NAPERY and LINEN

   Napery is an  old-fashioned word for table linen in all its forms.   This was an office, like others for laundry and other domestic duties, in large households, in medieval and later dates.  The folding and arrangement of table linen was a serious business and all kinds of creations to decorate the centre of the table were made for the guests' enjoyment.  Some were very elaborate in the form of birds and animals with extra parts and pieces added to make centrepieces for banquets and feasts.   The napkins, similarly,  were worked and shaped into elaborate designs and the tablecloths were often pleated in different ways to hang in folds from the edges of the table - if you look at some of the Tudor portraits you can see this, and some of the pictures of the Last Supper show fine pleating of the cloth all round the table.  We are all familiar with the tern 'linenfold panelling' and the origin is obvious.   In French households, the linen was often only washed in the Spring and later in the Autumn. - an army of  travelling launderers dealt with the washing, rinsing, and drying on the green grass, before ironing and folding it all away, sweet and clean.   The French Royal Court at Versailles actually sent all their laundry by coach to Holland where  they had so much pure clean water and clean grass banks (unlike the muddy rivers, full of dirt and waste products near most French cities,), and thought that their linen was the whitest in the land.   These arduous and lengthy  processes meant that the big and grand households had to have enormous stores of clean linen in their houses and there were huge wardrobes and cupboards in special rooms devoted to their collections of linen.  Some of the large farmhouses also had amazing stores of handed -down family linen, and every dowry was added to the stacks.   Some of the linen was in rolls;  tea towels, napkins, face towels etc. ready to be cut up and sewn by hand when household chores were done, and initials and numbers were then  added, with the tapes for hanging on a hook.  Sometimes I would buy completely unused bundles of nightdresses still in their brown paper or blue sugar paper tied with fine hemp string , either outgrown with too many pregnancies or just surplus.   These usually came from the convents where the nuns undertook the sewing of the girls' dowries.  I once bought 72 all identical in a tiny size and thought of a sad story to go with them.

My Regency period Irish linen cupboard  now empty and now SOLD

    I was recently on a fascinating special textiles tour of the house at Longleat, the home of the Marquis of Bath, and our expert guide showed us some of the linen stores - it was a truly wonderful sight to see the dazzling white sheets, all with beautifully worked monograms and crowns, piled high on every shelf, all tied up in pairs with pale blue ribbons.  I remember them in much greater detail than the very sumptuous other textile treasures that we saw that day.

           I have always had a good stock of fine French linen, sheets, pillow cases and hand towels in the very finest cloth with wonderful lace and embroidered frills and insertions, and I am finding that there is a new interest in these heirloom pieces  - proud housewives are arranging their best spare bedroom to show these off and combine them with old patchwork quilts, lacy bedspreads to give pleasure to their guests.   I have recently had many enquiries from overseas from my Website readers and they too, are thinking they must acquire some good pieces before they completely disappear from the market. I have now  sold out of all these lovely pieces of linen and closed my linen stores - now empty!

RIBBONS AND BEAUS

  This clever advert for No 5 brought back a happy wartime memory and I thought the laced ribbon design of the current advert. background merited inclusion in a Blog to show how even a long length of something so mundane could create a stop- and- look page.  When I was just 15,      during the last war, my much admired cousin in the Royal Scots Greys (he was very handsome and my        idol!)   went to Paris after it was liberated and on his return gave me this small box with a small bottle of the fabulous  scent in it - I was over the moon!  I kept it with my hankies in my top drawer ever after and I still have it!  Next time I see him - he is now 95, I will tell him how I have treasured it and there is still a little whiff when you remove the iconic stopper!

ONE OF MY HEROINES1

 It may seem odd that my pin-up girl is really a lady who became a celebrity only after  the considerable age of 72,  with amazing eyesight, very dextrous hands and an imagination and skill which were unique in their time and no one else has ever equalled.    She is Mrs.Mary Delany, needlewoman and designer who flourished in her later years as friend and confidant of George III and his wife and produced hundreds of  the most exquisite flower reproductions in paper, cut and painted by herself in the most  accomplished way and which have never been equalled in skill and charm.    After an unhappy first marriage and then a very successful one to Mr. Delany she retired to Ireland and but kept an address in London.  She was extremely popular in Court circles and a friend of Mr. Samuel Pepys and I illustrate here a coverlet she made in white corded embroidery which I believe she made for him.  I find this a really beautiful creation and have kept this auction catalogue picture for many years as something that gives me pleasure every time I look at it.  Her three hundred or so flower creations (accurate in every detail of bud, stem and leaf,) are in the British Museum,and you can Google for much more info. about this remarkable old lady.

A WHITE LINEN LADY

    I have told elsewhere how I accidentaly became a white linen dealer after I hung up two old French hand-woven sheets as temporary curtains in my daughter's bedroom, and they were such a success that I realised, luckily , that there was a demand for hand-woven creamy linen, both in this country and especially in the USA, playing into the mood for simple minimalism rather than the frilly excess which we had in the previous decade.  Luckily it looked and felt very expensive, and could be successfully dyed in most colours, so it was very adaptable and the French sheets were then very cheap compared to the very expensive and exclusive new linen fabrics produced, mostly in Belgium, for top-notch firms like Pierre Frey.
   I was therefore on a steep and long learning curve to find out what was saleable and what to avoid and thinking about it all now, I thought it might be useful for anyone dealing in white linen to read of my own do's and dont's when buying linen.- not just sheets but all other household linens as well:
Sheets be sure you have the sizes right; French beds are often only 4' wide and sheets are made to match them - check they will fit minimum 4'6"  or wider English beds.  Be sure you are buying linen, not cotton or metis which should be much cheaper    Metis is like our union linen, a mix of cotton and linen.
Avoid sheets which have any serious damage to the embroidered ends. ragged ladderwork cannot be  
 repaired and small holes in embroidery will get larger with washing.  Hold them up to the light to avoid missing repairs and also cloud-like stains caused by bleach.
Pillow cases, check corners are solid and buttonholes in good order - missing buttons are easy to replace.  Fabric must be clean and solid as they take a lot of wear and soon split if too thin.
Hand towels best sellers are those nearly new and with one initial - people often buy them as small presents
I found the best sellers were A, B, C, M.P.S. 
Handkerchiefs  Only buy those with hand rolled hems and a single initial in linen  Difficult to find but
   always popular man's present, also coloured silk 'neckerchiefs' in good order
Tablecloths, check very carefully for small holes and large wine stains as most people now only use damask cloths for parties and they need to be large and perfect.  Extra large Banquet cloths in damask are always in demand for wedding parties - they are worth a lot, and always wanted at short notice!
Table napkins  always very popular but should be in big sets for dinner parties - minimum 8.  Large double
  initials in red or white embroidery are sure sellers to Americans, especially if first class condition and
  hand-rolled hems. Check every one for stains - wine stains can be difficult to shift.
Tea towels (torchons)You can find these on any good linen stall at French fairs.  Only buy unused ones with good stripes - avoid the very stiff ones which are too rigid for glasses and fine china and make sure you only pay good money for linen - the cotton and metis ones are not so good and not so smart..

A BLOCK ON MY BLOG1

THIS IS JUST TO SAY THAT I AM OFF TO SOUTH AFRICA TO STAY WITH A DAUGHTER NR CAPE TOWN IN HER HOLIDAY FLAT SO AM HAVING A COMPLETE REST AND  THE USUAL BLOG STUFF WILL NOT BE WRITTEN AGAIN TILL THE END OF THE MONTH.  THANKS FOR ALL THE KIND MESSAGES RE MY LOSS.  I am now back on the Blog, as from Wednesday, 04/03/2015, with restored health and keen to contact my old friends and customers.   The last two lots of curtains went out of the door today so my cupboard is bare and I am turning my thoughts to the vintage armchairs, restored, or in original great condition, which is my new small business just to keep my hand in!

GOT A GOOD IDEA?

      PEOPLE OFTEN SAY TO ME  " YOU'RE SO LUCKY,  TRAVELING ALL OVER FRANCE, STAYING IN LOVELY PLACES, BUYING GORGEOUS TEXTILES AND THEN COMING HOME AND HAVING ALL THE FUN SELLING IT ALL TO INTERESTING PEOPLE LIKE DECORATORS AND HISTORIANS WHO COME TO VISIT YOU IN YOUR HOME - YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO SIT IN A SHOP!"  Well yes, that sounds alright to me too but I always say that before starting any sort of business there are three vital questions to ask yourself
 1. What do you really like doing and are you prepared to work at it?
 2   Do you know who your customers would be and where they are?
 3. Would they be prepared to spend enough to cover all your expenses and give you a profit?
 My reply was always that there was nothing to stop anyone  setting off to France in their car and doing what I did,  provided you had some spare Francs and a copy of the trade magazine Aladin which lists all the fairs for the whole of France (still available at Maison de la Presse in almost every French town).

     You also need to survey your local market or your Website competitors to see what other people are offering - if you can find yourself a 'corner' in any particular goods, the simpler the better, you are half way to becoming a useful contact for buyers.  It could be a service like supplying expertly-worked initials on fine linen for wedding gifts which you could offer to other linen suppliers;  you would have to invest in a good clean work space and an (expensive) good electronic sewing machine.    I, myself, would give you work!      It is quite a good idea to have a small section of your stock with a collection of useful stuff  titled 'for a wedding' 'for your baby's layette' or 'for your garden' which helps people to choose presents - You can take it to fairs, show it at an antique centre or photograph it for your website.   You really do need a website to make progress  - I did my own with some help from friend Linda Clift and it's another way of putting your name ahead for a speciality, and you can deal from it and make very good contacts.  It's really not difficult and not at all expensive.  You can get professional help to do all this, but it is very expensive and if you think about it and can scan or copy good pictures, that makes a lot of difference, you can probably add some good text.  Keep to the point (I'm afraid I never do) see what response you get, and adjust continually as you discover what the market is and what your readers want.  The comments can be quite helpful.  Remember there are thousands of other Bloggers and Websites all trying to capture a market so you do have to offer something special, or original, or very good value and then there is a long hard wait while you build your business up. 
      As things  are at present, I would not recommend taking on a shop, however small, much better to rent a small space and let someone else sit there waiting for the door to open.   But if you do not have a market  place, then you must make big efforts to get your service or goods known - advertising in club newsletters, like the W.I.  or church magazines, is usually very cheap and reaches a lot of active potential buyers - and it is absolutely essential to get yourself  decent trade cards  printed on your computer with full details really well set out and to carry them with you at all times to pass on.  If you have something interesting to tell people,  like objects that have a local or historical connection, write it up and send copies off to your local newspapers; they are always hungry for news items.  Use postcards for notice-boards in local shops and stores with good illustrations of your goods.   All this sounds elementary and it is, but it is surprising how often I meet young entrepreneurs who have no business cards and I tell them that with my bad memory I will have forgotten them  two hours later and they will not get into my contact list, where I might do them some good by a mention!   You must be very economical but also very efficient with your advertising budget!   In the following posts I will tell how I started my own business with no training and just a computer and printer. See BLOG  CLIMBING UP THE HILL.

Mixed hand-woven sheets in linen and hemp - Don't they look interesting and tactile???This picture on a simple blog brought me dozens of enquiries and several good sales.  You could do the same with Welsh or Scottish tweeds, lengths of tartan for scarves or skirts, French cotton piques from babies layettes,  and large spotted or checked neck kerchiefs for gentlemen. I find good quality vintage accessories for gentlemen always sell well - but they must be in very good order and no synthetics!

OBITUARY

  This is just a short personal note to all my friends and contacts (many overseas) who might wish to know that my husband, Derek, died a short time ago after a serious illness in hospital and his funeral took place last week.  He was my beloved husband for 66 years and during that time we had four children, raised three grandchildren, restored 4 neglected period houses, re-made all the gardens and as a fun, retirement project, built up a French import textile business.  I  do not need any letters of sympathy but thought that all who knew and met him would like to know of my loss.

EAST TO THE WEST

      Some time ago, I went on a very long, long, journey to Southern France on the trail of some new and exciting stock - my stores were low, but everything seemed rather white, cream and bland and I felt the need to spice it up with the famous reds (rose madder dye) a few blues (indigo) and pretty mixed floral colours on long chateau- type curtains. By travelling to 3 big fairs (I have given up on the little ones which take too much time and diesel to visit) I managed with difficulty to find what I was searching for and in the quantities I needed - but at a price! The Euro makes it difficult to buy anything reasonably and the good stuff is most unreasonable! I was asked 1000 Euros for sets of curtains and didn't think I would have a chance of selling them and making a small profit, so I had to dig deep and accept some things that had small faults. After a lot of preparation, washing ironing, etc., I was  ready to spread my spoils at the the next three fairs.   I joined the  BISLEY VILLAGE HALL nr. Stroud two years ago  and it was an exciting introduction to the amazing colours and weaves and embroideries of the Orient and Africa, shown by the top experts in their respective fields. I have always thought that there was enough history and examples in France for one dealer to cope with, but with new demands by interior designers and decorators for colour and pattern, I feel the need to explore new continents.  Live and learn!   If you look at the top decorating magazines they are full of the exotic East and featuring sumptious decor, and that is what people are buying!   I have no difficulty in refusing the rush of cheap and rather nasty 'bazaar' style stuff, glittery, non-fast dye, shoddy market stuff which is beginning to flood the trade - I knew this would happen many years ago when the import tarrifs were reduced and sure enough it has crept up on us.  It is cheap and plentiful, produced by cheap labour in awful conditions.   Whether it is a good thing to buy, which means that the labour force earns enough to feed their families, is a very difficult thing to decide, but if the result of their labours is something shoddy and gaudy I do not have much trouble in passing it by, and hope the makers upgrade the conditions of labour and standard of workmanship for everyone's benefit..
  The best of the Eastern textiles, the susannis, the 'paisley' patterned magnificent shawls and wall hangings, the colourful striped tent linings, the palampores,  the mezzaras, the cashmeres, the alpaccas. all made from natural fibres and hairs and furs, are a wonderful source of rich beauty and amazing hand craft work and are used by the leading designers and decorators to  provide the colour and interest that their clients demand.   Used in moderation , they provide focal points and exotic interest to any scheme and should be valued and appreciated by us in the West!

A Chinese phoenix bird painted on silk  with modern bamboo frame,curtains repeat the colour mix

 as does the fairly modern mix on the fabric of the two squab cushion seats

 Famous mezzara design copied in Italy