French Boho, Do You Know The Style? Meet Amelie

French Boho is a little bit French, just a tad Boho, and a whole lot a comfy goodness. The perfect description of Amelie!

What more could you ask for in a chair? I mean is French Boho a thing? Well I’d like to think it is. Now you might be wondering about her name. Amelie is French and it means hard working. And believe it or not, that is a perfect name for this sweet lady as your are about to see. But one thing for sure, Amelie is not hard to love!

First of all there is her hard working style. She has a beautiful French inspired frame hand painted in the a luscious shade of duck egg highlighted with a glazed finish in navy blue. These colors perfectly set the stage for all the wonderful textiles. 

So let focus on the textiles. There are four on this chair. And they all work beautifully together. There are 2 Kantha quilts, a vintage grain sack and the most comfy velvety blue chenille with the perfect nubby texture just to keep it casual. 

A Bit About Kantha Quilts

If you’re a fan of Boho then you probably are familiar with Kantha quilts even if you didn’t know what they are called. They originate in India. Mostly made by women, they play a significant economic role by providing an income in an impoverished country. These quilts have been made since ancient times.

Kantha means two things:

• Old rags
• The small straight running stitch that is indigenous to Kantha quilts.

The reference to old rags is not quite what you may think, in that old rags often meant something special, maybe sentimental or comforting. The fabrics used for Kanthas were meant to wrap you in warmth and comfort. They are brightly colored, traditionally women used scraps of saris and other remnants. Today’s Kanthas use fabrics with graphic patterns, ethnic in nature or block prints similar to Indiennes. Amelie’s blue and green Kantha is reminiscent of the ancient Indiennes, the fabrics that started the whole French Provincial fabric trade.

The French Connection

To understand Amelie’s French Boho roots, we need to explore this French/Indian relationship a bit more. It started in the 17th Century when the trade routes opened between the east and the west. Amazing fabrics came into Marseilles from India and Persia. They became wildly popular throughout France. In fact they threatened the French silk and wool industry. So much so, that France banned their import and production. By now, these fabrics were being produced in France. So the production moved to Avignon, the city of Popes in the south of France, ruled by the Vatican not the King of France.

Eventually the ban was lifted and these fabrics became synonymous with Provence. The colors and themes reflecting the French countryside, lavender, sunflowers, cicadas, blue skies, sunlight, olives and lemons too! I’m sure if your a fan of anything French, you are familiar with these textiles now infamously used in table cloths, runners, placemats and many home decor pieces. 

Grain Sack Love

So let’s talk about Amelie’s grain sack. Now I can’t honestly say this grain sack is from France as grain sacks were widely used throughout Europe. But it is vintage and authentic. Grain sacks are made of hemp linen, they are incredibly strong. But also soft and they only get softer with use. The distinctive stripe patterns on grain sacks are how farmers would identify their sacks so they could get them back after carrying grain to market, recycling at it’s finest. Grain sacks have become so indicative of French country decor that they are replicated often in fabrics and on painted furniture. But to me, there is nothing like a real authentic hemp linen grain sack. You just can’t get the same patina on reproduction grain sack fabrics. Amelie is definitely sporting the real deal, its front and center and very proud. 

Putting It All Together

Once I had the vision of pairing a Kantha quilt with a grain sack on a French styled frame, the fun began. I was immediately drawn to the watercolor blues and greens on the block print quilt. It was a smaller size quilt, so I found for the perfect compliment in another quilt, the white with the blue and green vining flowers and leaves. Paired with a grain sack from my stash, the colors played beautifully together. The final fabric was the velvety soft chenille with just the right amount of texture to keep things casual. 

I contemplated whether or not to paint the frame. Initially thought I would not paint, but just clean up the stain. Once I pulled all the textiles together, it was clear to me the duck egg color was perfect for the frame. And the blue glaze was just what was needed to bring out the frame’s details.  

One thing was an absolute given for Amelie, that was a custom down wrapped cushion. You see Amelie works hard to be your everything chair! You know the one you sip your coffee in or curl up to read a book in on a rainy afternoon. The cushion was the final detail to make sure that Amelie sits soft.

I can’t tell you how much fun this chair has been to design. I don’t even want to think of the number of hours I’ve spent searching for Kanthas and other unique textiles to light my creative juices. But oh my goodness, have I got some fun ideas in store! In the meantime, Amelie is looking for the perfect forever home. A home where she will take center stage and be loved. And most important, she wants her person to Sit Soft! 

If you are interested in Amelie you can find more information about her in my Etsy shop.