Choosing matching and complemetary vintage fabrics

Most of our antique and vintage linen has either a stone/oatmeal or cream/wheat coloured base.

When choosing fabrics to be used together the background tone is probably the most important consideration and going for either the grey/stone/ oatmeal tones or the wheat/cream/yellow tones is a good starting point.

Mixing striped linen with plain often works well and for larger projects using any combination of vintage grain sacks, cart covers, mattress covers, sacks and sheets with the same tones can produce stunning results.

More on choosing vintage fabrics on the blog

Choosing vintage fabrics for upholstery

Vinatge linen cart covers, matress covers, sheets, grain sacks and fabric from rolls can all be used for upholstery projects. 

All our fabrics  were woven on home looms, these looms were narrow so that they coudl fit in  the weavers houses. The widths of our fabrics vary from 40-70cm

Cart covers,mattress cover and sheets consist of 2 or more panels of vintage fabric hand sticthed together and  are suitable for upholstery as are sacks and rolls. 

Mixing plain linen with some striped and / or monogrammed linen works well. For example a plain mattress cover with monogrammed stripes sacks running down the chair back or a patchwork effect using various striped, monogrammed and plain linen. There are  almost endless options available, We can match fabric and prepare upholstery packs of matching plain and striped linen.    

We recommend using fabrics with a close weave for upholstery.

For non removable covers we recommend darker toned fabrics

More on upholstery on the blog

Bespoke Advice

We provide a matching service and can advise on fabrics  to be used together and with your existing interior schemes including Farrow and Ball paints and wall coverings

Please email textiles@parna.co.uk

Samples

We are happy to send samples. Please email textiles@parna.co.uk with details of colour preference, Flickr    fabric codes if apropriate, quantity of fabric required per project and your address

Uses for Vintage linen

Frequently featured in interior and style magazines these textiles can be used to great effect whether your preferred look be  Gustavian, French, rustic, country or minimalist.

Some ideas:

Hemp sheets make fantastic curtains, upholstery fabric, Roman blinds and table coverings

Sacks and fabric from rolls for blinds, covers,  bench cushions and upholstery.

Sacks for laundry bags and bath mats

Table runners from opened out sacks or fabric from rolls

Table cloths from mattress covers and cart covers

Cart covers make excellent heavy curtains, bed covers and very large table cloths

We have a team of expert seamstresses and very reasonable prices. Please enquire textiles@parna.co.uk

Care of vintage textiles

Most  of our fabrcs are extremely hard wearing and can be washed at high temperatures. We launder all of our vintage pieces prior to despatch.

We recommend washing in the washing machine at 40 C (although most fabrics can withstand washing at 95 C though there may be slight shrinkage).  Hnag to dry rather than drying flat.  Grain sack fabrics can be tumble dryed- giving a softer texture to fabrics.

Hemp fabrics lighten with age and washing. Washing at high temperatures speeds the lightening process

For fabric that becomes stained or solied stained  we recomend using oxi action either applied pre wash or an oxi action washing powder.

We recommend washing embroidered pieces by hand at low temperatures. Indigo dyed pieces should be washed seperately at low temperatures.