It’s a Crewel World

Chelsea Editions

“Racemid” from the Embroidered Vine Collection

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Chelsea Editions was originally established in 1991 by Mona Perlhagen as a resource for cushions made from antique embroideries.  She quickly established herself within the design community – and eventually met the late Jed Johnson – with whom she partnered in establishing the firms current incarnation in 1996.  Together they created the collection available today from the carefully curated historical documents Perlhagen spend decades amassing.  I’ll admit that I overuse superlatives, but CE‘s collection of embroideries and crewels is the interior design industry’s finest.  (Some might argue that Holland & Sherry’s embroideries are in the running, and I’d say they’re close, but I’ll save talking about them for another post.)

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Detail of “Heather Voile” from the Embroidered Sprigs Collection

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The 350+ piece collection represents designs from as early as the 17th century.  Jenny Simpson (Perlhagens daughter) joined the firm several years ago as design director, and has added collections from Britain’s Kit Kemp and Alidad., effectively expanded the brands reach forward into the 21st century.  She’s also added a handful of her own modern fabrics representing arts & crafts, mid-century and contemporary designs.   As for the company website, Chelsea Editions presence (like many other to-the-trade resources) is merely serviceable, and does not represent every fabric in their line.  You owe it to yourself to visit a showroom in your area to truly appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship of their textiles.

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“Thistle with Embroidery” from the Printed Fabrics Collection

Don’t forget to flip through the many (and I mean MANY) gingham’s, checks, and pin stripe tissue linens – which are very reasonably priced.  It’s also worth noting that every design in the embroidery/crewel collection is fully customizable.  Individual motifs from different fabrics can be pieced together to create a unique design – complete with personalized color combinations.  Just remember that when excercising your creative muscles, the adage “no pain, no gain” can apply to your wallet.

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232 East 59th Street    New York  10022    212-758-0005

Regional showrooms

http://chelseaeditions.com/index.html