Vintage textiles draw us in. They tell us a story of a person or a creative process. In some cases, they literally bear the marks of the maker in tiny stitches or stains from years ago. So it is no wonder that such fabrics are attracting a wave of creatives, who not only appreciate them, but also are finding ways to breathe new life into them.
One such designer is Speronella Marsh, whose eponymous Shropshire-based company produces hand-printed textiles. Speronella has been collecting vintage sheets, many dating from as early as the 19th century, for decades. Although she occasionally used them to sleep on, it wasn’t until she needed metres and metres of fabric to make curtains for the large windows of her home that the sheets suddenly found their true, new purpose.
Speronella designed and carved her own lino blocks and proceeded to print curtain material. The texture of the fabric – worn from years of hand washing – and the length (many of these sheets are over 3m long), lent themselves perfectly to the project. The resulting curtains were such a success that she now sells her designs to top designers for upholstery, cushions and tablecloths.
Speronella’s most prized sheets are those embroidered with red monograms. These stitched initials hark back to a time when sheets were washed in communal laundries. ‘Each family or estate had their own monogram, so, when the sheets and towels were washed, everybody knew whose sheets belonged to whom,’ she explains.
Servants might have the simple initials of the family name, but heads of families had elaborate monograms, often embroidered in red thread. Speronella tapes over the initials and elaborate monograms before printing to ensure they remain visible afterwards – a reminder of the fabric’s origin and story.
This sense of a previous life is key to their appeal for Speronella. ‘If I print on a roll of linen it is lovely. But the pleasure of printing on an old sheet is far greater, because you’re printing on something that has a past and you are becoming part of its future.’ A sheet that has been washed 100 times is not perfect, she explains, but it’s perfect to her. @speronellamarsh
Such perfect imperfection is also a draw for the artist Mary Norden, who makes ‘fabric paintings’ or collages from scraps of material, which are, in her words, ‘things that most people would bin. I don’t use new stuff at all because it is flat. It doesn’t have the character that worn fabric has.’
Her beautifully calm landscapes and simple still-life pictures are made from linings and backing fabrics: the parts of a garment or textile that most people never see, such as the inside of an old bed cover or the threadbare backing from a Persian carpet. Using textiles that have little appeal to most is, of course, a form of upcycling or recycling, and Mary refers to them as her ‘introverted fabrics’.
Each work begins with a ‘seed’ piece of fabric from which she works intuitively. ‘I don’t do any drawings,’ she explains. ‘I just cut. I might have a bit of striped fabric which I feel says to me that it is a tabletop, and from that I build up the objects on the table.’ @marytnorden
Emily Monckton of The Full Montage also works with collage, but rather than being stashed in a basket, her fabrics are stored in a digital library. She photographs textiles she likes: sequins, vintage Colefax samples from her granny or even her friends’ curtains.
She then uses Photoshop to create her collages – large-scale flowers or her spangly, characterful ‘disco fish’, all named after her girlfriends. In some of her pieces she uses a mixture of old and new fabric, but says that using ‘previously loved fabrics gives the pieces more meaning’.
Her process starts with choosing colours. She then moves on to form – for example, using a photograph of a flower and ‘filling it in’ with fabrics. Her tools are Photoshop’s ‘selection brush’ and ‘lasso’, the modern-day equivalents of a Pritt Stick and scissors. The digital process allows Emily to alter the colour of fabrics, which saves hours spent searching for precise matches. @thefullmontage
For those of us just looking for different ways to use vintage textiles in the home, Chloe Jonason, who imports vintage saris, kanthas and suzanis from India, has plenty of inspiration. In her hands, suzanis are used to re-cover ottomans, or stretched onto frames to become huge pieces of artwork.
Kanthas (layers of old saris that have been quilted together) are repurposed to serve as beautiful (and practical) door curtains. Those that are too damaged or worn are transformed into floor cushions. ‘The more you use them, the softer and nicer they get,’ she explains. Vibrant saris become the most delicate hand-pleated lampshades.
Chloe says anyone can learn to upcycle old textiles, and she even runs a lampshade-making course for those wanting to create their own lampshades at home. ‘Hopefully I make vintage textiles really accessible for people,’ she says.
She does offer a word of caution when sourcing such things: ‘You can risk getting stuff with stains and moths, so stick to vintage sellers that you know are going to give you clean fabrics. No one minds marks, as long as you know what you are getting.’ @chloejonason
Feeling inspired? Try transforming textiles at home with these lovely kits
Try vintage-style embroidery with this sunflower kit, £40, Little House of Victoria
Punch needle is like drawing with wool. This abstract Monstera kit is £35 from The Modern Crafter
Make on-trend monogrammed napkins with this embroidery kit, £38, Rosita Studio
Print a cheerful drawstring bag with this wood-block printing kit, £38.50, Molly Mahon
