Happy Mother’s Day

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stone and lavender

Happy Mother’s day! A few early photos of “Lavender Hill” that I started a few years ago. Last Spring we reworked the area off the kitchen and had a stone mason add formal wide steps to transition up to lavender hill. The color palette is simple and subdued…stone grays and gold fine, green, white and lavenders. Creeping strawberry is already sending runners across the lower steps as the erigeron (Santa Barbara daisy) had taken hold on the upper. After getting the plan and hardscape in place, I like to stand back and see what ideas mother nature comes up with.

stone in the garden

I picked up these concrete balls fifteen years ago…like dwarf boxwood…love the punctuation marks they make in the garden. "Provence" English lavender

The lavender is primarily lavandula augustifolia “Provence”, and a few “Grosso”, and “Hidcote”tossed in here and there.

artichokes ad roses

The roses are Souvenir de Malmaison, here with artichokes, and Sombreuil at the steps, and a coral David Austin rose Abraham Darby tossing a color surprise over a wall. Still waiting for a few plants to assert themselves and will be adding lettuces in the shade below the bench. But, a much simpler, less demanding garden! Spring garden

Still biding my time ’till lavender hill is in full bloom. Hope you have a simply wonderful day!

La Maison Antiques & Design

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Three panel Art Nouveau Dressing Screen Some of my favorite finds are the ones that just…drop into my lap! A reader contacted me about some of the Carolyn Quartermaine fabric I was selling, and in an aside via email exchanges, mentioned that she was the lady that bought one of my most obsessed about items several years ago. Wendy Lewis’s 18th century indigo striped and tasseled ciel de lit. I posted about it here and here. Ceil de lit 11Textile Trunk Trouvais Here the polonaise curtains drop from their ciel de lit in Wendy’s barn in the original listing. Wendy places this at anywhere between 18th and early 19th century…the passementarie added later…most likely Napoleon III…late 19th. And my new best friend Anne Sorrells of La Maison Antiques and Design in North Carolina was willing to sell this piece of my textile dreams to me! ceil-de-lit-9-textile-trunk-trouvaisThe  upholstered “tete” might still be available. I just purchased the polonaise drapes since I have several options from which to hang these already! I asked Anne to send me photos of several other items she is selling through her antique store and added a slide show below, with a bit of information. 8th Century French or Italian linen door covering hand painted with vegetable dyes. Over 15 feet long. Fair condition. Could be repurposed. 18th Century French or Italian linen door covering… hand painted with vegetable dyes. Over 15 feet long. Fair condition. An invitation to repurpose! La Maison Antiques & Design French statues have a plaque that reads “Progress” on them…and sit in front of a large hand painted reproduction of 18th century French artist Jean Marc Nattier.

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Anne Sorrells

If any items pique your curiosity, you can email Anne for further details and photos.

Anne Sorrells of La Maison Antiques & Design

ruthannetique@yahoo.com

You also follow Anne on pinterest here

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Finds

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Trouvais antique textiles

Antique Textiles

Happy Sunday everyone! A few favorite finds I bought some time ago from Shirley at Simply Chateau here. Shirley had stumbled over a box of antique ballet costumes from the Paris Opera at the Paris Flea Market. This aqua c. 1920′s silk velvet was only a bodice, but it had Mademoiselle D’Arcy’s name scrawled in it. I think I tracked her history down to a ballerina touring with Pavlova to Australia. Then I cleaned her up a bit and fashioned a skirt out of tulle. Her companion from the same flea market box was from the ballet Les Sylphides…

Video of the Ballet Russe performing Les Sylphides in 1928…

Trouvais antique ballet costume

Though I love my bolts of linen and carefully folded toiles and silk, costume is the fun way to enjoy the colors, textures, and shapes of an earlier time. Perfect for a dressing room, hanging from an armoir door, the back of a chair, over or in a frame.
French ballet c1900

At this point I am only buying for myself, and am leery of attaining “hoarder” status…so I do have to turn a blind eye to all the pretty things that pass me by! There are some great pieces for sale at Sallie Ead’s Ruby Lane Lucia’s Collectables shop here. Beautiful eau de nil Paris ballet silk costume jacket c. 1900. Even though the Ruby Lane Red Tag Sale is over, Sallie has marked down alot of her items for this next week. This is one of my favorite items…just love this color…

Pink duchesses silk

And another great item…a piece of pink duchess satin with silk velvet from the Worth fashion house c 1880. Read more about it hereTrouvais antique textiles

My own little early 20th century silk cabochon roses nestled next to a hand dyed sachet. Luckily…antique fabrics take up very little room. My excuse whenever I try to fit one more tiny little piece in!

Off to garden…hope you’re having a lovely day!Trouvais roses

In the Garden

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Trouvais old rosesTrouvais old roses

Trouvais Iris Palladia

Trouvais Spring 2013

Trouvais roses and grapevinesTrouvais April 2013

I’m keeping busy in the garden these days…trying to keep one step ahead of all the blooms. It blunts my treasure hunting impulse and makes my world a prettier place just with a little elbox grease.

For those of you still on a treasure hunt…there are some great sales this weekend (April 27-28)…

Atelier de Campagne is having their Spring Container sale…more info here. I’ve done numerous posts on Atelier here. They are a brilliant team, the drive is lovely…bring a picnic and have a fabulous day.

If you are an antique textile lover, Sallie Ead of Lucia’s Collectables on Ruby Lane is having a big sale as well here. Sallie gets up early to visit the best UK textile fairs so that we can order a bit of textile history from our cosy armchairs.

Additional garden shots below. Click on any photo to view as slide show.

Spring Color

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Trouvais 18th c textiles

Been delightfully busy. I suspect I thrive on chaos! It’s most definitely Spring out here and prettiness is popping up everywhere. 18th century Italian silk brocade…silvery blue with peachy pinks and teal…awaiting being made into a few pillows…inspiring a new bedding mix. As much as I love my greys…change is good!

18th c textiles

I try to avoid the Bella Notte outlet…much too tempting..I was held hostage by a Colette perfect peach “personal comforter” a few weeks ago and had to pay a ransom to come home with this beautiful old pinky peach shade. If you live near enough to visit, the outlet info is:

Fridays, 10am – 4pm
Saturdays, 10am – 2:30pm

  70 Galli Drive, Suite 2 | Novato CA 94949

They will have a sale the weekend before Mother’s Day…will let you know details later.

Bella Notte new peach and ginger

Carolyn Quartermaine’s lovely eau de nil with gold script…Bella Notte’s ”Perfect Peach” here, their gorgeous (but discontinued Deluxe Marie) in “Ginger“…a wonderful old gold. Colors that are silvered and tarnished down a bit from too bright.

Trouvais antique textiles

Bella Notte Pulling out from closets and remixing the old with new…

Bella Notte

Bella Notte’s discontinued Deluxe Marie…40% silk 60% cotton…the most gorgeous, soft bedding fabric! People who have this textile know what I’m talking about…and Bella Notte did it in every one of their colors. Sigh. Many detergents contain phosphates that strip the silk of all it’s luster and I suppose it became too difficult for the company to work with. C’est dommage!

Rachel Ashwell has a small offering of jacquard with 30% silk here 

Ralph Lauren’s Delphine is 40% silk/cotton here

I grabbed some of the Deluxe Marie boudoirs at the outlet and listed on Coup d’Oeil here

The Laundress has a delicate wash here for their silk blend fabrics. I would just check the label of any detergent you are considering for “no phosphates”.

antique roses

The garden is ready to explode…a preview bouquet! Most of you know that the Bourbon classification of antique roses is my favorite…Discovered in 1817 on the French Ile de Bourbon when a seedling from the Damask rose ‘Quatre Saisons’ and a China rose (believed to be ‘Old Blush’) sprouted up between the rows. Don’t you just love happy accidents? More here

Above “Souvenir de Malmaison” is the icy pink, fussy in the garden, but worth it…with the modern Eden, also called Pierre de Ronsard.

The deluge of garden shots about to begin…