Wednesday, September 21, 2011

The pleasure of the tramway

photo St Tyl      Tram line 2
My favorite upholstry in all the Ile-de-France public transportation system is on tram line 2, 
La Défense-Porte de Versailles. It has the spunk of an animal pelt design and gets the message of its end-use through with all those dots and connecting lines.
I hope this one won a prize somewhere!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Inspired by textiles

Kilim photo St Tyl

Kilim  photo St Tyl

Navy Fringe  photo St Tyl


Jasper Conran for Wedgewood

as seen at Le Bon Marché Paris

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Textile traces

photo: St Tyl


The chateau of Loches in Touraine was built in the year of 1000 by Foulques Nerra, the Black Prince, responsible for so much of the construction in the region around the time of the millennium. The castle's keep is 36 meters high and is still in excellent condition.  Such sturdy architecture made it an ideal prison, which it became in the 15th century. It continued to serve this function until 1926. 
These late Louis XVI cabriolet armchairs were upholstered in needlepoint made by a noble woman incarcerated there during the Reign of Terror 1793-94. Each medallion
contains the name of an aristocratic prisoner held in the chateau of Loches at that time.


photo: StTyl



What better way to pass the days under the circumstances - 

than to leave a textile souvenir for posterity?


The chairs were donated to the chateau of Loches by Mme la Comtesse Maussabré.