Toile de Jouy

Saturday I found these antique pieces of old quilts with toile de Jouy prints, at an antique market. They are small and some are very worn but I loved them so took them home!!!

This is what I read at the museum at Jouy site and Wikipedia: Making fabrics with these kind of pictures started mid 18th century in Ireland. They became very popular in Britain and France after that. The term 'toile de Jouy' is French and came from the toiles produced in Jouy-en-Jonas (near Paris) starting around 1760. Later these toiles were produced in many more places in France and they all had their own patterns.

So I have a selection of different pieces and they come from different French areas. I don't know which pieces come from where. I hope to find out soon. I already ordered a book about toile de Jouy.

 Interesting and strange pictures aren't they? Some seem to tell stories I think.

Some pieces are quilted (so there are 3 layers) and other pieces are just pieces of single fabrics.

Lots of possibilities to use those in a wall quilt ( probably to fragile to use as a bed quilt). I washed them and laid them out on a bed. Every time I walk by I enjoy looking at them! 

May be any one of you know sites or books with reliable information?

Wishing you lots of creativity,

Groetjes

Annemieke

My Red and white Irish chain is finished!!!

My first big red and white quilt is finished!!!!!! It is entirely made out of scraps, all saved during lots of years. Some of them are even from the 80ties like that little bear.

The striped fabric from the back of the quilt is folded to the front to form a binding.

 The pattern  I used is from Bonny Hunter, from her book : Adventures with leaders and enders. I changed the 'white' part. In the pattern it is only made out of one big piece, while I chose to use small  squares ( 2"by 2") throughout the whole quilt.

The back of the quilt, contains 2 different fabrics in red and white. The fabric in the middle is framed by the striped fabric. The quilt is machine quilted on my home sewing machine, just simple stripes.

The ducks are also from the 80ties, like the bears.

The quilt is made to use on our big bed so no hanging sleeve needed, it is just going to be a utility quilt.

Facts:
Size: 2.35m by 2.35m (approx. 92" by 92")
3600 squares
patched and quilted by my home sewing machine
batting: a heavy 100% cotton batting layer, normally used for covering a mattress ( in Dutch called: molton)
the weight of the quilt: 4 kg, yes it is heavy!

Have a nice day,

Groetjes

Annemieke

Sewing room and storage solutions.

Today a sneak peak in my sewingroom, not big, but lots to see!
This first picture shows my sewing table with red and white plastic tablecloth fixed (with a staple gun) on top. For storing little things, I used  jam jars also with red and white checkers. I screwed the lids on the underside of the narrow Ikea shelf.

 I used the Ikea magnet strip (in Dutch: magneetlijst) to store my scissors and covered the strip with fabric (fabric with sewing notions;) 

 See the result? I find it very practical.

 Under the table between the table legs I made a rod to hang all those spools with ribbons. On the floor there is a little bench to rest my feet, also in red and white :)

And this storage rack ( from Ikea too) is made for a kitchen but becomes very handy in the sewing room, I spray painted it white.
More sewing room photo's to come next time;)

Have a nice day!

Groetjes

Annemieke

Red and white Irish chain

Lots of sewing done, the past two weeks, on this red and white double Irish chain, but the top is done!!! Lizzy has been by my side until the last stitches. Since we lost Goofie she doesn't lose me out of her sight.

It started in the beginning of 2013( yes I know... more than 2,5 years ago), with the help of my daughter, with cutting fabrics. The pattern is from Bonny Hunter's book:  'Adventures with Leaders & Enders'  

After making one row of blocks it stayed in a box in my closet...

Instead of using a big light piece in the middle parts, as shown here in Bonny's book

I pieced all these light middle parts entirely out of 2" (5cm) squares , because I had so many light scraps. Of course I didn't realize, at the time of cutting them, how much more work that was: I ended up with 3600 squares!!!!!!!!!

I used all kinds of scraps, some of them from the 80ties like the one with the bears and the ducks. Those are one of my earliest quilting fabrics.

All there is left now, is basting and quilting it. I don't know yet how to quilt it. It is quite big:
240cm by 240cm (about 94 by 94 inches).

To be continued :)

Groetjes

Annemieke