STAMPED LINEN, TRAY CLOTH

A rectangular tray cloth with bunches of Australian native flowers on alternate sides, Waratahs plus others. The design on linen fabric by M&S? No 117 is one of a broad range of stamped designs on fabrics for household articles available in early and mid 20th century. Australian flora was a popular theme for embroidery at the time.
In Perth in the first half of the 20th century, evenweave linen fabrics were very rare, design and pattern books few and far between. Thus stamped linens/cottons were one of the few household articles available for the lady of the house to stitch.
Patterns for household linen, mass produced by Semco, MyArt, and Deighton were often published in women's magazines such as Australiann Home Journal, The Weekly Times and the Australian Woman's Weekly and offered as a mail service to women in country areas.