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My name is Gerrie Wydeven doing-business-as Wydeven Designs. I have been conducting this small GREEN business since 2004. Wydeven Designs, based in the Atlanta, Georgia area, sells CHAIRS, LOVESEATS, CHAISES, SETTEES and other fine, well-constructed refurbished upholstered pieces. I love to travel, cook, take photographs and generally follow style and decor topics as well!

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Scott's Antiques Market Weekend - Fabric Trends



Fabrics - Accent Pillows and Tablecloth at Scott's Antique Market
This is the second weekend of the month and, therefore, Scott's Antique Market weekend - link to website.  My friend, Bette, and and I have become Friday regulars at the market.  We love the energy and crowds - a very diverse mix!  There is real shopping going on and that is always nice to see and gives credence to the fact that the economy seems to be steadily (if slowly) recovering!

French Tea Towels Usable for Pillows and Other Projects



On this visit, I concentrated on checking out fabrics - both "vintage" and "new" to get a more fine-tuned sense of what is being shown and what is selling.  This research is always helpful to me since I have to make frequent decisions about buying and using new fabrics on my refurbished heirloom-quality upholstered pieces!  There are a number of vendors that sell bolts, some of them have a huge stock at the monthly sales.  Some of the fabrics are viewable by the various accent pillow makers/sellers - displaying wonderful fabrics on ready-to-use pillows.  And, of course, other fabrics are best seen on the many upholstered pieces for sale throughout the two huge buildings that house the market.
Stacks of Vintage Materials 
I would say the overall most popular, or at least the most ubiquitous fabric seen on upholstered pieces is linen - usually in a very neutral cream shade.  It gives the pieces a very fresh, clean look and is a very versatile fabric.  Good linens are also available for sale - the average price per yard seems to be in the $25+ range.
Examples of linen on upholstered pieces.  I love the settee on the left and like the idea of the numbers on the stools.  You could use a transfer medium to do something like this at home!
Burlap is actually often used, particularly on "French Country" style pieces.  I have not and will not use plain burlap since it is scratchy and does nothing for me.  I have seen and used a textured linen or linen-blend that has a bit of the burlap textured look but not the scratchiness.
We saw some interesting examples of cowhide including this "stained and patterned" cowhide used on pieces.  
Damask, whether a silk or silk-blend or good woven cotton, is one of my favorites for pieces that are going into a more formal setting and/or are used to add some gravitas to an otherwise extremely casual setting.   The tone-on-tone qualities make the pieces work well in so many settings and color-groupings.
Older pieces with tapestries are generally costly - particularly if the fabric is in really nice shape such as these.  
Bette said she had never met a toile she didn't like and I must agree.  They add such a humble yet elegant flair and can be used on just about every style of upholstered furniture. 
Most of the velvets that I saw seem to be original to the pieces and a few definitely need to be replaced.  
This little bench with cotton ticking is nice.  I am working on a set of chairs (chalk painted country French style chairs) and will be using a red and cream ticking on those. 
This is a nice crewel on this chair.  Unfortunately, the chair itself (or at least the seat cushion) needs some work.  I have a piece of vintage crewel at home that still needs a project that works.  This gives me inspiration. 
I thought this flame stitch, in more modern colors, looks great on this French style chair.  
I could have taken 100's of photos but thought I captured the variety pretty well with these.  Now to get back to working on some of my projects with new ideas in mind!

What are your favorite current or vintage fabrics and where are you finding them?


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