Penelope Textiles Limited

Beautiful Antique and Vintage Textiles & Sajou Haberdashery and embroidery supplies.

I can not remember a time that I was not both passionate and fascinated by textiles.
Antique and vintage textiles each have their own personal, social, and cultural histories interwoven and worked into the very fibres from which they are made. I strongly believe each piece carries its own importance, be it an fine example, exquisitely worked and intended for religious or civic purposes, a commemorative piece marking a specific point in time, a young brides trousseau meticulously worked by an army of female relatives for several years, or a more humble piece, well used, loved, darned, mended, and re-used, masquerading as its latest owners needs depict.

My mother taught me to sew, and I always felt it to be an important skill to preserve and pass on for future generations to appreciate. In my shop you will find also find beautifully crafted Sajou scissors, haberdashery items and embroidery supplies, along with Fil au Chinois thread ranges which are produced on the original 19th century machines and that top Haute Couture fashion houses use for their collections. Everything you need to create your own antiques of the future.

My Family's textile history can be traced as far back as the French Huguenot silk weavers that arrived in Shoreditch, London in the 17th century and this has captivated my imagination, and fuelled my 'textile obsession' since I was a child.