Casgliadau Arlein

Floral cover made by Lavinia Barnes during the Second World War to disguise an orange crate, enabling it to be used as a side-table. The maker lived on Fidlas Avenue, Llanishen, Cardiff.

Cream coloured fabric printed with an all-over design of peach and pink flowers, green stems and leaves and details picked out in brown. The cover has been made from four separate pieces which have been machine stitched together, forming a tent-like construction: a rectangular piece with a flounced edge to cover the crate top, and two joined pieces to cover its sides. The side drapes are open (not stitched together) down the centre of one of the wider sides (presumably to make it easier to fit the cover onto the crate). The other side edges of the drapes are joined by a seam following the line of one of the corners. The larger of the two pieces covering the side has selvages both left and right which show the full width of the woven fabric to be 116cm.

The seam allowance along the top edge of the cover is finished by large handsewn overcast stitches using white cotton thread. Large running stitches (using white thread) holding the fabric together before running it through the machine are also still in place along this seam allowance. he turn-backs at the bottom hem are 2cm wide, while the vertical turn-backs, and those on the lower edge of the flounce, are closer to 0.5cm wide. The weave consists of thin cream warps (two used as one) with thick cream wefts. The weave appears to be complex giving the fabric a slightly textured appearance. All yarns are singles yarns, Z-spun.