The Textile Trunk

10/20/2026

I love history! What if a little French sewing notebook could lead you to the life of the young woman who filled its pages? 🤍

Recently, I sold this beautiful 1920s–1930s French sewing school notebook, filled with hand-drawn fashion illustrations, garment patterns, handwritten lessons, and delicate fabric samples. ( I still have many others )

But the most wonderful part of its story came after it left my hands!

Its new owner, Maureen, a genealogist, historical researcher, and author, set about discovering who had created it. And she found her!

Simone Santiard, born in Marseille in 1914, was one of three sisters. She lived until 2006, passing away in Aix-en-Provence.

Even more remarkably, Maureen discovered these extraordinary antique postcards showing the very school Simone attended — the École Pratique de Commerce et d’Industrie de Jeunes Filles de Marseille.

Look at these photographs! The sewing machines, long worktables, garments hanging on the walls, and young women learning the art of dressmaking more than a century ago.

Schools like these offered young French women opportunities to learn valuable skills and pursue greater independence at a time when women’s roles were changing.

And somewhere in that world was young Simone, carefully drawing patterns and recording lessons in the very notebook that survived all these years.

This is what I love most about antiques. Every object has a story, but so often the people behind them are forgotten. How extraordinary when someone brings that history back to life!

My heartfelt thanks to Maureen for her wonderful research and for sharing these photographs. Please visit www.past-forward.com to discover more about her work as a genealogist, historical researcher, and author.

A beautiful little notebook, a young woman from Marseille, and a connection across a century.

Isn’t that the real magic of antiques? 🤍

FashionHistory Genealogy 1920sFashion

09/17/2026

09/17/2026

One of my favorites ! Xx ( please see previous post )

09/17/2026

I have just listed all NINE of these extraordinary antique lace dresses and this one skirt / petticoat. in my Etsy shop and I am completely in love with this collection!! 🤍

Lace is having such a moment again, and these are the real thing — beautiful late 19th and early 20th century gowns, many dating to the Edwardian era, with the most incredible handwork, delicate net, embroidery, lace inserts, tiny pintucks and wonderful period details.

I saved some of my very best pieces for this group. There are wonderfully sheer white and ivory gowns, delicate polka dot net, beautifully worked lace bodices, long flowing skirts and even the sweetest pale blue piece of cotton stitched into the waist of one dress — perhaps someone’s “something blue.” 💙

My daughter modeled for me ( thank you Innogen ) so you can really see their shape and how surprisingly wearable these antique dresses can still be today. Some are wonderfully sheer, so she is wearing a little white skirt underneath in the photographs.

These dresses would be absolutely magical for a wedding, engagement photographs, summer party, special event — or simply hanging beautifully in a room as the works of art that they are.

It is becoming harder and harder to find early lace clothing with this much character and detail, especially pieces that have survived more than 100 years.

All 10 in the collection are now listed in my Etsy shop ✨

06/20/2026

1932–1933 Isidore Leroy.
A book like this comes along once in a very long while.
This extraordinary French wallpaper sample book measures a huge 18 x 12.5 inches and is over 3.5 inches thick at the spine, containing approximately 150 pages of original wallpaper samples from one of France’s most celebrated manufacturers.
Every turn of the page reveals another surprise… bold Art Deco geometrics, dazzling metallic designs, romantic florals, scenic papers, historic revival patterns, children’s wallpapers, and some of the most wonderful color combinations imaginable.
What makes it even more special are the original presentation cards showing the wallpapers installed in fashionable French interiors of the period. These glimpses into 1930s decorating are absolutely fascinating and bring the wallpapers to life in a way rarely seen today.
Founded in Paris in 1842, Isidore Leroy became one of the most important wallpaper houses in Europe, celebrated for both technical innovation and artistic excellence. By the 1930s they were producing some of the most exciting wallpapers of the Art Deco era.
This isn’t simply a sample book. It’s a complete archive of French decorative history.
A museum-worthy survivor and one of the finest wallpaper books I’ve had the pleasure of handling in 25 years.
frenchantiques interiordesign designhistory artdecointeriors vintagewallpaper antiquewallpaper textiletrunk rarebooks paperantiques

06/16/2026

Some pieces blur the line between art and history... and this is one of them.

Dating to c1920, this extraordinary French textile drawing comes from the Lyon region, the heart of France's legendary silk weaving industry. Known as a *mise en carte* or loom chart, it was originally created as a working guide for mechanical looms, with every tiny square representing instructions that would transform an artist's vision into woven fabric.

What makes this example so special is its breathtaking scale and color. The monumental paisley design, surrounded by scrolling flowers, foliage, and decorative flourishes, feels surprisingly modern despite being more than 100 years old. The vibrant orange ground is simply spectacular, setting off soft blues, greens, lavender, cream, yellow, and plum tones throughout the composition.

These charts were never intended to survive. They were workshop tools, folded, handled, and used daily in the textile mills of Lyon. Today, surviving examples offer a rare glimpse into the artistry and technical skill behind France's luxury textile industry.

At 62 x 34 inches, this is not just a document ~ it's a statement piece. Industrial decor, textile history, and wall art all in one remarkable survivor.

The antique of the future, ready to be passed down from generation to generation.

06/09/2026

Provençal ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️That incredible blue silk! The floral lining! The tiny bell buttons on the cuffs! After more than 25 years of collecting textiles, pieces like this still make my heart skip a beat.

An exceptionally rare c1850 Provençal jacket, entirely hand sewn and lined in the most wonderful calico Indienne floral cotton. The rich silk exterior opens to reveal a hidden garden of pink flowers and blue leaves, while the original metal bells still dangle from the cuffs.

These garments were never meant to survive 175 years. Worn, cherished, repaired, and passed through generations, most disappeared long ago. To find one still retaining so many original details is a rare treat indeed.

I love imagining the woman who once wore this through the villages and countryside of Provence.

A true antique to be passed down from generation to generation. ❤️

frenchtextiles textilecollector museumquality silkjacket 19thcentury provencefrance antiquefashion historicaldress textileart thetextiletrunk

05/12/2026

Eclectic wall decor anyone ?? I’ve had the pleasure of handling antique textiles for decades, but this extraordinary complete French fencing set is one of the most atmospheric sporting antiques I’ve ever found ~

Discovered in the attic of a grand château in northern France, this remarkable survivor includes the original canvas fencing jacket, mesh mask, glove, eye protection goggles, three épées, and even the original carrying bag still marked in blue paint: “PHALEN” ~ likely the surname of the original owner or fencing master. The worn luggage labels remain attached to the bag, quietly telling the story of travel, competition, and years of use. Constantinople ?

The fencing jacket still carries its original maker’s label:

“Etablissements HouzryArmes Escrime Sports31 Boulevard Voltaire Paris”

Boulevard Voltaire was one of the great sporting and fencing districts of Paris during the late 19th and early 20th century, home to celebrated fencing suppliers, military outfitters, and sword makers. Fencing in France at this time was not simply a sport ~ it was deeply tied to military training, aristocratic education, and the culture of honor and discipline.

The heavy canvas fencing jacket with its beautiful early construction and bone buttons dates from the late 1800’s into the very early 1900’s. The asymmetrical closure and protective lower strap are wonderful early details rarely surviving today.

There is something incredibly moving about finding a complete set like this untouched for generations. You can almost picture the salle d’armes, the lessons, the competitions, and the long journey back into storage beneath the château roof beams. I’ve just listed it in my Etsy store now , link in profile ! ###
sallearmes epée vintagefencing antiquetextiles frenchchateau sportsantiques historicalfashion fencinghistory antiquefinds textiletrunk primitiveantiques antiquecollector franceantiques museumworthy decorinspiration vintagefrance antiquelife rareantiques frenchsporting 19thcentury fencingmask historicaldecor frenchhistory equestrianstyle cabinetofcuriosities

05/09/2026

Some buying trips through France seem to have their own story waiting for me ~ certain textiles suddenly begin appearing everywhere I turn, almost as if they’ve chosen the trip themselves! This time, it was quilts turn.

I just kept finding the most wonderful quilts ~ faded florals, earthy tones, delicate block prints, paisleys, hand stitched treasures, soft worn cottons… one after another they appeared, and before long I was completely surrounded by them !!!

I’m only just beginning to list all of the amazing quilts I was so fortunate to find on this trip, and I honestly can’t wait to share them with you all ~ each one has its own personality, history, and feeling. Some are humble and primitive, others wonderfully romantic and floral, but every single one carries the warmth of the hands and homes that loved them before us.

I feel endlessly grateful to textiles ~ they’ve brought so much beauty, inspiration, adventure, and connection into my life over the years. And I’m equally grateful for all of you who love these old treasures as deeply as I do. It means the world to share this passion with people who truly understand the magic of old cloth and the comfort and soul these pieces bring into a home ~

Now I have to ask… which quilt is your favorite?!!

05/08/2026

I’ve just listed these in my Etsy store now ! ( link in profile ) 25 years of searching markets, collections , brocantes, and forgotten cupboards across France has led me to these incredible antique linens ~ and lately I’ve been having such fun giving some of them new life with the most beautiful soft dyes! ~

These wonderful early French linens date from the 1700’s and 1800’s and every single one has its own texture, drape, weight, and personality. Some are floppy and fluid, some heavy and bouncy, all with those glorious irregular handwoven textures that only true antique linen has ~

I’ve recently dyed them in the dreamiest tones ~ cornflower blue, mulberry mauve, turquoise blue, dusty rose, coral pink and rich berry pink. The colors settle so beautifully into the old fibers and give them such warmth and soul ~

I love imagining them as tablecloths, bed covers, throws, upholstery fabric, curtains, or simply folded over a favorite chair adding softness and history to a room ~

These textiles have already lived so many lives over centuries ~ and now they begin again ✨

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