Lilac Enjoys her Mauve Room - a photo on Flickriver

            DADDY:  “Lilac?  Lilac?”

LILAC:  “Yes Daddy?”

DADDY:  “Little Lilac, what are you doing?”

LILAC:  “I’m being calm, serene and regal, Daddy.”

DADDY:  “Well you certainly do look calm, serene and regal, little Lilac.” 

LILAC:  “Thank you Daddy.”

DADDY:  “But Lilac, what does being calm, serene and regal have to do with fabric and lace from my fabric chest and Sylko cotton spools from my sewing drawer?”

LILAC:  “Oh, don’t you know, Daddy?”

DADDY:  “Evidently I don’t, little Lilac.  Perhaps you’d care to enlighten me.”

LILAC:  “Well, I was reading one of your books from your library not all that long ago, about the Romanovs, the last Tsar and Tsarina of the Russian Empire.”

DADDY:  “Oh yes, I saw you with that book Lilac.  It’s a very big book for a little bear – lots of words.”

LILAC:  “And lots of pictures too, Daddy.  The Romanovs liked to take lots and lots of photographs.”

DADDY:  “Indeed yes, Lilac.”

LILAC:  “Well, I was reading that Alexandra, the last Tsarina, really loved the colour mauve.  She had a mauve boudoir.  The Mauve Room received its name from the opal-coloured silk on the walls, which was made by Charles Berger's firm in Paris, a company which still exists today at the same address in the French capital.  The fabric was described as a Lampas Violet Reseda and it was extremely expensive. The total cost of the silk and trim in the Mauve Room exceeded the cost of any of the Imperial Fabergé easter eggs. Matching fabric from a Moscow firm was used to cover the furniture. This fabric differed slightly from the French material as it was slightly lighter in tone and had a raised floral motif woven into it. Both fabrics were of lampas silk, which is a raised reflective weave which gives the material a unusual soft glimmer - particularly at night by artificial light.  Tsarina Alexandra personally picked the fabric and hue. It is said she asked for a colour to match a favourite sprig of lilac given to her by Tsar Nicholas.”

DADDY:  “Is that right, Lilac?”

LILAC:  “It is!  So I have decided to make my own Mauve Room using your fabric, lace and Sylko cotton spools.”

DADDY:  “Oh, I see.”

LILAC:  “Now, all I need to complete my bliss is a nice cup of calming tea, Daddy.”  *Looks meaningfully at Daddy.* 

The theme for “Smile on Saturday” for the 6th of September is “pretty in pastel purple”, and I needed to look no further than little Lilac, who is one of my smaller bears, as you can tell when you compare her to the Sylko cotton reels that she has used to decorate her Mauve Room.  Lilac was a gift to me from a friend in Dorset who said that the sweet little bear was looking for a happy forever home, and so she came to live with me last year, but it has taken until now to have the perfect reason to photograph her.  For anyone who follows my photostream will know that I collect vintage Sylko cotton reels and haberdashery, and that is what I have used to create a pretty pastel purple background.  There are various lace pieces, some individual lace flowers, including the ones on Lilac’s head and that she holds which are made in Latvia.  The Dewhurst's Sylko reels of Dark and Light Lilac and Mauve cotton all date from between 1938 and 1954.  I hope you like my choice of this week’s theme, and that Lilac makes you smile!

Belle Vue Mill, commonly known as Dewhurst’s, was built by Thomas Dewhurst in 1828. It opened in 1829 as John Dewhurst & Sons and was one of Skipton’s largest spinning and weaving mills. The mill’s position next to the Leeds Liverpool Canal meant that raw cotton could be shipped in by boats from Liverpool. Finished goods would then be sent back the same way ready for distribution. Coal to power the machine’s steam engines was also delivered by barge. In 1897 Dewhurst’s was bought by the English Sewing Cotton Co. It continued to produce Sylko, one of the mill’s most famous products. It was produced in over 500 colours and sold throughout the world.  Sylko cottons are still available at haberdashers today.

Taken on: August 24, 2025

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Smile on Saturday

pretty in pastel purple

teddy bear

bear

soft toy

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vintage teddy bear

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Dewhurst's Sylko cotton thread

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Sets appears in: • Ribbons, Lace and Notions • Smile on Saturday

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Camera: Canon DIGITAL IXUS 80 IS, f/2.8, 1/200 sec, 6.2mm, ISO 80 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon DIGITAL IXUS 80 IS
Aperture:	f/2.8
Exposure Time:	0.005 sec (1/200)
Focal Length:	6.2mm
ISO:	80
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
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