Flea Market Item 26-361

Vintage Appliqué & Embroidered Table Mat 

c.1930s–40s

Charming vintage cream cotton table mat or tray cloth, approximately 42 x 30cm, with a scalloped brown edge and a wonderfully cheerful border of appliquéd tulip-like flowers in pink, blue, red and apricot. Green appliqué leaves are combined with hand-embroidered stems, tiny red leaves and French-knot-style details. The appliqué is neatly finished with contrasting blanket stitch.

Composition: Fine cotton ground with coloured cotton fabric appliqué and cotton embroidery threads.

A particularly appealing example of mid-20th-century domestic needlework, with a naïve folk-art quality that would also make a lovely source of inspiration for slow stitching. Some gentle age marks and wear are consistent with its vintage c