Features

At Italian Country Home and Kitchen (425-496-8676) we carry two types of linens both which are generally of 50/50 cotton linen blend with only the best vegetable dyes.
Our first line is from a small family business in Tuscany.  These use the traditional Jacquard weave of colored threads over a white or taupe background.  They do all their own patterns and weaving in house.  Patterns run the gamut in terms of tea towels from roosters, horses, sunflowers, wheat, olives, grapes and more to traditional Tuscan patterns in table cloths, placemats, runners, and aprons.
Our handstamped/handcarved woodblocks are done in a wide range of colors and patterns. Some of the most popular are dragons, roosters, wheat, pinecones in the single colors and lavender, sunflowers, olives, strawberries, pomegranates, and cherries in the multicolored patterns.   All of the carving of the woodblocks and stamping are done in house by the most traditional methods.  The Bertozzi family has been in the business for many generations.

Benefits

Our linen makers are small family businesses who produce unique products that are typically not found outside of their own region.  They both use the best cotton and linen threads to make fabrics that will last for years and years.  The fabrics are done on traditional looms with natural vegetable and mineral dyes.  This is important when you compare our product to most fabrics which are made on high speed factory looms with chemical dyes. Fabrics on high speed looms need to be highly combed and processed which makes them less durable and in the case of dish towels less absorbent.  Chemical dyes are vastly inferior to vegetable dyes, which become obvious when you compare them after one or two washes.  In the case, of our Bertozzi linens, the woodblock prints are set on the fabric at extremely high temperatures which makes them the most permanent dyes you will ever find.  Again, when you consider the work it takes to carve by hand a woodblock, then meticulously apply dozens of stamps in the case of a table cloth, you can imagine the makers only want to use the best dyes and the best fabrics!