Stunning hand-embroidered linen métis sheet initials BB - butterflies
This gorgeous sheet probably dates to the 1950’s. It is made from a good-quality fine unbleached linen métis, which is a cotton weft and linen warp. Good quality linen métis has the best qualities of both fibres, it is warm and soft like cotton, but has linen’s texture and drape and soft warm colour. These sheets have a slightly shot thread - linen thread is never the same width all the way through - and a lovely buttery colour.
This sheet would have been made by a professional embroidery artisan, who would have not only stitched the embroidered design, but created the handwrapped ladder border and handstitched both hems. There is an enormous amount of work in this piece.
Although there is a little inked laundry-mark in one corner, this sheet has been very little used, or possibly not used at all. Before I soaked and washed it, the blue chalk ground which was laid down as a guide for the embroidery was still visible, which indicates that the sheet has been hardly used and washed, and there is no wear at all. It has been in storage for a long time - there are still visible storage marks which are caused by the interaction of oxygen with naturally-occurring oils in the fabric. I have soaked these and washed them on a high temperature but although the marks have faded they have not entirely disappeared. However in my experience they will eventually disappear, especially if the sheet is air-dried in the sun (it is the middle of winter here, not a shaft of sunlight to be seen!) as sunlight acts as a natural bleach. Please look at the last two photos to see the storage marks.
This sheet measures 224×330cm.
Please click on the photos to open them up full-sized.
To purchase, please contact me.
This gorgeous sheet probably dates to the 1950’s. It is made from a good-quality fine unbleached linen métis, which is a cotton weft and linen warp. Good quality linen métis has the best qualities of both fibres, it is warm and soft like cotton, but has linen’s texture and drape and soft warm colour. These sheets have a slightly shot thread - linen thread is never the same width all the way through - and a lovely buttery colour.
This sheet would have been made by a professional embroidery artisan, who would have not only stitched the embroidered design, but created the handwrapped ladder border and handstitched both hems. There is an enormous amount of work in this piece.
Although there is a little inked laundry-mark in one corner, this sheet has been very little used, or possibly not used at all. Before I soaked and washed it, the blue chalk ground which was laid down as a guide for the embroidery was still visible, which indicates that the sheet has been hardly used and washed, and there is no wear at all. It has been in storage for a long time - there are still visible storage marks which are caused by the interaction of oxygen with naturally-occurring oils in the fabric. I have soaked these and washed them on a high temperature but although the marks have faded they have not entirely disappeared. However in my experience they will eventually disappear, especially if the sheet is air-dried in the sun (it is the middle of winter here, not a shaft of sunlight to be seen!) as sunlight acts as a natural bleach. Please look at the last two photos to see the storage marks.
This sheet measures 224×330cm.
Please click on the photos to open them up full-sized.
To purchase, please contact me.
This gorgeous sheet probably dates to the 1950’s. It is made from a good-quality fine unbleached linen métis, which is a cotton weft and linen warp. Good quality linen métis has the best qualities of both fibres, it is warm and soft like cotton, but has linen’s texture and drape and soft warm colour. These sheets have a slightly shot thread - linen thread is never the same width all the way through - and a lovely buttery colour.
This sheet would have been made by a professional embroidery artisan, who would have not only stitched the embroidered design, but created the handwrapped ladder border and handstitched both hems. There is an enormous amount of work in this piece.
Although there is a little inked laundry-mark in one corner, this sheet has been very little used, or possibly not used at all. Before I soaked and washed it, the blue chalk ground which was laid down as a guide for the embroidery was still visible, which indicates that the sheet has been hardly used and washed, and there is no wear at all. It has been in storage for a long time - there are still visible storage marks which are caused by the interaction of oxygen with naturally-occurring oils in the fabric. I have soaked these and washed them on a high temperature but although the marks have faded they have not entirely disappeared. However in my experience they will eventually disappear, especially if the sheet is air-dried in the sun (it is the middle of winter here, not a shaft of sunlight to be seen!) as sunlight acts as a natural bleach. Please look at the last two photos to see the storage marks.
This sheet measures 224×330cm.
Please click on the photos to open them up full-sized.
To purchase, please contact me.