My South African Toile

I adore Toile‘s. They are so intricate and beautiful. I have done a range of South African inspired Toile’s for Carol Mills Fabrics which I will show you one day but today I thought I would show you the first one I did and one which I still hope I can find a purpose for one day.

toile-1.jpgInspiration came from South African things: The doilie (drawn as a floor mat)  underneath the wrought-iron table with a chicken sitting on top of the plates and cups; my next door neighborus who are actors and actress’s with their dog ‘Didi’, an old wagon wheel, a bird cage inside a suitcase with Mossies on and there is even a garden knome that you find in so many old South African gardens.

toile-2.jpg

I also super-imposed using photo shop the design into a setting to show an example of how it could be used (below).

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The design is a little rough on the edges and not as refined as traditional Toile du Jouy’s but perhaps that is not a bad thing. I am still trying to ‘hear’ what this design wants or needs to feel finished. Any ideas?

6 thoughts on “My South African Toile

  1. Meg says:

    I really could see it as an oil cloth! It would make a great table cloth for a round table out on a porch or something. If I had that print, I’d like it in a oil cloth to make magazine totes and lunch totes.
    Or as a canvas to make place mats.
    Or a thick cotton to make napkins.

  2. Victoria says:

    Hi,

    I love the slight roughness to your South African toile. Actually I would love to find out how to get this fabric. I am expecting a baby next March and would love to have the nursery drapes in this fabric.

    Keep up the amazing work,
    Victoria

    • wendren says:

      Thanks so much for the inquiry Heather. This design never got as far as printing. Since re-desiging it I have thought about printing a few meters just to see how it looks but I have not gone ahead with it as of yet. If I do, I will let you know.

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