The Exquisite Mise-En-Carte

The mise-en-carte is part of the inspiration for my latest collection of "Paris inspired" designs.

A few months ago, I purchased a beautiful mise-en-carte and became completely intrigued with how these were used in the history of textile production. Mise-en-carte translates to "point paper" and most were developed in Europe (especially France) around the 18th century, as ink and gouache on hand drawn graph paper. As the first step of the designer's inspiration, it represented the horizontal and vertical row lines that correspond to the warp and weft of weaving. The mise-en-carte enabled the designer to translate their freehand sketch into a pattern for the drawloom (a frame that sits on the main loom and adds a second harness of pattern shafts to create more complex weaving patterns). Typically the designers name appears on the front and the back includes the type of fabric to be woven, brocade, and threading instruction for the loom. Mise-en-cartes are on display in several museums including the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  The calligraphy indicates this antique was created in Lyon, the capital city in France's Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.  The flower detail is so beautiful and really inspiring me to use for a digital print in future collections.