parna vintage linen and hemp

Large embroidered pieces from rural Transylvania

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Sun, 02 Jun 2019 11:03:00 +0000

Some large embroidered panels from the Kalotaszeg ( Calatea) region of Transylvania, Romania

Wire decorated miners bottles from Hungary

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Mon, 20 May 2019 09:50:00 +0000

I have been collecting these colourful bottles from Flea markets in Hungary for years and now have a large collection. I love the variety of patterns,

Writing the stitch, stitching the writing

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 11:15:00 +0000

I have been working with Sara of Tarnat-Kalotaszeg-Durabil- to produce some embroidered cushions based on patterns and techniques traditional to this area of Romania

The embroidery was done by Bodis Ilonka an experienced and talented embroiderer living in the Kalotaszeg, a region in Western Romania renowned for its folk heritage.

Ilonka in her village

This type of embroidery is know locally as "writing stitch" The pattern is first drawn or "written" onto the cloth by the "writing woman" Most villages had one and a few exist today. Ilonka learnt to draw the writing in the 1960s from her then mother in law.

These patterns come from a compilation of over 200 patterns drawn by women in the Kalotaszeg and complied by Sinko Kallo Katalin.

Dancing Skirts

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Mon, 04 Jun 2018 08:38:00 +0000

Wonderful procession and presentation in Budapest this weekend " without borders" featuring traditional folk costumes of the Carpathian Basin

Vintage European Hemp and Linen Grainsacks

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Thu, 31 May 2018 08:18:00 +0000

Vintage grain sack fabric has become increasingly sought after in recent years and for good reason. These sacks were woven in communities in rural Europe. The sacks that I source and sell come from Hungary and surrounding countries. These fabrics were woven prior to world war 2. The fibres were grown and harvested then processed by peasant families. It was a lengthy process, after harvesting the hemp fibres were soaked in water ( a nearby river, lake or pond )for 6 weeks before the fibres were broken u and then spun before weaving.

These homespun, home-woven fabrics are beautiful, sturdy and characterful. These fabrics most often have a red or blue stripe, less common are brown, black, purple and grey. The stripes indicated to the mill the owners of the grain bought for milling. Sometimes embroidered monograms were also added

You can see how some of these fabrics have been used on my pinterest here

#vintagegrainsacks #vintagelinen #hungarianlinen #homespun #vintagehemp #grainsacks #parna

Sack sale

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 07:45:00 +0000

We are moving warehouse in mid April and trying to lessen the load. We are offering a 20% discount on all grainsacks, grain sack cushions and fillers purchased with cushion covers. To claim your discount enter the code sacksale at the checkoutwww.parna.co.uk

Slovakian Indigo dye

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 10:56:00 +0000

These photos were taken at an exhibition of Slovakia blue dye at ULUV in Kosice, Slovakia September 2017

early 20th century bodice and skirt

indigo dyed bodice

traditional printing block

traditional patterns in regions of Slovakia

Indigo vintage linen cushion covers

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Sat, 05 Aug 2017 07:14:00 +0000

New in; cushion covers from vintage Slovakian resist dyed indigo linen

Vintage linen images

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Fri, 21 Jul 2017 08:52:00 +0000

We are looking for your images!

Have you made or upholstered something from our vintage linen? Do you have an image of a parna item in situ? If so I would love to hear from you. Images may be published on social media. All shared images will receive a free vintage linen tea towel and an embroidered heart. Top 3 images will receive their choice of a vintage grain sack cushion, embroidered heart cushion or bespoke embroidered cushion. Winners announced 4 August. Please send images to kath@parna.co.uk.

Cushion cover from Kalotaszeg

Indigo dyed vintage linen table cloth

Matyo cushion cover

Cushion cover from Romanian woven fabric

Cushion covers from Kalotaszeg

Kalotaszeg embroidered cushion cover

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 11:12:00 +0000

http://www.parna.co.uk/antique-and-vintage-embroidered-cushion-covers-105-c.asp

Vintage linen grain sacks

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 11:21:00 +0000

Just added; a wonderful selection of vintage Hungarian and Romanian grain sacks, all in fabulous laundered condition

Vintage Grain Sack Cushions

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 11:43:00 +0000

Our grain sack cushions have been featured in Homes and Antiques

Selvedge Artisan Fair

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Wed, 18 May 2016 09:03:00 +0000

Highgate, London May 21

Susie Petrou will be there with a selection of parna linens

If you would like a free ticket please email kath@parna.co.uk

First ever sale

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Sat, 02 Jan 2016 14:07:00 +0000

We are moving and having our first ever sale.

Vintage linen, grain sacks,embroidery all at 25% discount

Another Transylvanian church, more embroidery

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 08:40:00 +0000

This church is a few Km away for the church I posted about yesterday.

The Kalotaszeg region of Romania is famous for this "irasos" or "writing" stitch, here blue is the colour.

www.parna.co.uk

Transylvania, commemerative embroideries

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 06:57:00 +0000

Its been a while since i have posted here. I have just returned from a trip to the Kalotaszeg region of Transylvania, Romania and thught I would share some images of embroideries. First up is a church in the small village of Magyarvalko. A beautiful fortifed church on top of a hill in this tiny village.

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Beautiful, embroidered wall hangings from Transylvania

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 10:13:00 +0000

Hungarian Embroidery Sampler

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Sat, 08 Nov 2014 14:40:00 +0000

There is a strong tradition of embroidery in Hungary and Transylvania. This huge samlper was made by and given to me by Eniko who is a master craftswoman. It show 24 examples of embroidery, from a particular area of Hungary and Transylvania. The combination of stitches, colours and patterns are unique to these areas.

Its a wonderful piece and a great reference in identifying embroidery.

Parna costume- vintage floral

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 17:29:00 +0000

Pretty vintage florals from Hungary and Slovakia. See more on the parna costume website page here

About Vintage Grain Sacks

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 14:41:00 +0000

Vintage linen grain sacks vary in weight, texture and weave, every piece is slightly different .

Most of our grain sacks date from before 1939, most are significantly older. Our grain sacks were woven in areas of Eastern Europe with a strong peasant culture. Families would grow their own hemp and or linen, harvest it, prepare for spinning and then weave. Hemp and linen was used to make clothes as well as household textiles and sacks and cart covers for use on the small holdings. Stripes and or monograms would indicate to the village mill whose grain was being milled. The most common coloured stripes are red or blue. We source from a small number of villages in transylvania where toffee coloured stripes were woven form thread dyed using walnut kernels. Hering bone weaves are more ommon in Romaina, sometimes thes fabrics are dark and very heavy and generally not as attractive as the fabrics thtat were made in hungary, the Ukraine and some of the Transylvanian villages.

Grain sacks are beautiful textured, versatile fabric. Measurements are for the unopened sacks . The sacks was made of one piece of fabric doubled over and hand stitched at the sides the opening hems. Some sacks have a triangular of rhombode peice of cloth inserted at the opening with which the sacks could be more easily grasped and may have been used as a pouring spout. Each grain sack is double the stated length if opened out.

Our pinterest page shows vintage grain sacks in use for furnishngs

Antique blouses from the Kalotaszeg region of Romania

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 13:34:00 +0000

Beautiful detail in these antique blouse from one of the Kalotaszeg villages in Transylvania. Romania. Fine cotton, beautifully smocked/pleated and embroidered over the pleats. One supplier tells me that they used to place still hot freshly baked bread over the freshly pleated garments to keep the pleats in place. A load of bread instead of an iron!

Textiles in Maramures

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 14:39:00 +0000

Maramures is an area in North East Romania, a valley surrounded by mountains it isnt easily accessible and has maintained traditions which have long since been lost in other areas.

Textiles are characterised by large bright woven patterns.

The area is famous for its wooden churches, many adorned with textiles, inside and out.

Here are some images taken in the region. With special thanks to Pensiune Anca where some of these images were taken (and where we had the most wonderful locally produced food) and The Village Hotel, Breb where we stayed in the most beautifully renovated house

Embroidered sheepskin waistcoat from Transylvania

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 08:30:00 +0000

Mens sheepskin waistcoat, decorated with hand sewn cut leather appliqué stained pink and and pale cream, and coloured embroidery in red, green, purple, blue and pink wools..The waistcoat fastens with two leather buttons and loops, Decorated sheepskin coats, jackets and waiscoats were common in Transylvania and in some areas less highly decorated sheepskin jackets are still worn. I think that this waistcoat is from Hungarian Transylvania, the colours are beautiful and this piece shows an amazing skill and standard of workmanship. Its not in perfect condition, there is wear in some places
Saxon Trasylvania in particular was well known for its furrier workshops in the 19th century. An embroidered sheepskin coat from Saxon Transylvania can be seen on the British museum website here
Ref British Museum

Embroidered Mangle Board Cover

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Wed, 02 Apr 2014 08:12:00 +0000

Lovely old cross stitch embroidered mangle board holder . This piece is from the Kalotaszeg region of Transylvania. Faded red cross stitch on hemp, this piece dates from the 19th century. In the days before irons and metal mangles wooden mangle boards were used to flatten linen. These wooden mangles were usually handcarved by young men, sometimes as gifts for their bride to be, they often had intricate carved designs and have become collectors items in their own right. There is more information on the history of the mangle board here

Cross stitch embroidery from North East Hungary

noreply@blogger.com (parna) — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 19:29:00 +0000

Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg is an area situated in the North East of Hungary bordering Romania and The Ukraine. This area has been well known for cross stitch embroidery for well over 100 years. A whole cottage industry grew up around producing embroidered items for home and abroad, particularly to Germany.

Designs were originally stitched in red with a little black. With growing export to Germany they started to embroider in blues. The most famous patterns were the cockscomb, also known as the wolves pawprint.

They embroidered peacocks to symbolise beauty and pigeons or doves to symbolise happiness.

People knew these patterns by heart. If the pattern was to be embroidered by another family the pattern would be transferred to something like trracing paper or greaseproof paper. They embroidered with the help of a small mirror. Often the woman of the family would start a piece and embroider one stem of each cross stitch. Each family made 2 or 3 patterns. The children would come home from school and the husband from working and they would embroider the cross to the stems already embroidered by the woman of the house. They embroidered on cloth that they wove themselves.

Counted cross stitch require that for each stitch the number of threads being embroidered over are counted.These days they embroider on a cloth with a slightly more open weave, this way the threads are easier to see. It is said that in the old days the cloth woven in this area was some of the most even and skillfully woven in the land. The even weave of the cloth was important whe used as a base for counted cross stitch.

This area of Hungary is quite distinctive with some beautifully kept small villages. The embroidery heritage is quite clear when you visit the villages in this area, one can still see women sitting outside houses chatting and embroidering. Churches are decorated with embroidery.

A few summers ago I visited Beregdaroc, Takos, Csaroda, with a friend, there is a piece on her blog here

Thank you to Eniko for educating me on the history of Hungarian textile craft. Her knowledge on the subject really is amazing.

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