are fabrics from 1870-1880 while the other three http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2014/02/gray-backgrounds-in-french-antique.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-4309221479807927510Thu, 30 Jan 2014 20:08:00 +00002014-01-31T14:53:35.006-06:00antique fabricscolorfulfloralsfrench antique textilesfrench fabricsfrench-treasures.comprovencesouth of franceAs mentioned in an earlier post entitled, "Color schemes in 19th C French textiles, part 9," red and gold were favorite colors in sunny Provence.  (To see that earlier post: http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2011/03/color-schemes-in-19-c-french-fabrics.html) Another favored color scheme from that era that we don't see very often nowadays is shades of turquoise or aqua with shades of red.http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2014/01/more-colors-of-provence.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-7177083257739947406Fri, 24 Jan 2014 12:27:00 +00002014-01-24T06:29:21.929-06:00antique fabricsfrench antique textilesfrench historyfrench vintage fabricsfrench-treasures.comindigonapoleonnapoleonicwoadNapoleon Bonaparte was one of the first to promote "buy local." During the 18th century, in the years before the revolution, most wealthy people imported their textiles and luxury goods despite strict laws against importing many types of textiles. The French textile industry languished and so did all the associated businesses like the dyers, the farmers who produced the raw materials, the weavershttp://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2014/01/napoleon-and-color-blue.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-3659694045286457502Sun, 03 Nov 2013 16:00:00 +00002013-11-03T10:03:06.688-06:00antique sheetsembroideryfrancefrench antique textilesfrench vintage fabricsfrench-treasures.comlinen sheetsStarting in the 1600s, the central government controlled the textile industry in France. Government agents decided who could produce textiles and what they could produce. Bed sheets were manufactured in many regions and in varying styles. The most common bed sheet was woven on narrow looms, so in order to make a sheet that was wide enough to cover a two-person bed, these sheets have a http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2013/11/french-antique-bed-sheets.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-1685128276179943997Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:58:00 +00002013-06-15T12:32:55.170-05:00colbertdyesgobelingobelinslouis xivmanufactoringparistapestrytapisserieThe famous French Gobelins tapestry factory started modestly as a dyers workshop during the 15th century, but came to prominence when it was purchased by the French king, Louis XIV in 1662. King Louis XIV and his Minister of Finance Jean-Baptiste Colbert instituted strict guidelines for French manufacturing and severely limited imports that would compete with French-produced goods. The result washttp://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2013/06/yarn-drying-at-gobelins-factory.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-2250144372341622935Sat, 08 Jun 2013 12:31:00 +00002013-06-08T07:34:11.075-05:00antique fabricscotton printsfrench textilesfrench-treasures.comJouyprinted cottonstextile designtextile manufacturingtoile de Jouytoilesvintage fabricAn excellent book to add to your library was published by Rizzoli, New York in 1989 and is entitled Printed French Fabrics - Toiles de Jouy by Josette Brédif.  This 184 page book is a comprehensive history of the Oberkampf factory at Jouy-en-Josas, France and includes 196 illustrations. Although this book is out-of-print, it can usually be located to buy on used book websites. When thinking http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2013/06/printed-french-fabrics-toiles-de-jouy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-8177358494809027386Sat, 08 Jun 2013 11:33:00 +00002013-06-08T06:33:07.549-05:00antique fabricsfloralsflowersfrancefrench antique textilesfrench fabricspoppiesspringThe French countryside is awash in color during spring and the early weeks of summer. There are fields covered with wild red poppies, called coquelicot and houses draped in boughs of wisteria. It's easy to see French textile manufacturers were inspired by the beauty of the surrounding countryside to create designs for floral printed fabrics.   http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2013/06/inspiration-from-nature.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-1320178469459353521Sun, 26 Aug 2012 15:57:00 +00002012-08-26T11:00:10.838-05:00book reviewdejardinfrench antique textilesfrench fabricsfrench textilesfrench-treasures.comschoeserI've had several email from readers asking which books I would recommend for learning about textiles or as good reference and research books. There is a list on my website, but I'll use this opportunity to show some of those books in more detail. If you'd like to see the list, it can be found at the bottom of this page: http://www.french-treasures.com/history1.htm One of the best general books http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2012/08/french-textiles-from-1760-to-present.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-6787035563359551911Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:35:00 +00002012-02-10T15:35:18.633-06:00antique fabricsdyesfrancefrench antique textilesfrench fabricsfrench-treasures.comtoile de JouytoilesyellowAlthough there are many plants that produce a yellow tint for dyeing, all the natural yellows are light-sensitive and fade quickly. As a result, until color-fast yellow dyes were created in the 19th century, very few textiles were dyed in shades of yellow and only a very few of those have survived. When looking at old French toiles, it's easy to notice that the early yellows had a wide range of http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2012/02/fragments-of-yellow-toiles.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-5303251593497728874Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +00002014-07-22T17:49:48.445-05:00antique fabricsfrancefrance cotton cotton prints french textiles france french fabricsfrench antique textilesfrench fabricsfrench textilesfrench-treasures.comindienneprinted cottonsFrench 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 http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2012/01/french-fabrics-and-indienne-flower.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-4199689217054570392Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:17:00 +00002011-11-07T05:19:24.210-06:00autumn leavesfrance cotton cotton prints french textiles france french fabricsfrench antique textilesfrench textilesfrench-treasures.comleaves"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 http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2011/11/autumn-leaves.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-1854823900094556713Sun, 04 Sep 2011 22:35:00 +00002011-09-04T17:37:02.619-05:00france cotton cotton prints french textiles france french fabricsfrench textilestea towelstorchonsTea 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 http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2011/09/french-tea-towels-les-torchons.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-9124818591321706093Mon, 15 Aug 2011 22:42:00 +00002011-08-15T17:42:20.088-05:00france cotton cotton prints french textiles france french fabricsThe 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 http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2011/08/long-history-of-cotton-production.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-2901234595331865367Thu, 21 Jul 2011 22:44:00 +00002011-07-26T22:19:22.822-05:00foodfranceorganicprovencesouth of francetour de francevacancesvegetableswineDuring 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 http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2011/07/lete-or-summertime.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-4330473141384432997Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:00:00 +00002011-06-23T09:50:51.671-05:00french antique textilesfrench fabricsfrench textilesfrench-treasures.commattress tickingstickingsFrench 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 http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2011/06/more-french-tickings-from-alsace.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-7058997479139034393Sat, 14 May 2011 16:02:00 +00002014-07-22T17:50:40.422-05:00francefrench antique textilesfrench fabricsfrench interiorsfrench-treasures.commattress tickingsred tickingTextile 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 madehttp://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2011/05/french-red-tickings-from-alsace.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-5988983648991370280Thu, 05 May 2011 04:21:00 +00002014-02-04T22:30:10.866-06:00french antique textilesfrench fabricsfrench interiorsfrench-treasures.comTo 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 shownhttp://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2011/05/color-schemes-in-19th-c-french-textiles.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-2735388771302183724Fri, 22 Apr 2011 11:41:00 +00002011-04-22T06:41:00.227-05:00french antique textilesfrench fabricsfrench interiorsfrench-treasures.comThis 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 http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2011/04/color-schemes-in-19th-c-french-textiles.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-3703623996393231444Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:05:00 +00002014-01-30T14:08:01.889-06:00french antique textilesfrench fabricsIn 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:  http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2011/03/color-schemes-in-19-c-french-fabrics.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452305444082663613.post-5931056554880989180Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:59:00 +00002011-03-18T17:59:52.926-05:00francefrench antique textilesfrench-treasures.comjapanesetsunamiThe 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 http://french-treasures.blogspot.com/2011/03/tsunami-in-19th-century-textiles.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (french-treasures)1