I am getting excited! The exhibition of my linens opens next Wednesday. I have been busy working with the Gallery staff, typing labels for each item to be displayed, and notes on cleaning and storing of textiles, to be handed out at the talks I will be presenting. I'm told both talks have been booked out already, so if you are reading this, and will be present at one of the talks, do come up and introduce yourself!
Not all the linens pictured on this blog will be on display. The curators came to my home to see what I had, and decided that there was too much to put in their gallery, so I had to cut the number down to about 50 items. I will be at the exhibition every day, available to talk to people about my collection, and answering any questions. In between chatting to visitors, I'll be sitting at a table stitching on a vintage tablecloth that my mother-in-law started 70 years ago.
I am hoping that people will bring their own old linens to show me - I love seeing what other people have collected! I know there are many who do have extensive linen collections, so if you are one of them, please do bring along a couple of your favourite items to share with me :-)
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Old Australian stamped linens.
I was recently asked by the secretary of our Embroiderers Guild if I knew anything about Fautley linens. They'd received an email at the Guild from a lady who was seeking information about Fautleys. I had heard of them; indeed I have several of their traced linen doilies and aprons, but apart from that I didn't know anything about the company. I decided to do a bit of investigating, and my first stop was of course Google. I was rather surprised that there was nothing much at all there except for the Fautley linens that were popping up on eBay!
So I pulled from the shelf my collection of books about vintage textiles and needlecraft. After looking through a dozen, I finally struck gold in a locally produced soft covered book about vintage Australian brands of textiles. Not much information, but enough to answer my questions. T & A Fautley & Sons were makers and suppliers of 'Fautleys Art Needlework' supplies. They were based in Brunswick here in Melbourne around 1927. I can't find out when they started business, or when they closed their doors, but at least I know it was an Australian company.
Some other early Australian needlecraft companies around that time were:
Semco - Black Rock, Vic.
Myart (previously known as Myford) Needlework Co., Australia House, Sydney, NSW.
PHC Traced Linen (The Pioneer Handkerchief Co. Ltd), Sydney, NSW.
Cleopatra Art Needlework - Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.
We also had J & P Coats, Anchor, and Clarks, but I suspect they were all imports, like DMC and the others who came along in later years.
So I pulled from the shelf my collection of books about vintage textiles and needlecraft. After looking through a dozen, I finally struck gold in a locally produced soft covered book about vintage Australian brands of textiles. Not much information, but enough to answer my questions. T & A Fautley & Sons were makers and suppliers of 'Fautleys Art Needlework' supplies. They were based in Brunswick here in Melbourne around 1927. I can't find out when they started business, or when they closed their doors, but at least I know it was an Australian company.
Some other early Australian needlecraft companies around that time were:
Semco - Black Rock, Vic.
Myart (previously known as Myford) Needlework Co., Australia House, Sydney, NSW.
PHC Traced Linen (The Pioneer Handkerchief Co. Ltd), Sydney, NSW.
Cleopatra Art Needlework - Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.
We also had J & P Coats, Anchor, and Clarks, but I suspect they were all imports, like DMC and the others who came along in later years.
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