In the Drôme, a seamstress in beautiful sheets

A journalist converted into the transformation of vintage textiles, Marie-Pierre Guiard says she cannot resist an old sheet… From her workshop in the Drôme, this enthusiast of hemp canvas, linen and other fabrics sometimes dating back more than a century has become a master in upcycling.

“My great-grandmother was a seamstress in Paris and I inherited tons of sheets, damask, monogrammed and embroidered tablecloths. And I bargain hunt a lot: I buy solid, high-quality parts that we no longer know how to manufacture today,” explains the founder of the sales platform Les Toiles blanches.

She then transforms them into dresses, blouses, removable collars, headscarves, cushions and placemats, by entrusting their manufacture in particular to former workers in the shoe industry, of which Romans-sur-Isère (Drôme) was a bastion. “The idea is to make products as they were made at the time: simple and universal pieces combining economy of means and the nobility of old textiles”, she continues.

Unaltered mottled linens are also offered for sale. Note that, on her Instagram account, Marie-Pierre Guiard gives tips for removing yellow from old fabrics or making your own detergent.