Regency Fire Screen

The morning sun hit this pretty scene, and I had to share it.

The screen has paw feet, a perfect base for this neoclassic scene.

I think this is the only fire screen I've found that wasn't needlework.  Don't you love it?!

Circa 1800 French Antique Hand Painted Fan with Mother of Pearl

I don't collect fans.  However I love all things regency and biedermeier style.  I spotted this at an antique shop, fresh from the UK.   It is handpainted, and I loved the scene on it.

Be sure to click on the photo, it takes you to all the pictures on the post.  Then right click again and  select "open image in new tab".  Then you can left click one more time and see the enlarged photo - and really appreciate the handpainting.

If you clicked on the photo and looked at the enlargement, doesn't it remind you of a Zuber wallpaper scene?  I love it!

 Placed at the back of a display cabinet loaded with smalls, it is the perfect backdrop.  Instead of putting a plate in the the back, the fan is a nice change to the shelf.  To the left of the fan is a Val St. Lambert stem and an American Brilliant Cut Glass applecore stem.  In front of the fan is a Dresden demitasse, a jeweled French cameo basket, and a miniature silver teaset.

I love this fan.  The painting is an exquisite scene.   Of course I love this because it shows all the wonderful lace on the dresses.  I also love the gilt border design with roses.

 Check out the mother of pearl sticks that are carved with scene.   Condition wise this fan does have a few issues, the paper folds are wearing.  I don't plan on starting a fan collection, it is more of a period collection.  Does that make sense?

So go find a fan... be careful if you are looking for period fans, there are alot of Victorian fans where the scene is not handpainted, it is a lithographed print.

Below is a find from an antique show this weekend.  It's my new favorite print.  It is a hand-colored stipple, and has everything I love in an old print, a boy wearing period clothing, a dog, sheep, what could be better?

 Circa 1796 - 1804

 love the old beat up frame, and the reverse painted glass.

Get out there, hunt for treasures when it is to hot to garden, but stay cool, no matter where you are!

Antique Tablecloths

I collect antique linen.  When my daughter got married, I wanted something extra special in the linen department.  The best way to do that...use my collection!

My favorite Needle Lace  Cloth!

The bride and groom sweetheart table had a French Cluny Lace tablecloth.

French Cluny Lace

Pt. De Venise inserts in this tablecloth with filet lace borders

My favorite Appenzell cloth

 Appenzell is wonderful.  It is probably my favorite type of lace.  I'll have to blog about it sometime.

Tablecloth loaded with punchwork and embroidery. 

Tablecloth with punchwork.

The guest book is sitting on a wonderful Madeira tablecloth.  There is a ton of detailed work that is typically found on Italian reticella.  This Maderia cloth is extremely rare and very expensive.   If you find one, don't let it get away!

It actually wound up on the placecard table.

The guest book table had another wonderful Madeira organdy tablecloth on it.  I wanted to mix it up a bit.  This is the shot at the reception.  I don't have a shot of it in the garden at the wedding.

The italian tole easel and the french pen holder were antiques.  The guest book was also an antique that I designed. It was an 1860's binding, with pages made from business cards from the 1700's.

Details of Maderia organdy tablecloth on guest book table.

Originally I had planned on using the cloth below, but it was too small.  I picked up some Borghese cherub statues to use on the table--they looked lovely with the black urns.  

We had a table of wedding photos with a centerpiece of this lovely dress made out of an old spring, decorated with tiny vintage pieces of old lace!

I used 16 tablecloths with needle lace and filet lace inserts.  The library had the gift table and I put a piece of french net lace on the bar.

Below is the center medallion.  It is quite lovely and romantic.

The dessert room had even more linens!

The non-traditional wedding cake.  It has an antique German Erzgebirge couple on top.

There were many things I wasn't able to do because I broke my hand and had surgery 4 days before the wedding.  In fact, looking back it is a miracle I pulled it off at all.   

My sister ironed all of the tablecloths before the wedding.   That was HUGE.  We put down plastic, wool blankets, cotton quilts, sheets, on my 10' x 55" table, and away she went!  It went so much more quickly than attempting to iron on an ironing board. 

In all, the use of the antique linen was a success. I washed all the damask napkins, which  were a breeze.... Laundry hints:   don't do a heavy spin, it leaves creases in the napkins.... and run through a mangle on completion, you can iron about 120 in an hour!  I can't take credit, my brother did it all for me.  Thanks Lenny.

Punchwork Embroidered Tablecloth

You can find me from time to time selling antique linens on Ebay: antique-monograms-- I need to share some of my fabulous finds, I don't have room for more!