Antique French Ticking Fabric
Our French mattress fabrics, “toile à matelas” or “coutils” are dense and strong twill or sateen weaves. Basically they use beige, white, blue and red, although they often introduce a stripe of another color.
History
In the early 1900s, the banks of the Seine were filled with mattress makers and especially mattress makers who remade wool mattresses. The fabric used is called Coutil, a word that comes from “couette”. The Couette was one of the parts of the bedding (Literie) used to keep warm in the winter. In ancient times, duvet down filling was used as a mattress topper. Today it is the equivalent of a quilt. The coutil was widely used for mattresses and for work clothes.
"Répertoire des tissus indiens importés en France entre 1687 et 1769", Colette Establet.
What Makes Them Special
Most of these ancient fabrics were made in the Manufactures of northwestern France: Etoffes de la Manufacture de Nantes and de la Manufacture d'Abeville. The well-known Coutils de Laval produced large quantities of striped mattress fabrics. Striped fabrics with very varied colors, made of linen and hemp and later cotton, with a dense twill or herringbone weave.
Coutil Metis 'Fleur Bleu'
Uses and Inspiration
Our coutils are large continuous pieces from old French mattresses. This dense chunky fabric is well-suited for upholstery projects that want to incorporate a laid-back farmhouse feel.
