Circa 1910–1920. White linen with machine-guided floral whitework, hand-drawn hemstitching and scalloped edges. Measures 240 × 174cm. Corner holes, broken hemstitch bars, earlier stabilising stitches, a visible darn, dark brown spots and a yellowish-tan stain. Price reflects these faults.
A large antique white linen bedspread, circa 1910–1920. Measuring 240 × 174cm, it has a broad central floral cartouche and matching corner sprays worked in early machine-guided satin-stitch whitework. Parallel rows of hand-drawn ladder hemstitching frame the design, and a continuous scalloped edge finishes the perimeter.
The mid-weight linen and generous proportions allow it to be used as a bedspread or as a large tablecloth, subject to the dimensions of your bed or table. It retains considerable decorative presence, but has wear, repairs and marks, all reflected in the price.
There are small, visible holes worn right through the plain linen at the outer corners. The ladder hemstitching near the edges has multiple broken vertical bars and earlier stabilising stitches. One embroidered openwork cartouche has a rather clumsy hand-darned structural repair, visible on close inspection.
The white linen remains generally bright, but there is a small cluster of dark brown spots near one corner, previously described as storage or iron pin-spots. There is also a distinct, faint yellowish-tan stain within the foliage of the embroidered cartouche border. These marks are noted in the detail photographs; their cause is not confirmed.
Offered in structurally stable antique condition, with the faults described above. Please examine the photographs alongside these condition notes before purchasing.
Unfortunately, this was a disappointing purchase. The scissors arrived loose, with a small stain near the base, and—most importantly—with a different tassel. The picture shows a silk tassel in the colors of the French flag, but the actual one is made of coarse, beige twine. Photos below👇🏻I also had to pay a domestic tax equivalent to 30 euros, so there is no point in returning the item.
I admit I undertook this project before I realised quite how much work is involved.
BUT as Penny says take it slowly. I'm also using a tulip needle for ease of stitching and a cheap needle threaded to speed things up a little.
