Toiles de Jouy - A little touch of French Fabric History

Hi Everyone

It is raining in Sydney today (more like misting, the humidity has turned to water particles, but the ground is wet).  It has been some time since we have seen rain and the gardens are starting to show the effect of the dry. This makes rain a big event in Sydney today, but we had a great event in the shop on Sunday.

Marie-Christine Flocard's

lecture on Toiles de Jouy, was fascinating.  The printing factory was set up in the town of Jouy, so as to be close to the Palace of Versailles.    Clever marketing.  The date was around 1760.  Herr Oberkampf,  started the factory and is responsible  for the nearly 3000 de Jouy toile designs, many that have been lost over time, that we love today.  The factory produced fabric for about 100 years.

 Marie-Christine described the printing processes from block printing to etched copper rollers.  The major components of the dyes and mordants.  The colours were unbelievable.  Marie-Christine shared her toile samples with us and then we had a "French" Show and Tell.  Thank you to everyone who contributed.

Here are some photos

Slightly different view of the classroom and audience.  We didn't have to lock anyone in.

Marie-Christine explaining how copper roller printing worked.

A bit of Boutis.

Check out the yellow background.

I just want them all.

Thank you Marie-Christine.

CLASS ACTION

The last class of Summer School was Liz Pinczewki's Jubilation Quilt.

Another layout.  Looks good Liz (Liz works here a few days a week).

Our normal class schedule started again. 

Today we welcomed back Marg Sampson George's class.

Phyl wins the "what I did over the holidays" conversation with this beauty.

Tomorrow I will see what Karen Cunningham's Wednesday class got up to.

Melinda