Hidden in grandmothers' sewing boxes, lurking in the back of linen cupboards, and piled high on flea-market stalls ... vintage fabrics in every style, colour and condition are just waiting to be transformed into beautiful home accessories. Whether they are 19th-century lace trimmings,1930s florals or 1950s abstracts, these fabrics bring a timeless air to the modern interiors. Precious pieces can be used as they are – crisply pressed Victorian linen for a dining table. A vintage designer dress hung up as a piece of art – or reinvented as cushions, table runners. Lampshades and more.

In Vintage Fabric Style. Textiles and soft-furnishings expert Lucinda ganderton and stulist Rose Hammick suggest a multiuude of creative ways to use these treasures and cast-offs. Among hundreds of other ideas. They show to transform an old piece of patchwork into country-style curtains, make sturdy apron from an old pair of jeans, and use soft woollen blankets to upholster chairs.

There are step-by-step instructions for projects that include a luxurious duvet cover made from old damask napkins, a traditional baby's quilt using family hand-me-downs, and a colourful cushion cover made from boiled woollen jumpers. Vintage fabrics can also be used for celebrations – find out how to decorate wedding invitations with antique trimmings, angel and personalize gifts for friends.

So have a rummage through remnant bins or see what you can find at the back of the family linen cupboard – there's no need to strain your budget to bring the best of the past into your home and to create a stylish and contemporary interior.

 

LUCINDA GANDERTON is the author of the Complete Guide to Needlecraft. Applique and the beatselling stitch Dictionary. She has contributed to many magazines and books, including The soft Furnishings Source Book and Curtains and Blinds (both Ryland Peters & small). And played a leading role in Change That, BBC TV series on crafts and interiors. She is a graduate of Goldsmiths college. London,where. Where she studied Fine Art Textiles.