More Damask......and Brocade

Following my recent post on the classic fabric damask, many of you concurred that it was also a great favorite when you are searching for decorating fabrics.

Designers have recently looked to the past in order to revive one of the most loved of fabrics, brocade. Damask and brocade are both made on a jacquard loom. Damask is a flatter patterned fabric, which is reversible. Brocade is richer in texture and often uses several colors. Brocade designs look best on the top of the fabric surface. Because of this, brocade fabric is often used for opulent dressy garments such as ecclesiastical robes and evening wear. Brocade is only rarely reversible with most designs looking best on the top face.

If you are familiar with the company Brocade and have seen their stunning catalogs, you will know that both damask and brocade patterns are being reproduced in many types of decorative accessories and furniture as well as fabric. Lately I've seen these patterns on items in local shops also, some still have the traditional look, others have a modern twist giving an almost contemporary appearance.

Above and below, plates and storage boxes from Brocade.

Pretty covered notebooks...........
.........wallpaper with a classic damask design from Brocade.
Delicate jacquard damask patterned waste basket from Brocade.Below, linen fabric lampshades with a more modern look seen in a local shop.

Strongly patterned black and white storage boxes seen in Homegoods this week.
Brocade's outdoor furniture with damask patterned water resistant upholstery....very pretty.

Don't forget...............one can never have too much fabric.

Dreaming in Damask

For many years, before being permanently attached to a digital camera, I was taken prisoner by a sewing machine! How could the daughter of a seamstress to Queen Elizabeth, the late Queen Mother, not have genes passed along which made fabrics and thread more important than tea and crumpets!

One of my great loves has always been beautiful patterned, textured damask fabric. I was always seeking out a yard or two to turn into a pillow, table cover or curtain, and quite often to cover the lampshades I made. I may be a cottage gal but I guess my decorating style is somewhat eclectic. I enjoy mixing different styles and textures and believe one should live with what one loves. I'd like to share a little history of this truly romantic woven fabric.

A pile of damask patterned fabric remnants I've used over the years ~ on my damask upholstered chair that sits at the top of the staircase.

In the Middle Ages, handwoven linen in original damask patterns was imported from Damascus, Syria, thus the name Damask. Jacquard weave, was named after French inventor, Joseph-Marie Jacquard, who invented the loom attachment in 1801, allowing patterned fabrics such as damask and brocade to be produced much more efficiently.

Damask is a textile that combines warp-faced and weft-faced twill or satin sections and is always reversible. Traditional damask has always been white-on-white. Prior to the 19th century, damask was the only linen fabric used in the dining rooms of the elite. After the 1920's it became more affordable. Colored damask was used in the late 19th century, but only for informal luncheons.

Damask linens with figures are unique and very collectible. Floral designs are the most common and easily obtained. The finest damask was produced in Ireland, Italy and France and it was the linen of royalty. Today mass-produced damask fabrics of other blends are readily available and, although not precious like the antique linens, can still be beautiful when used for many home decorating projects.

My sofa is upholstered in a cream traditional patterned damask used on the reverse side. I prefer this as it's a more matte finish and looks less formal. I purchased extra fabric and made large cord edged pillows, reversed to the right side which adds a little more texture and interest.

Above and below are lampshades I've made using two silk damask fabrics. Large shade above on my old somewhat funky lamp base ~ picked up at a consignment shop years ago ~ and the small shades on the dining room chandelier below, are an embossed type of damask which was actually a wedding gown fabric. The other lamp below is dressed with a beautiful tissue weight silk damask, again purchased in the bridal fabrics.

Dining Room chandelier decorated with a silk and crystal garland.

Next time, a new take on damask and brocade.