Let's Talk About...My Favourite Fabrics Part 4: Flower of Nepal by Jonelle

Jonelle is the brand label of John Lewis fabrics, and to visit John Lewis’s department store fabric floor is one of life’s joys. I’ve made plenty of curtains from John Lewis fabric over the years, especially in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s when setting up our home. We either went to the flagship store on Oxford Street in London, whilst visiting family, or Jessops in Nottingham, when we lived in West Bridgford in the ‘90’s.

This particular fabric, Flower of Nepal, is a left-over from some curtains I made for my In-Laws, back in the early to mid ‘90’s. They lived in an early Victorian 3 storey town house in London, and I was commissioned to replace their drawing room and study curtains. The drawing room was on the first floor overlooking the street, with 2 floor to ceiling sash windows.  And very tall ceilings they were. The study, at the back of the house, which had original interconnecting doors to the drawing room, hadn’t quite such a long window, but dealing with a fabric drop of over 2.5 metres long is quite a challenge. At least each curtain was only one width wide. 

The drawing room was full of original features, with a classic cast iron fireplace, wooden mantlepiece and surround, plasterwork cornicing around the ceiling, and a wooden parquet floor. My F.I.L. was the crime writer H.R.F. Keating and he spent several decades writing an Indian detective series all about Inspector Ghote of the Bombay police. Consequently the house was full of Indian art and plenty of carved elephants, and Ganesh resplendent in the stairwell. So the Flower of Nepal fitted right in with its colour and design. 

The richness of the Flower of Nepal fabric, being 100% polished cotton, contrasted and complimented the dark green wallpaper. The background colour is a deep terracotta and the flowers and leaves are a blend of red, orange, brown and bright pink. 

I lined them with a burnt orange coloured lining fabric, but after about 20 years of sunshine the colour faded, so I replaced it with a classic buff colour, which gave them a new lease of life. 

Having had the off-cuts sitting in my fabric pile all these years, I often use small pieces for cushions or textile art pictures and the fabric feels as good as new. 

My In-Laws bought their home in 1959, and 65 years later it had to be sold to finance my M.I.L.’s care. It felt an honour that the curtains I made them were part of their house for over 30 years, giving them pleasure every day!