Susan,
thanks for posting that information, my husband and I have been purchasing
mission-style furniture (Oh, if only we could afford Stickley!) and I was
thinking about some new textiles to go with! Those kits are lovely!!
Julie

Susan he Sorry, I got busy and didn't have a chance to answer
these questions right away.

Julie, Congrads on your new Stickly furniture! I'm jealous! You may
want to check out two Vogue Pillow Patterns for Embroidered Pillows in
the Mission-Style. One of the patterns numbers is 7462 - I don't have
the other pattern number handy, but it's on the facing page in the
pattern book at your local fabric store. (Check out the page before
these patterns, for a pattern of beaded Art Noveau pillows.) I also
saw on Ebay this an Ann Wallace table runner kit for $19.95, the
seller had 7 availble, plus three completed, handcrafted, pillows from
"Ann Wallace & Friends". Judging from the other items this seller had
available, I would say he is a retail seller of arts & crafts period
items, both antiques and reproductions. He said these Ann Wallace
items are overstocks. Search under "Ann Wallace" on ebay and you
should find them.

The Vogue patterns call for DMC floss, which is okay, but it's not
what they used most often a century ago for this type of embroidery
work. I have been doing quite a bit of research. Cotton perle #5 is
a closer historical match in cotton threads, but embroiders at that
time really loved to use silk threads. Silk was popular because the
silk industry promoted patterns and kits in women's magazines. As far
as I can tell, from my research thusfar, they prefered twisted reeled
or filament silk (similiar to cotton perle)- often referred to as rope
silk. When the silk industry hit hard times in the mid-1920s replaced
silk threads, the rayon was known as "art silk".

I have been searching for similiar modern threads, and am in the
process of ordering samples and testing them.

FYI - There are two types of silk threads. Reeled or filament threads
are unwound from the silk cacoon in one LONG strand and then (because
they are so thin) twisted with other strands. Spun silk is made just
as wool or cotton is made, from the "waste product" of the cacoons.
Did you know that spun silk was considered inferior and banned through
much of history?? Spun silk is not as shiny as reeled/filament silk,
but it is easier to work with than reeled silk.

Dianne - the website for Ann Chava's site is;

www.typeandstitch.com She will have a new website with a new address
in August when she opens her new retail store. This fall Ann will be
adding additional kits for arts & crafts inspired textiles - and these
will include silk threads. She is converting one of her current kits
to silk threads for me, because I so wanted to experience working
designs like this in silk.

You may also want to check out these sites, Ann Wallace and Dianne
Ayres have both written books about American Arts & Crafts Texitles.
They use Cotton Perle (probably #5, that's what Ann Chaves said she
uses) in their kits. I am going to order my first kit from Ann Chaves,
because I want the silk threads. :-)

www.annwallace.com

www.textilestudio.com

I am oalso rdering some spun silk threads from Vikki Clayton for the
butterfly (view B) pillow on Vogue Pattern 7462. These threads aren't
exactly reproduction silks, but they are very nice and will help me
decide if I want to go with reeled silk or the easier to manipulate
spun silk. I am also getting some reeled silk from Vikki, although she
is discontinuing her line of reeled silk :-(. Vikki has been
wonderful in helping me figure out the type of silks which were used
in the Arts & Crafts period, she pointed me to reeled silk and I think
she may be correct in her assesment that reeled silk is more
authentic. She even sent me some samples so I could figure out which
weight I wanted to go with, I decided I preferred #8.

I will let you know as I further decide on which silk threads to use
for the reproduction-style Arts & Crafts Textiles I am planning. Ann
Wallace reminded me in an email exchange that the Arts & Crafts
Movement is a living movement, so I can decide, as a modern textile
artist, to go with materials which aren't exact what was used "way
back when".

Although I joking talked about designing patterns or kits, my real
thoughts at this time is to make Arts & Crafts Style pillows and
runners for reproduction furniture showrooms. There are many craftmen
in this area who specialize in making quality, handcrafted,
reproduction Mission/Stickley Furniture. I think I could perhaps make
a dime or two selling pillows at these outlets, if I can get my foot
in the door. I first need to decide on the materials I will use and
also plan my own designs - my designs would be inspired by arts &
crafts era designers, but not exact duplicates. Although I have
learned that some of the designs from a century ago are no longer
under copyright (Stickly's designs, for one.) (I wouldn't want to do
anything someone else is doing, where's the artistry in that?) Well,
that's the gameplan... lot's of planning and practice is needed
before I kick off this little business idea.

I like Ann's workshops and designs, she's doing what I was talking
about; providing modern designs for the "Pottery Barn" generation
(for lack of a better description.) These are simple, clean, stylized
designs. They evoke feelings of peace and tranquility. I believe
they reflect the design-style of the post-baby boomer generation.
Although they are inspired by an earlier era in design, they are still
refreshing and modern. Inspired by nature, as was the arts & crafts
era designs, and at times so abstract that it's difficult to identify
the item being depicted (another trait of the Arts & Crafts era
designs). While looking at designs of this style I find myself
getting almost almost mesmorized as my eyes slide over, up & down the
curves and lines of the design. I feel they are soothing and
comforting in a complex and complicated world.

Julie - I personally am not big into owning "the actual antiques" of
the arts & crafts era. The real gift that period gave us was the
design style which is still (or again) recognized for it's simplistic
beauty. I would have no problem with owning reproduction furniture,
as long as it is well-built - because it was the quality of
workmanship which was of supreme importance to designers of that time.
And as I stated, Stickley's designs are no longer under copyright
restriction, so you likely got the "real deal" - only crafted a
century later!

Blessings, Susan