Elegant Table Linens


Book Description

Linen products of the Weil & Durrs Company of New York City, from the 1920s to 1984, are of the highest quality, including Wilendur and other brands. A brief history of the company and descriptive text for over 250 tablecloths in 120 printed designs are featured. 425 color photographs display exquisite floral tablecloths, napkins, placemats, curtains, towels, aprons, and handcrafted items.




The Book of Fine Linen


Book Description

A visual tribute to the elegant world of heirloom household fabrics, from the white linen cloth of ancient Egypt to the rainbow-hued coverlets of today. This lively text introduces heirloom household fabrics, their use, manufacture, embellishments, and care, as well as the infinite variety of fibers and materials used. The author explains how they serve as both unusually revealing testaments of the history of daily life and quintessential examples of the weaver’s craft, often so magnificently decorated that they rival works of art. The text is supplemented by a rich array of paintings, archival photographs, vintage advertisements, and original commissioned photography from collections, private homes, and workshops of the leading contemporary manufacturers. A comprehensive glossary of technical terms, bibliography, and index complete the book.




Colorful Tablecloths 1930s-1960s


Book Description

Thousands of tablecloth manufacturers from the 1930s to early 1960s produced countless styles, colors, fabrics, and themes. This ultimate guide to printed tablecloths assists in identifying the manufacturers, dates, and values of these wildly popular collectibles. Cleaning and storage techniques are covered as well. A must-have resource for interior designers, antique dealers, and textile collector.




Shabby Chic


Book Description

Valuable flea market finds... A peeling, antioue vanity in muted sea green... An elegant, cracked chandelier... An enormous, slipcovered sofa with deep, cushions... Comfort, the beauty of imperfections, the allure of time-worn objects, and the appeal of simple practical living: these are the cornerstones of what has come to be known as the Shabby Chic style. Like the cozy familiarity of a well-worn pair of faded jeans, the dilapidated elegance of an Italian viIla, or the worn grandeur of faded velvets and mismatched floral china handed down from your grandmother's attic, the Shabby Chic style is a revived appreciation for what is used, well-loved, and worn. It is a respect for natural evolution and a regard for what is easy and sensible. The hundreds of lavish photographs in this book invite you inside the unique world of Shabby Chic. Rachel Ashwell, founder of theShabby Chic home decor stores, for the first time provides her invaluable and much-sought-after advice on how to re-create Shabby Chic style in your own home. With engaging text and easy-to- follow instructions, Rachel details the Shabby Chic basics in a way that will put even the most apprehensive or novice decorators at ease. From flowers to fabrics to lighting, Rachel illuminates all of the elements essential to this unpretentious yet truly exquisite style. A behind-the-scenes look at a flea market lets readers in on Rachel's personal secrets of how to cull hidden treasures from flea market trash--an old trunk, its paint peeling around the edges, can be given new life as a coffee table, while a chipped white iron salvage piece becomes the perfect frame for a vintage mirror. This book tells you not only how to restore these pieces but how to find the perfect place for them in your home. Gorgeous color photographs and accompanying text reveal how this relaxed look works with a variety of different styles, from Victorian to Mediterranean to contemporary.




A Quilting Life


Book Description

“With its diverse selection of fabrics and designs, A Quilting Life is a fine pick for any quilter looking to produce family-oriented keepsake results.” —The Needlecraft Shelf Bring the handmade tradition home with these charming quilts and home accessories. Inspired by a grandmother who loved to sew for her family, quilter and blogger Sherri McConnell gives traditional patterns like hexagons, stars, snowballs, and Dresden Plates a new look featuring fabrics by some of today’s most popular designers. Nineteen cozy projects include pillows, tote bags, table runners, and larger quilts—quick and easy designs that make great gifts. “Sherri’s book is a treasure! It’s full of fun and straight-forward patterns for quilts, table toppers, pillows, bags and more—all the goodies to make a cozy home.” —Thimbleanna “Would you like the opportunity to make tomorrow’s heirlooms in today’s vast selection of prints? . . . If so, this could be the reference book that will get you started. There are 19 projects, mainly focusing on handmade household items but including some larger quilts too.” —Fabrications Quilting for You “Beautiful inspiration if you are a seasoned quilter, but also a great resource with clear and in some cases, simple patterns for newbies as well.” —Diary of a Quilter “Color photos of finished needlework projects accompany step-by-step diagrams and assembly patterns, while at-a-glance sidebars covering materials and cutting allow needleworkers to gauge the complexity of each project.” —The Needlecraft Shelf




Napkins with a Twist


Book Description

As sweet as a love note, as welcome as a holiday, as easy as pie. Take simple squares of cloth, succinctly written directions, and clearly photographed steps and create fantastic napkin folds that transform your table into a showpiece. Mixing whimsy and elegance, celebrity event designer David Stark fashions stylish setups for every occasion. In Napkins with a Twist, Stark turns his unerring eye to the art of the perfect table setting, focusing on the quick, inexpensive, and creative. From everyday to evening, children's parties to black-tie affairs, a clever napkin fold turns any gathering into a memorable event. Classic folds such as the Tuexedo Fold, together with Stark's own innovative designs—including the wildly fun Fortune Cookie and Sushi Roll folds—make setting the table a no-brainer. Folds from Buckingham Palace and the Kennedy White House, New York's Pierre and Napa Valley's French Laundry, reveal how royalty, the rich and famous, the world's legendary restaurants, all put just the right touches on their signature starched linens. Along with its array of napkin folds, Napkins with a Twist spills over with useful tips, how-to lists, etiquette reminders, table settings, and surprising suggestions for how a napkin fold can become the starting point for designing an entire occasion.




The Art of the Table


Book Description

"Home Comforts" meets Miss Manners in this elegant, comprehensive guide to the table -- an invaluable resource for every aspect of formal and informal dining and entertainment. 130 line drawings throughout. 16 pages of color photos.




New Tablecloths


Book Description




The Little Book of Living Small


Book Description

A comprehensive guide to small-space secrets and real-life solutions for living in 1,200 square feet or less. The Little Book of Living Small shows readers how to make the most of limited square footage—with grace and style—and serves as the cheerleader readers need to help themselves feel satisfied and proud of their choice to live with less. In addition to exploring both the motivation behind choosing to live in a small space, as well as the practical, everyday advice for managing a tight footprint, The Little Book of Living Small also includes case studies: 12 style-savvy, small-space dwellers open their doors and share their design secrets. Author Laura Fenton covers a range of homes including studio apartments, one- and two-bedroom houses, a tiny house, a co-living space, and even whole houses. Stylistically these homes range from urban, rural, minimalist, and country, with the unifying thread that they are all real homes of less than 1,200 square feet that offer clever solutions that readers can use in their own homes. Laura Fenton is the lifestyle director at Parents magazine. With more than fifteen years of experience, her work has appeared in major publications including Better Homes & Gardens, Country Living, Good Housekeeping, and on leading home websites including Remodelista.com, HGTV.com, ElleDecor.com, HouseBeautiful.com, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Through her writing she has explored the topic of living small for more than a decade. She lives small with her husband, a photographer, and their son in Jackson Heights, Queens, in New York.




Monograms and Antique Linens


Book Description

A collection of beautiful linens, hand-sewn clothing, and fine monogram work highlighting how the beloved custom of monogramming is flourishing today.