I have always found great romance in a fully dressed bed outdoors. Our summer showers are too unpredictable to have anything left on the lawn for long, but I am only trying out a few ideas anyway.
The days are still hot, of course, and very sunny. The dappled light kept changing as I experimented with different ideas under the trees.
My inspiration is this vintage ticking mattress I recently found. It is clean and still in pretty good condition, and so not too scary. It will make for a good display piece to showcase linens.
I can't direct you to a source, but I think there are still artisans who can stitch up a nice example like this one with the rolled edges. It's very good for atmosphere and nostalgia, which August seems to offer in ample quantity.
I love the charm of old linens displayed on ticking. Especially lace. Something about the rustic and refined shown together makes for an interesting look.
This is the antique lace coverlet that I gave you a small peek at in an earlier post. Some of these gorgeous pieces need to be shown in their full aspect to be appreciated.
I have lots more experimenting to do, but one of the things I love to see is old textiles and tablecloths used for bedding. I have a small collection of these cross-stitched cloths with taupe colored thread for the design. They are my favorite cover for my dining room table, and this is my most recent acquisition. I love it layered over the end of the bed for something pretty, but I also wouldn't hesitate to rely on it for a light cover on a hot August night.
But who doesn't think of fall at least fleetingly when the calendar turns to the last full month of summer? I thought this vintage painted metal bed frame the perfect foil for crispy linens when the weather turns. It made me actually look forward to decorating for a new season ahead.
The vintage cloth would look luscious folded over a puffy comforter at the foot of the bed, as is.
And that's a second lace tablecloth lying there ready to be tested out (as you can see a little further down).
This would make the perfect bed for a woodsy cabin somewhere.
"The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses on its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless. and hot. It is curiously silent, too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color." --Natalie Babbit, "Tuck Everlasting"
A heavy old ironstone jug and basin stands ready.
And an elegant vintage garden table serves as nightstand.
The only thing we need now is a cricket lullaby. . . .
Happy August days ahead for you as the season "pauses on its turning"!
Jacqueline
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