NEW PILLOWS IN VINTAGE FORTUNY --WITH A TWIST

Note:  I shot new photos of the pillows in daylight--the new images are in my next post....here's just one comparison:

(Please excuse the photo quality--I took them w/flash)  

I like tweaking the usual and customary format a bit....

I went to see Pam (my amazing pillows fabricator) today to give her the vintage c.1950's Fortuny that I scavenged last week from the sofa. I can get three good-sized pillows from that fragment and wanted to start the fabrication process immediately as the color and paleness of this Fortuny is what is being shown right now in most of the design magazines. (And besides, it is ice blue--perfect for summer or a 50's style)

To my delight, Pam had a pair of pillows ready for me--I've been a little conflicted over this design---but upon seeing the completed pillows, I think it works. I chose to use rows of c. 1950 Fortuny border stitched together to form the pillow face. There is a spot on each pillow face where you can just catch a glimpse of the the vintage Fortuny stamp on the border. Pam did a beautiful job--French seams on the border strips and, as always, perfect tiny welting.

Just look at this micro-welt

  

I'm highlighting this final detail of the gold silk backing to show how difficult it is to match the exact tone of the gold and texture of the backing to the tone of gold and the pattern of the Fortuny front. There are so many tones/shades of gold silk. Even the weaving of the silk affects the way the gold "reads"--there is a brassy yellow gold, cool green-hued gold, warm reddish gold and so many variations of each one. It is very important that the silk backing and welt not overwhelm the Fortuny fabric. I'm very fortunate to have Pam who either confirms what I see or (very quietly) nixes the mix.

We are having the most gorgeous summer weather--just grazing 80* with a bit of a morning cloud cover...maybe we will have a cool summer?

Have a great week-end--poolside or beach-side??

MIA UPDATE

Mia was released from the hospital yesterday. Grace and Mia are still at St. Jude's Children's in Memphis for further testing, but they should be on their way home by the end of next week. Miss Mia is back to her old tricks--stubborn, just like her Nana.

Mary and Jones (& Cole)