Toile de Jouy

Toile de Jouy originated in France in the latter half of the 18^th Century. Imported originally from the East before being manufactured in the town of Jouy, near Versailles in France. It is a beautiful, vibrant fabric, and is as popular today as it was in Louis XIV time in France.  I love the French “Indienne” collection of fabrics.  They are lively, colourful and joyful and Toile is one of my favourites. Some of the vintage or antique Toiles remind me of Marie Antoinette and Versailles with their royal, aristocratic rich red and blue backgrounds and colourful designs.  Toile is so wonderfully French.

These four photos are taken from Pinterest

My love of fabric gives me so much joy. My favourites are floral chintz and toile de jouy. I love a fabric that tells a story, just like the willow pattern china my mother had on her kitchen dresser.  Apologies while I digress, one of my jobs growing up, we all had them, was to regularly clean and wash our kitchen dresser and its beautiful delph.  A job I really enjoyed doing. I loved the sense of achievement at gleaming delph and rearranging it back on the dresser, to my Mother’s delight.  As a result, one of the first items of furniture I bought when first married was a kitchen dresser.  I love this humble piece of furniture and over the years enjoyed collecting china for it to add to my collection. I find that I can play with it for hours sometimes, to get it right.  It always reminds me of the poem we learned at school as children which read :

“A dresser filled with shining delph,

Speckled and white and blue and brown”
from Padraic Colum’s moving peom "An Old Woman of the Roads".

While I am sure there is probably a willow pattern fabric out there somewhere and the willow pattern is so pretty.  I think I prefer Toile de Jouy.  Toile de Jouy is special and very inspiring. It is beautiful and colourful, with it’s busy story pattern, told in reds, blues, greens, browns etc, which we can all relate to.  It is used in material and wall coverings.  It depicts a story, sometimes a couple having a picnic beside a river, or maybe a shepherd with his sheep or a man serenading a young lady under a tree, no matter what they are, all the designs are lovely. 

I used a Laura Ashley Cherubs Toile in our bedroom about 10 years ago, although a busy wallpaper to look at on the roll, when up on the walls, it had a very gentle effect, partly because of it’s light pink colour, it was so lovely that I hated parting with it, but our bedroom walls had to be insulated, so down it came, much to my chagrin.

Toile has to be, in my opinion, the least boring wallpaper ever made.  Its appeal is universal.  I only have a little left on the walls of our ensuite, it is again a Laura Ashley blue toile wallpaper, it looks as fresh today as it did when I put we put it up nearly 10 years ago. I love toile de jouy so much, that I would love to put a little bit of it in red somewhere in the house, (maybe I’ll create a little alcove, there’s a thought, a little project for another day). 

Red toile de jouy is really gorgeous.  

Red is a colour I do not use in our home, except at Christmas.  I think a room decorated with red, apart from toile, is really lovely, it is so tasteful and interesting.  I adore it in other people’s houses and in interiors in general, but, I have discovered that it affects me in a less than positive way, so I limit it to little accessories in our home.  I prefer to surround myself and my family (who don’t get a choice, I’m ashamed to say) with soft colours which soothe and calm the body, mind and soul, particularly, at home.

Fabric has such a comforting effect, I find.  It can invoke memories of childhood.  Dresses and clothes worn by parents, aunts, siblings and ourselves.  Curtains and cushions, patchwork quilts and eiderdowns in pretty fabrics and colours. I just love the way fabric makes me feel.  Joyful, warm, comfortable and safe, imagine - from a little piece of material.

Toile de Jouy can be used for anything, anywhere and in anyway. I came across this photo from Sex and the City some time ago, I think it captures the beauty of how to wear Toile (I'm not sure if it is Toile, but I think it looks like it, I am open to correction). Carrie and Big in Paris - Carrie wears a beautiful Toile coat and notice the Eiffel Tower handbag, gorgeous. Her whole ensemble is fabulous.  

Toile is also great as wallpaper, china, clothes, gifts such as hearts, handbags and purses, used in the home as curtains, bedspreads, cushions, upholstery on chairs, couches etc and even bed canopies.  I hope that my love of Toile de Jouy will help to inspire you in some way.

I am writing today's entry, as I rest in my garden on another magnificent Summer’s day. I am resting, because I pulled my shoulder (the pain has rendered me useless) while moving our umbrella – ouch!! a very silly thing to do, so take note and please do not think of doing it. 

We are still enjoying our wonderful long, hot, glorious Summer and it is so pleasant sitting in the garden that I am quite comfortable with the help of a few paracetamol, thank goodness.

My husband just home from work is busy in the kitchen making dinner. As I write this, the smell wafting out towards me is mouth watering, I will be spoilt shortly with a tasty meal. I am very grateful to have a husband who enjoys cooking and is a very good cook even better, lucky me.  

On that note, I will close today with a little quote from Marcel Proust : " Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom".

Have a lovely weekend.

S.