Sajou Museum & Heritage Toile du Jouy Manufacture Embroidery Kit- The Printing

Description and Details

A beautiful Sajou cross stitch kit depicting the printing stage of Toile du Jouy production at Jouy-en-Josas.

The scene shows men using a plank of engraved wood — a technique used from the very beginning of ‘Les Indiennes’ (chintz) production in France. Printing on copper sheets became possible from 1770, and was further refined with the introduction of copper rollers, a technique imported from Great Britain.

Before printing could begin, the cloth underwent several preparatory stages. It was washed repeatedly in the small Bièvre River, chosen for the exceptional purity of its water — one of the key reasons for the factory’s location. The cloth was then singed with a sheet of red-hot copper to remove surface fluff, washed again, and passed through a mangle to flatten the fibres. Only then could the mordants be printed, a process requiring several further operations.

The chart measures 161 x 127 points, giving a finished size of approximately 30.8 x 25.2 cm. The embroidery looks wonderful worked in reds or blues.

The kit includes:

• A full-colour A3 pattern chart
• A guide sheet ‘Interpreting the Stitches’ for achieving a fabric effect
• A 35 x 26 cm piece of off-white 32-count linen
• Six cards of Retors du Nord embroidery thread: 2033 x 2, 2447 x 2, 2469 x 2

This design is taken from the larger Toile du Jouy Manufacture chart, which features all stages of production alongside swatches of Toile du Jouy fabrics. You will find further charts and kits in my shop inspired by the historical textile collections of France’s great châteaux and museums.