For the Love of Toile

Toile, or "cloth" in French, has been embraced by interior decorators and clothing designers (and--more recently--quilters) since the 1700s. Inspired by the demand for the exorbitantly priced printed cotton fabrics of India, Irishman Francis Nixon created what would come to be known as the first toile fabric in 1752. His printing technique soon spread to England and France; the French expanded the style and gave the textile its name.