Starting soon!

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 :-)

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.

Cushion covers

I have more cushion covers but they are either unfinished or unstarted. It's not worth putting them on here with so much other more interesting stuff.

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Aprons - people

These are among my favourite aprons; the stitched areas that are completely filled in leave me floored. So much work, it must have taken many hours.

This half apron was one of many that my husband's Mum gave me some years ago. It isn't embroidered, but I've included it here because to me it represents the quintessential 1950's!

Aprons - events

This is commemorating the centenaryof South Australia.

This apron is very unusual; I have wondered if it was designed by someone as a one-off, or was it a printed pattern?

Captain Cook's Cottage - not an event; more of a commemorative apron. It must have a story behind it but I can only imagine the truth. It has obviously been stitched by two people - one experienced and one learner. Some of the stitching is perfect, and the rest is rather awful! I think Mother might have been teaching her small daughter to embroider, and this is the result. It's never been quite finished, and I am leaving it as it is.

Aprons - animals and birds

Embroidered Tea cosies.

I have about sixty tea cosies, but these four are the only ones that have Australian motifs on them. Bought on eBay.