Trish from Trouvais

I am so excited to be the subject of a post at the legendary blog Trouvais.  Trish's beautiful blog has long been a reference for me, so I was more than thrilled when she said she'd like to talk about my linens.  Her gift for finding beautiful illustrations, and associating themes and colours is quite unique.

Besides her love of beautiful textiles and antiques, she also has a sure eye when it comes to her exquisite garden, as you can see from her banner.  This pretty picture is taken in her own garden, and all through the spring and summer she spoils us with glimpses of her favourite roses, or her lavender and foxgloves in full bloom.

I contacted Trish a little while ago because I wanted to share an amazing discovery that I knew she'd enjoy.   I had been contacted by the friend of a friend of an amie of a copine .... who said she had some linens to show me.  Definitely the sort of call to get my pulse beating a shade faster.

I had no idea about what or who I was going to see, but following the instructions I turned up at a beautiful old house, deep in Normandy, (sorry I didn't take my camera!) and to my delight was invited inside by an elderly lady called Madame de B. , who had prepared a tray for tea.  We made polite conversation for a while, then she asked me to help her lift a big cardboard box.

When I opened the box I gasped.  Inside were what looked like the contents of a 19th century lingerie closet.  Lace and organdie, broderie anglaise, ribbon.   We emptied the contents on to the table and together started sorting through the individual items.  Madame de B.  explained that she came from a big family in Brittany, and that these clothes have been passed down the generations.  Today, sadly, she has no one in the family interested in keeping them.

As we sorted we talked about her memories of summer days, and cold winter nights,  in the family château.   I noticed the unusually fine needlework on several of the garments, and remarked that someone must have had good eyesight, she smiled and said that would have been the family seamstress.  A woman employed at the château, not as a maid or cook or child nurse, but just to sew.

Several of the baby's dresses are so beautifully made that you can only tell the right side from the wrong by the position of the buttons.  I promise that's true, I made the mistake several times while taking my photos!

I am happy to say that I left her house with the whole box,  so overcome by my new found treasure that I stopped the car on the way home, just to have another look!

So here for you to enjoy, especially if you sew yourself and can appreciate the time required to produce this sort of work, are some detailed photos of the handwork.  If you want to see more I'm in the process of listing the individual garments and textiles over at my shop.