What is Toile?
It has come to our attention that many people don’t know how to pronounce the word. Toile rhymes with ball (twall). That being established, lets move on to a brief description of the appearance of toile. French in origin, it is a form of chintz. Most times this print was done with a soft ivory color in the background although others colors have become available in recent years. It is the unique patterns on the background of the fabric that make it toile. Think pastoral, primitive French country scenes all done in shades of one color. Due to its timeless classic simplicity, toile is often used by designers. You will find toile patterns reproduced on both fabrics, china and home decor. This has given rise to a far reaching variety of patterns and colors. However, the monochromatic color scheme is what distinguishes this print. For a very funny expose on toile you may enjoy this article. What is tatting? The rare art of tatting is a form of knotted lace made with an oblong shuttle, around
It has come to our attention that many people don’t know how to pronounce the word. Toile rhymes with ball (twall). That being established, lets move on to a brief description of the appearance of toile. French in origin, most times this print was done with a soft ivory color in the background although others colors have become available in recent years. It is the unique patterns on the background that make it toile. Think pastoral, primitive French country scenes all done in shades of one color. Due to its timeless classic simplicity, toile is often used by designers. This has given rise to a far reaching variety of patterns and colors. However, the monochromatic color scheme is what distinguishes this print. For a very funny expose on toile you may enjoy this article.
Just as the Eiffel Tower is a Parisian icon, toile is a symbol of French decorative ingenuity and panache. Created by German fabric printer Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf in Jouy-en-Josas, France, around 1770, toile relieved the people’s boredom with rococo curves, showy swirls, and flamboyoant flourishes of the day. Named for its birth city outside of Paris, the fabric became known as toile de Jouy (pronounced twall-de-jhwee), meaning “cloth of Jouy.” Lucky for us, toile crossed the ocean and made its way into American homes, where blue patterns on neutral or colored backgrounds remain a favorite. Fabrics and wall coverings allow us to lavish rooms with toile. Like all things decorative, toile continues to evolve to accomodate a variety of tastes, appearing on textured fabrics and in a variety of patterns. Like a classic novel, toile conveys a timeless tale. Today, new interpretations have fallen into favor alongside the traditional pictorial scenes, bringing graceful beauty to the hom
Toile, which is short for Toile du Juoy, is a pattern used in home décor. The repeated pattern is traditionally set on fabric with a white or cream background, and printed most often in navy, red and black. The pattern is traditionally a one-color pastoral scene that tells a story. Due to toile’s recent rise in popularity, it has found a place not only on the traditional fabric, but also on wallpaper and clothing. Toile, which is a French word, translates literally to ‘cloth’. Its origins can be traced to Jouy-en-Josas, France, where the first commercial plant to mass produce it started production in 1760. Despite its very proper reputation, toile had a decidedly illicit beginning. Christopher-Philippe Oberkampf, who had previously been producing toile using an expensive, laborious process, uncovered secret etching techniques in England. This technique used copper plated rollers, which would make producing toile much easier. He spirited the secrets out of the country and went on to rec
