Mystery VERY Large early Feather Pillow? Hand stitched, roller & block print fabric

C

Charlemaine

Registered Guest
Seeking help on the age/origins of this century(?) old fabric. In its present state its a 36 x 33 inch pillow case - hand stitched on two sides. Its a light to medium weight cotton. The fabric feels old and I see fine feathers deeply embedded into all the hand stitching.

Did curtains and pillows match in the bedrooms back then. Or, was it common in earlier days to convert outdated curtains into feather inserts or pillows? Perhaps it is unknown.

Have not seen original Victorian pillows looking like this, perhaps its a more recent conversion.

Thanks for any knowledge. Always appreciated this forum's wisdom.

small 3.jpgsmall 1.jpgpatch 3.jpgpatch 4 option.jpgpatch actual weave.jpgphoto 2.jpgphoto 11 corner stitch.JPGphoto 22.jpgphoto 33.jpg
 
Anyone? I'll add that I'm sure someone sliced one end open to let the feathers out. Perhaps the feathers were worth more than the patched pillow case?

Maybe thats why no comments after 70 views? Perhaps I'm assuming too much regarding its age/origin.

Alright then, this over sized pillow is obviously a modern recreation using tattered older looking fabric and stitching. (FYI - I didn't buy it at a craft show)
. . . so I still think this is a worthy inquiry - & still hope someone agrees.
 
Depression era? I recall those late 1930s industrial paisley gear shapes from my grandmas pre WW 2 linoleum. A kind of revved up Art Deco leftover mixed with the timeless pink rose for a desperate era? Perhaps that explains the thrifty patch to extend its life (in feathers). And since the patch isn't made of the same fabric, the pillow case was not part of a large fabric leftover of curtains etc. At least it was isolated from similar fabric by the the time the patch was needed. This could be a good start.
 
-- Curious if anyone could see this as 19th C fabric; post U.S. Civil War --
The photos imply the fabric was hand stitched into its form 1st, then it was filled with feathers 2nd, shown by the feathers timely embedding into the stitching. This must have had a lot of use, yet the fabric is still in good shape. So - Was it protected in-between other feathered goodies that preserved it - as this Victorian link shows.

http://www.oldandinteresting.com/history-feather-beds.aspx

Or its preserved state could imply that it was itself a "feather insert", that was protected by a pillow case which encapsulated it. (?)
Its hard to believe its the only handmade example known. Perhaps other survivors are now craftshow lampshades :)
 
I have been looking at this and my first thought was 1930s. The large scale of the print, as well as the actual pattern itself, and also the navy and pink color combo all resemble other 1930s fabrics I have seen over the years. It is impossible to tell too much, without being able to hold it in hand. Waverly was doing similar patterns in the 1930s, if that is any help at all.

It is lovely.
 
To confirm, yes the fabric was itself filled with feathers, it did not have an insert as I was told. Its more likely Victorians would treat beautiful fabric with the protective insert; its unadorned pedestrian look aligns more with the 20th C. tastes as well. No tassels, no trim, purely functional - yet pretty.
And I've just looked at several 30s fabrics and Waverly in particular. Yes, there are waverly patterns that resonate with this mystery textile; very 1930s. And it indeed seems that very large pillows/cushions wern't exclusive to the Victorian era - the Europeans still being fond of them.
 
I've been meaning to comment on this thread. I'm an interior designer and I've seen large scale floral print fabrics in varying quality for years. It's next to impossible to date the fabric in your photo from a photo. It's not even possible to identify the pattern unless you recognize it. And it would be really difficult to identify who made it for the same reason.

Many, many fabric houses have lines that vary very little over the years and often repeat popular sellers - or reintroduce them in various colorways. If you had a roll of the fabric and the selvage showed, you would be able to see how many different colors were used - and perhaps the name of the fabric house - or the mill would be on it. Some fabric houses specialize in very traditional prints and some in "retro" prints. There are or were many fabric houses that sold florals similar to yours - Westgate, B. Berger, Duralee, Robert Allen to name a few. Waverly is a division of F. Schumacher and I believe is still privately owned. Some of the houses that do hand prints are Lee Jofa, Cowtan & Tout, Brunswig & Fils, Clarence House - etc. etc. etc.

As you suggest, European bed pillows are quite large - a 26" square is fairly standard. Overscale throw pillows have been used on sofas and on beds (as pillows or shams) for years. As you mentioned, your yardage has been hand sewn into a pillowcase. Usually pillows or cushions that are filled with feathers and down do have inserts - usually made of muslin - or in the case of bed pillows it used to be ticking. It was common for curtains and bedding to match or coordinate -but I've never heard of making old curtains into inserts. You might want to purchase a new down pillow or cushion and have a seamstress re-make your cover to fit.

Linn
 
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