16 July 2010

Ticking Fabric



Whenever I happen upon scraps of vintage ticking fabric in my travels through flea markets and antique shops, I add them to my stash of goods. To me, striped ticking fabric is the home's equivalent to a great summer dress. Light and airy, it makes a great slipcover to hide away winter fabrics that no one wants to cozy up to when the temperature hits 90˚ and up. I've used it many times in combination with vintage feedbags to create accent pillows or to re-upholster chairs (like the one above). Originally intended as mattress and pillow covering, ticking fabric is sturdy enough to be used in a variety of ways.


A thin hand-buttoned mattress is hung from a curtain rod to create a soft headboard.

A ticking fabric chair is perfectly at home in a beach cottage with bleached furniture and gray drapes.

These blinds add a hint of blue to an elegant white bathroom.

A ticking fabric lampshade is an unusual, but successful, mate to an alabaster lamp.

Not fabric at all, but these painted stones carry the essence of ticking cloth outdoors.

This striped bra as wall-hanging is too cheeky not to include. The chair is casually slipcovered in a variety of blue and white fabrics that can easily be replaced when the temperature drops.

Images: Contemporary Country by Emily Chalmers, photography by Debi Treloar, published by Ryland Peters & Small, 2006. BBC Homes & Antiques Magazine, June 2010 issue. Flea Market Style: Decorating with a Creative Edge by Emelie Tolley and Chris Mead, published by Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1998. Marie Claire Idees Magazine, March 2010 issue.

2 comments:

Alison @ The Polohouse said...

Love your blog. I especially love the name of your blog, I can totally relate!
Your vintage linens photos are all wonderful. Especially like the lampshade with the horse pictures in the background.
Thanks for your post!

Anonymous said...

Lovely, lovely, lovely stuff! Especially those rocks!!! I linked this to my ticking fabric post too, well done!

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