Not currently on display at the V&A

Sample

1969 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

In the 1960s Courtaulds took over the Lancashire Cotton Corporation and a number of small companies as a result of the decline in the cotton industry and converted these to spinning Courtelle, a new synthetic fibre.

Dr Greenwood of Courtaulds Furnishing Fabric Marketing Division based in Coventry commissioned woven textiles designer and colour consultant Pat Moloney to design and hand weave a range of samples which would show off the new yarns.

The design brief imposed few limitations but emphasised colour, which was considered a vital promotion tool. Samples could be experimental in construction and colour combinations, the aim being to sell the yarn ranges by exploiting the character of the yarn and the colours in the design, rather than to design fabrics which would be commercially successful. Moloney designed and made the samples in her Warwickshire studio.

Some of the designs were taken up by companies.

T.183:1 to 18-2019 and T.184:1 to 7-2019, produced by Richards (owned by Courtaulds), are some of the spools of yarn which were given to Moloney. T.185:1 & 2-2019 to T.206-2019 are a range of the samples Moloney produced, with the exception of T.187:1 & 2-2019, which were manufactured by Morton Sundour Fabrics Ltd.. using one of Moloney's samples.



Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Complex dobby weave with reversed diagonals, Neo chrome warp, 6s Courtelle weft
Brief description
Sample, curtain fabric, complex dobby weave with reversed diagonals, Neo chrome warp, 6s Courtelle weft, commissioned by Dr Greenwood of Courtaulds Furnishing Fabric Marketing Division, Coventry, England, designed and handwoven by Pat Moloney, Pat Moloney’s studio, Warwickshire, England, 1969, diamond stripe design, blues and yellow
Physical description
Sample, curtain fabric, complex dobby weave with reversed diagonals, Neo chrome warp, 6s Courtelle weft, diamond stripe design
Credit line
Given by Pat Moloney
Summary
In the 1960s Courtaulds took over the Lancashire Cotton Corporation and a number of small companies as a result of the decline in the cotton industry and converted these to spinning Courtelle, a new synthetic fibre.

Dr Greenwood of Courtaulds Furnishing Fabric Marketing Division based in Coventry commissioned woven textiles designer and colour consultant Pat Moloney to design and hand weave a range of samples which would show off the new yarns.

The design brief imposed few limitations but emphasised colour, which was considered a vital promotion tool. Samples could be experimental in construction and colour combinations, the aim being to sell the yarn ranges by exploiting the character of the yarn and the colours in the design, rather than to design fabrics which would be commercially successful. Moloney designed and made the samples in her Warwickshire studio.

Some of the designs were taken up by companies.

T.183:1 to 18-2019 and T.184:1 to 7-2019, produced by Richards (owned by Courtaulds), are some of the spools of yarn which were given to Moloney. T.185:1 & 2-2019 to T.206-2019 are a range of the samples Moloney produced, with the exception of T.187:1 & 2-2019, which were manufactured by Morton Sundour Fabrics Ltd.. using one of Moloney's samples.

Collection
Accession number
T.193-2019

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJanuary 21, 2019
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest