1742 Dorothy Boyle

1740 Garthwaite Floral Design

Product Description

This design is inspired by early 18th-century patterns by Anna Maria Garthwaite, one of the leading designers in the English silk industry. Adapted for cotton, it translates the elegance of woven silk into a lighter and more versatile textile suitable for a wide range of garments.

The composition features flowing floral branches arranged in a balanced, continuous movement. The spacing and rhythm allow for clean cutting and construction, making the design particularly suitable for garments where pattern placement is important.

Well suited for

Mantua, Banyan, Robe à l’Anglaise, Jackets

Design & Historical Context

Garthwaite’s original designs were created as watercolour drawings on paper and used as guides for silk weaving in Spitalfields, London. These floral compositions defined the refined aesthetic of mid-18th-century dress textiles and were widely used in elite fashion.

Lady Dorothy Boyle, Countess of Burlington and Cork, was a British noblewoman, court official, caricaturist and portrait painter. She served as one of Queen Caroline’s Ladies of the Bedchamber and had a strong interest in the arts.

Her artistic work and connection to court culture reflect the refined environment in which floral textile designs like these were created and worn.