Saturday, December 08, 2007

All I want for Christmas is Santa's Sack

I'll leave the goodies inside Santa's Sack to the little ones.
Just give me the Sack!



I'll bet that it's made from Jute or Flax!
Probably jute, like a Gunny Sack.


Being the Antiquarian that I am, much of
my success hinges on being able to guess
upcoming trends and get into the market
BEFORE the price skyrockets.
Tooting my own horn a bit, I've been fairly
successful at trend spotting. Of course it helps
that I spend so much time in France and we
know that when it comes to fashion, whether on
the runway or in the home, France is Avant-Garde!
Well, on my
French Fashion List for Antiques,
one of my top ten has to be Textiles, specifically
those made from Jute or Flax fibres.

Don't you just love nubby textures? And oh so,
authentically Country!
Somewhere along the line, we Americans started
calling Jute burlap. I think we are the only
country that refers to it as such. In India it is
called the "golden fibre". I prefer to call it
"Toile de Jute".

It's uses are as endless as your imagination.
It's most common use is that of sacks.
Old grain and food storage sacks are becoming
popular. The better weaves such as Hessian
cloth are fabulous for endless decorating
projects. Window treatments, window shades,
lamp shades, upholstery, pillows, etc.
Jute is also Eco-friendly.


Stencil on it, if you like!



These are some French Sac's that I have available.

Kathy Delgado who owns Vintageweave Interiors
in California makes some fabulous home accessories
from Jute. You can visit her website at

And can a girl actually have too many baskets?
My favorite baskets are the lined boulangerie baskets,
used for bread. I always keep a supply of
these. I have the round and the oblongs.
Wonderful to line them with votive candles and
then fill with cranberries, nuts, greenery and pine cones.
They are also great hanging on the wall.
They are $45 each. Feel free to call us at 502.585.3111
or send us an email if you would like some.

My other favorite fabric is Poplin. Authentic poplin
was actually made from silk and worsted.
Poplin, from the word Popeline, originated in
Avignon, France where there was once a papal
court. The original Poplin was prized in it's day.
Today much of the Poplin is made from cotton.
I always buy bolts of vintage Poplin in France,
when I can find it, and use it for window treatments
and upholstery. Poplin is strong, almost stain resistant
and has the look of luxury!
With all the different weaves and man-made
fabrics now, selections can be difficile!
Did you know there are only 5 natural fibres?
Cotton, Jute, Flax, Silk and Wool.
When you visit a Tapissier in France, you'll
find they are using more Hessian and Flax.


Louis XV Fauteuils

Photo from Country Home Magazine
Louis XVI style Bergere

Louis XIV Fauteuils I had upholstered in
Vintage French Poplin

Love this Bergere !!


Just FYI
Bergeres are upholstered armchairs that are enclosed.
Fauteuils are upholstered armchairs with open sides.

And you don't even want to get me started on
the French linen napkins (serviettes)
The linen gets softer and more fine the more it
is laundered. This is a whole nother post!
But....I do have an assortment of beautiful
monogrammed French linens that are
table ready!
A useful site to learn more about fabrics is
They also have a copy of the Burn Test,
used to determine if a fiber is natural, man-made,
or a blend of fibers.
The best thing about Jute and Poplin, is that
it is affordable NOW.
Many suppliers actually sell used Grain Bags.
I'll be sharing more of whats on my
French Fashion List for Antiques
in the following weeks.

Chow for now

6 comments:

Southern Heart said...

What an interesting post! It doesn't surprise me that you're generally ahead of the curve. :)
I love the natural element these fabrics would bring to a room.

I hope that you're having a good holiday season!

xo, Andrea

Mélanie said...

Your Louis Xv fauteuils are stunning . i love the way it is without fabric

cotedetexas said...

Beautiful pictures!!!!

Joni

Anonymous said...

J'aime beaucoup moi aussi les tissus naturels et j'utilise souvent le lin. Quel plaisir de se promener sur ton blog... les photos sont superbes !

Country French Antiques said...

merci elise qu'il me donne le plaisir grand pour une femme française au commentaire sur mon blog. m'excusent je parle "Franglais" que vous pour votre commentaire.

Villa Anna said...

Thank you so much for this post! I am a huge fan of nubby fabrics such as Hessian and Jute, And I'm so thrilled to hear that they are popular now. Some of my friends can't understand why I want to decorate with such coarse texture but they just don't get the depth and character it provides. Oh that Bergere chair is breathtakingly beautiful!