A beautiful handmade textile is a work of art worthy of display, especially if acquire a surviving antique or vintage example. Though the list is by no means comprehensive, the textile types you might want to display include:
--rugs and carpets
--quilts and blankets
--Uzbek embroidered suzanis
--Ottoman tray covers and bohças (wrapping cloths)
--Indian saris, and the Kantha quilts made from them
--tapestries and other wall hangings
--shawls, sarongs, sarapes, scarves, mud cloths, and molas
--hand-dyed wax-resist batik and interwoven ikat
The best way to display a piece of textile art isn't as obvious as it is with paintings or sculpture, but you actually have more options. To get you started, here are Some ways to display vintage textiles:
1. Dress a Window -
You can turn a vintage textile into a custom curtain or valance for your window if you can add a casing, sew- or clip-on rings, or drape it over a rod. Lightweight textiles such as saris, sarongs, and scarves work best as hung window treatments.
2. Adorn a Wall -
Most antique and vintage textiles are suitable for hanging on the wall.
After all, they are artwork, and sometimes the obvious is the right way to go. You can hang textiles on the wall using rings or casings that slip onto a rod, or by affixing strips of hook-and-loop tape to both the textile and the wall
3. Top a Table -
For an easy way to display an antique or vintage textile of any type or weight without altering it, use it to top a table. Just spread it over the tabletop as you would with a tablecloth. But, unlike a tablecloth, the textile doesn't have to cover the entire tabletop surface, and it doesn't have to hang down evenly all around.
4. Cover a Couch -
Drape a textile of any type and weight -- from sarongs to quilts to carpets -- over the back of your sofa to display it and add style to your space.
5. Beautify a Bed -
Except for rugs and heavy tapestries, if your vintage textile is large enough, you can lay it at the foot of your bed. When folded or spread out, the textile width should be at least three-fourths the width of the bed.
6. Fake a Headboard -
If your lack of headboard is of more concern than decorative coverings for your bed, you can use a lovely old textile to fake a headboard look. You'll need a textile that's roughly the same width of the bed; a few inches larger or smaller is just fine.
7. Lean a Ladder -
For smaller textiles and those that aren't too heavy to fold, you can turn an old ladder into a display piece.
Just lean the ladder against a wall, with the bottom inclined outward enough to steady it, and fold your textiles to the right size to fit between the rails. Then, slip your textile over the rug and let it hang there.
8. Drape a Dummy -
For lightweight textiles, consider draping them over a dressmaker's dummy or mannequin. The look is especially charming for textiles originally crafted as apparel, such as saris, sarongs, and mud cloths.
9. Fold a Stack -
If you have a collection of light- to medium-weight textiles, you can fold and display them in a stack. Stacking the collection keeps it together and lets you view it in a single glance, which makes for a striking effect.
10. Fold a Stack -
If you have a collection of light- to medium-weight textiles, you can fold and display them in a stack. Stacking the collection keeps it together and lets you view it in a single glance, which makes for a striking effect.
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