JILLIAN VO

 

~VINTAGE FABRIC PILLOWS~

Brought To You By One Of Ebay’s Founding Members

 

WELCOME TO MY AUCTION

This listing is for a newly made vintage 50s barkcloth pillow, with insert, that measures approximately 21”x16” not including the brush trim.

The ebay shipping calculator is often incorrect so please feel free to contact me and I can give you an exact shipping cost for your zip code.

Pillow Details

The vintage barkcloth used to create this pillow is one from the series of Grandma Moses reproductions. Several of her most famous paintings were printed onto barkcloth during the 50s and have become incredibly rare, as they fall into two “collector” groups; art collections, and textile collections. Over the coming weeks I will list a few more pillows using Grandma Moses panels I had originally cut about 10yrs ago. This one is titled “Early Springtime On The Farm”, and we see one of many, fabulous scenes from her childhood. The focal point is the scene with people enjoying the ride in the horse drawn cart, but my favorite is the little duck on the end of the row, who has decided to go her own way. Of course, like all of her paintings, there is so much more going on and you will discover something new each time you look at it. This pillow is finished with a pure white brush trim that works perfectly with the snow.

The reverse side is a contemporary jacquard and the closure is envelope style. The corners are gently tapered so measurements are taken through the middle rather than corner to corner.  The front vintage fabric and the backing fabric is lined with new cotton muslin to stabilize and reduce day to day stress. It will extend the life of this pillow so you can enjoy it for many years to come. This listing includes the custom insert because the size is not standard 20x20 or 18x18. My inserts are always large and plump, filled with the best fiber fluff available and very slightly overstuffed. This is because all fillings, no matter the quality, tend to *settle* after some use and by adding a little more, my inserts retain their shape and comfort. However, if you prefer your pillows with a more relaxed look just email me before I ship and I will remove a little of the filling.

This pillow is large, and like a painting, it is made to be a focal point wherever you choose to display it. Grouped with any of the others I will be listing in this series, you will have an awesome snapshot of life as it was 100yrs ago, for the child who became Grandma Moses.

WHO IS GRANDMA MOSES?

Born Anna Mary Robertson Moses in 1860, Grandma Moses grew up in several towns in NY state. She spent most of her life doing embroidery and other sewing crafts such as quilts, but when she started to get arthritis in her early 70s she took up painting. Never having any formal training, she developed her own primitive style in which she recreated memories of her childhood spent growing up in the country. At first her paintings were sold for $2 and $3 or given away as gifts to people like her postman, but then of course she was *discovered* and included in a 1939 exhibition at the Museum Of Modern Art in NY. Now she is one of America’s most beloved artists, with her work displayed in many museums and galleries. Although she painted over 3600 canvases most of us will never own one, however the paintings chosen for reproduction onto barkcloth are a wonderful way to bring this iconic artist into your home. 

Twenty years ago it was fairly easy to find and purchase quality vintage barkcloth in the form of old drapery panels and even unused whole bolts. All of the best designs from the 1930s, 40s and 50s were found at estate sales, flea markets, local auctions and of course here on Ebay, however these days I look around and see none of these classics available, anywhere. In previous years I had the luxury of being able to cut into panels of beautiful barkcloth without concern as to its availability, but I’m afraid that is a thing of the past as these textiles are now so incredibly rare and I am compelled to preserve all my full panels and unused bolts. Going forward, my pillows for Ebay will only be made from panels that I have cut into previously. I spend hours and often days restoring each textile and only about 55% turn out to be strong and usable. There is no fix for dry rot so the financial loss on many panels is considerable, making the restored, usable panels that much more valuable. My vintage pillow fronts are the very best of the 30s, 40s, and 50s. Most of these, in such awesome condition, are now so extraordinarily rare, that you will not see them anywhere else, and when gone, sadly are gone for good. Because these textiles are so special, I try to create heirloom pieces that will last. The time spent searching and buying the fabrics, getting them shipped, restoring them and then creating my items is incalculable in terms of $. There is no production line in a factory overseas, cheaply mass producing these pillows. I am one person making unique one of a kind snap shots of American textile history. There are thousands upon thousands of pillows on Ebay available for you to purchase so I very much appreciate that you stopped by to look at mine. 

A Monarch Obsession

The Monarch butterfly population has dropped by 80% in the last 10yrs due to habitat loss through their migration route from Canada to Mexico, so two years ago I joined the Monarch Butterfly Way Station community and created a garden entirely dedicated to Monarchs and other pollinators. Monarchs cannot survive without the milkweed plant so I planted 7 different varieties and now have over 50 individual plants in my tiny NYC garden. This past summer my garden successfully helped in the creation of over 70 Monarchs and of course many honey and bumble bees. Milkweed comes in many varieties and is incredibly hardy and easy to grow. If you would like to join me in helping Monarch butterflies, I will very happily include several milkweed seeds to be sent with any purchase you make from my listings.

 

Welcome to JILLIAN VO…formerly Dont*Tell*Daddy*The*Price.

I am one of Ebay’s founding members and for many years sold vintage fabric pillows and totes. I changed focus a few years ago to bohemian style jewelry and contemporary fabric totes which I sold at large conventions and the famous Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market. For obvious reasons these large markets are no longer an option and I am returning to Ebay and my own website. I will continue to please my past customers with vintage and antique textile creations but will now include a selection of my new jewelry, pillow and tote creations. Thank you for taking the time to visit.

 

Thank you so much for stopping by, I hope you find a special treasure to fall in love with here.

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* All pictures, backgrounds, designs and TEXT on this page are the property of JILLIAN VO*