Patterns From Damascus

Sydney Morning Herald

Monday October 14, 1991

JENNIFER BURNS

DAMASK - the word has certain onomatopoeic qualities. It sounds old and rich and perfumed, as if it is imbued with the scent of roses, its traditional pattern. And, at the same time, it feels crisp and thickly textured.

Damask fabric has a long history. Its name comes from self-patterned fabrics woven in Damascus, Syria, in the Middle Ages.

Originally made only of silk, the word damask soon came to be applied to a certain type of patterned fabric in any fibre - most commonly cotton, linen or wool, and now also rayon.

The pattern is woven into the fabric and the cloth is usually reversible. Lustrous satin backgrounds are created with contrasting matt areas. Turning the fabric in the light reveals its textures and patterns. And because the pattern is woven into the fabric and not applied by screen-printing at a later stage, the pattern lasts as long as the fabric.

Damask is a durable, heavy fabric, making it an ideal material for bed and table linen. Throughout the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, various European cities became known for their quality damask table linen.

And now, in 20th-century Australia, two family businesses have grown out of a love for this classic, understated and elegant fabric.

Plane Tree Farm is a small West Australian company which makes and distributes quality damask bed linen.

Jenny Cross, the person behind the Plane Tree Farm label, was inspired by some white damask bed linen she spied in a friend's studio apartment in New York in 1987. It reminded her of her childhood and times spent with her European grandparents who had damask bed linen and huge pillows and bolsters on their beds.

Not being able to find much of this elegant bed linen back home, Cross tracked down the fabric and made some herself. Friends admired it and"overnight it turned into an industry".

Plane Tree Farm's crisp, white, rose damask sheets, pillowcases, valances and quilt covers are sold through David Jones (City, Bondi and Chatswood stores only), Hampshire and Lowndes, Interiors for You in Bowral and Country Home Linen in Bathurst.

There is also a range of dark, forestgreen damask from Belgium which Plane Tree Farm makes into pillowcases and quilt covers, and a "baby" range of damask bed linen for cots.

Another venture, which began just four months ago in Sydney under the label Barnaby Hall, uses damask in less traditional ways.

Lisa Venaglia wanted some oversized, comfortable, cotton men's pyjamas and when she couldn't find any she liked, her mother, Jenily, suggested she make some herself. Friends saw the finished white damask pyjamas and commissioned Venaglia to make some for them.

Barnaby Hall grew rapidly, and the company now works with National Textiles in Maitland to produce lighter-weight rose and regency stripe damask which Venaglia uses to make pillowcases, pyjamas, bathrobes and her newest creation, dresses.

These summer dresses in white regency-stripe damask have a scooped neck, cap sleeves and gathered skirt and are available through Hampshire and Lowndes.

Venaglia is working with National Textiles to develop an Australian motif to replace the rather English-looking rose, and she hopes this new range of bedroom and bathroom linen will appeal for its Australianness and, because it is made in damask, will at the same time be classy and elegant.

Barnaby Hall products are available through Between the Sheets in St Ives, The Cotton Boll in Woollahra, David Jones, Hampshire and Lowndes, Moore and More in Milsons Point and Sandy de Beyer in Mosman.

Both Jenny Cross of Plane Tree Farm and Lisa Venaglia of Barnaby Hall are attracted to damask because of its natural qualities and its ease of maintenance.

Both suggest washing it in normal washing detergent with a dash of Napisan or Sard's Wonder Powder to keep it white - but not chlorine bleach, which will damage the fibres.

"The more you wash it, the better it gets," says Cross. "Damask cocoons you in winter and in summer it feels cool and fresh. There's definitely a certain something about damask sheets. They give you a good, dreamless sleep and, if you do have dreams, they're nice ones."