My thoughts on Textile History by Margy Norrish

  • Hooked Rugs and Cushions

    Hooked Rugs and Cushions Floor coverings in the 1800’s ranged from very expensive woven wool carpets to cheaper in-grain woven carpets to straw and rush mattings.  The straw mattings were popular until nearly the 20th C as they were used to protect more expensive carpeting from wear.  They could easily be removed, cleaned and replaced…

  • Valentine’s Day – Flowers and Candy

    Valentine’s Day – Flowers and Candy Think of a Valentine’s Day card:  all lacey, beribboned and beaded.  Those Victorians loved, loved, loved anything lavishly embellished.  Actually, the French have a word for these trimmings: PASSEMENTERIE. Since there is nothing I love more than a box of trim and lace scraps with a few buttons and…

  • Valentine's Day – Flowers and Candy

    Valentine’s Day – Flowers and Candy Think of a Valentine’s Day card:  all lacey, beribboned and beaded.  Those Victorians loved, loved, loved anything lavishly embellished.  Actually, the French have a word for these trimmings: PASSEMENTERIE. Since there is nothing I love more than a box of trim and lace scraps with a few buttons and…

  • Gathered Blossoms

    Gathered Blossoms Quilters will be very familiar with yoyo quilts: small gathered circles of scrap fabric are sewn together to make a bedcovering.  Not really a quilt by formal definition, there is no middle batting nor, usually, background fabric.  Also they are a bit unwieldy to be used as a bed quilt, more likely as…

  • Gathered Blossoms

    Gathered Blossoms Quilters will be very familiar with yoyo quilts: small gathered circles of scrap fabric are sewn together to make a bedcovering.  Not really a quilt by formal definition, there is no middle batting nor, usually, background fabric.  Also they are a bit unwieldy to be used as a bed quilt, more likely as…

  • Tambour Work

    Tambour work is a type of embroidery that closely resembles the chain stitch.  While its popularity had waned significantly, it is returning slowly.  Originally, this type of work was done in China, India, Persia and Turkey but became quite the fad in Europe, especially in France, in the 1700’s.  The French were the first to…