lace and broderie anglaise

I never know for certain if broderie anglais/e should have that final 'e' at the end - if you look at dictionaries/Google etc, it varies depending on which site you look at.  The French always add the 'e' and I guess it is because 'broderie' is a feminine noun.  I prefer it with an 'e' as it sounds rather nice, although sometimes I do forget to use it!

Anyway, pedantics aside, I thought I would show you a few bits of lace and broderie anglaise that I recently  listed - some sold, some not.

A pretty little girl's dress - simple but with a border of lace at the hem.  It has a 1920s feel about it, with drop waistline.

simple, but quite sweet. dress now sold

A beautiful collar for a dress or blouse

there are little buttonholes to be attached to another garment - easier to wash just the collar when dresses were so bulky and hard work to launder
 

My favourite item for ages - a stunning pair of bloomers - with an elastic waist for easy wear!  Stunning isn't a word I use often, but these are really quite lovely.  I have replaced the elastic as it had withered away, but otherwise, the quality and condition are both excellent.
bloomers now sold 
 

The lace border is quite generous: over 5 1/2 inches deep

and to finish, a tiny monogram 'MM' stitched on the leg

This girl's petticoat is gathered at the waist, and the lace would allow ribbon to be threaded through
 

the ribbon is long gone, but the item is in very good condition .  Nowadays, a little girl could wear this as a dress, not under a dress - they must have been very hot in summer with so many layers albeit white cotton! Petticoat now sold

Slip now sold
Another very popular item - a lady's slip, or summer nightdress.  Perfect for the heat of the summer

and again, simple, but decorated with hand embroidery and a touch of lace on the top edge.

A piece of more modern palest salmon pink lace, machine made, but perfect to decorate a 1950s or 60s petticoat or nightdress.
salmon lace now sold

I really like the very pale salmon pink colour - very subtle

and quite sheer, with a nice floral design.  Even in modern times using modern manufacturing methods, lace is still so popular.

If you would like more information, just clic on my shops above or send a message.

Have a good weekend!

Valentine's Day, antique French linen, & monograms

A very pretty nightdress, with palest, palest blue handmade lace trim and monogram -  I bet it sent the pulses racing all those years ago...
nightdress now sold

 and here is the twin - there are two of them, very similar but with just a subtle difference in the lace trim
nightdress now sold

 

Made from metis - linen/cotton union - warm in winter, cool in summer

And for him - a pure linen shirt, with a tie neckline and a red cross-stitch monogram, all handstitched of course.  Can almost imagine Mr Darcy wearing something like it
shirt now sold.

The fabric has softened now and the red cross-stitching on the monogram is now a little faded by sunshine (remember that?) and laundering - these linen shirts must have taken hours to press.  I can only guess that they were pressed as to wear them without, it must have been like wearing corrugated cardboard!

And a most beautifully embroidered sheet - with a heart, flowers, ribbon and a pair of love-birds...
sheet now sold

and the bride's monogram, lovingly embroidered in pink

and the groom's too...


Have a great week, and a lovely Valentine's Day!

A few bits of stock

A pretty antique French nightdress, embroidered in palest blue, with monogram 'RB' - now sold

 

A remnant of tweedy woollen fabric in blue, green and brown, one piece sold, one left

Sage-green and white French mattress ticking, once used as a simple curtain - now sold

Beautiful pelmet, with green and blue passementerie tassels - now sold

An antique linen nightshirt with tie-neck - now sold
 

A morceau of 1930s floral cotton, a bit faded and marked but perfect for a little sewing project
 - now sold

'Captive Unicorn' - a 20th century wallhanging, from the series of famous tapestries at the Cloisters, New York. - now sold

A few little pieces of my fabrics - just to prove to mysef that I have returned to work and started listing the mountain of linen and textiles in my stock room.

Change of direction for me

Sorry, but specs now sold


Sorry, but nightshirt now sold

Pink knickers now sold

Sorry, but green blouse now sold


Sorry, but salmon nightie now sold




Sorry, but apron now sold

Sorry but bloomers now sold



Sorry, but blouse now sold


Sorry, but jacket is now sold

Sorry, but scarf now sold
As you all may or may not know, when we first came to France, we started out as book dealers, doing the markets and organising book sales 2 or 3 times a month in ex-pats communities, selling English books to anyone who wanted them. We made a comfortable living: would never be rich but earned enough to pay our way (taxes!). Then, Mr Plod decided to prosecute us for using English words such as 'BOOK SALE' on a poster - a crime here in France - and we were forced to close down and go on the dole. (Note to self: send a 'Thank you' card to Mr. Plod for the enforced 2 years paid holiday...)

Then, a new scheme for small enterprises came into being and yes! I could do the books if I wanted, plus go back to my first love, antiques and vintage. So, I started scouring the vide greniers and brocantes to buy stock, and started selling antique stuff, plus some selected magazines and books in French on Ebay and Etsy.

Then this spring, Laposte finished their economic postal service and with one blow, knocked my book business away. You see, a lot of book buyers in Australia, Japan and USA don't mind waiting a little longer for their books if the postage can be reasonable - and books are heavy items which now cost more to post, but Ebay and Amazon limit the postage that can be charged.

Fortunately at the same time, I found a couple of reliable sources for vintage and antique French clothes - maybe not with known labels as these are usually snapped up by the fat purses from Paris - but nice vintage blouses from 1960s to antique 19th century linen nightshirts (great for wearing over jeans) lacy bloomers, and petticoats. I have to remind myself that in France, many women made their own clothes, or had the village seamstress run something up for them, and so many don't have many labels at all - just sweet little stitches and an eye for style from the latest magazines...

Of course, I have always sold a few vintage clothing items: mainly linen, scarves, hankies, bags and a few hats, but I am SO excited by my new direction - I even found Lady Godiva, my dummy, at such as low price I thought that it must be fate...so here goes...I made a little start a couple of months ago with just a few things - my Ebay shop is here...and any comments/tips/hints from vintage ladies will be most welcome!

In the meantime, I will still have my brocante items and a few selected books, but I am rather looking forward to something new - onward and upward as they say!

Pintucks - on vintage clothes

A nightdress, with simple tucks down the front, for comfort

Sorry, this is sold
Sewn by hand, and a nice monogramme in red as a bonus


close-up of the monogramme - more photos here.


This is a jabot or shirt front - you can see the button holes for fastening on a collar.

Sorry but this is sold
More complicated than the nightdress - more formal. I suspect this might be either for a young man, or even a woman as the neck is quite small. This has also got a small monogramme on the bottom tab - you can see more in the listing here.


Now this piece is really amazing - the pintucks are very well hand stitched, in perfect rows - and so many of them!

It's complicated and just lovely - the bottom of a petticoat I think - late Napoleon III (Victorian) edging into the beginning of 20thc/Edwardian age.

sorry, but this is sold
There is over 10 feet or 3 metres of it - you can read more here.

I just LOVE pintucks - imagine the patience needed to sew them... and really, they are quite unnecessary but so evocative of a lost time. Can't imagine many girls know how to sew pintucks now - I remember having to do (and re-do!) some on my domestic science apron back in the 1960s at my strict Lancashire school. And, sewing on my initials - couldn't call it a monogramme as it wasn't so decorative, but at least everyone in my class knew their apron...