IT’S TOILE, Y’ALL

While the name is undeniably French, the origins of this famously pretty print are actually traced back to Ireland in the 18th Century where the invention of a copper plating technique made it possible to print detailed depictions on a large scale. It became mainstream here in America thanks to founding father (and famed Francophile) Thomas Jefferson who incorporated the intricate aesthetic into the décor at Monticello. Though arguably timeless, the popularity of toile has ebbed and flowed over the centuries, experiencing a resurgence in the 1970s and showing up again in trend reports for fall and beyond. Our custom version incorporates elements true to Texas, like live oaks, cattle drives, and cowboy campfires.

“This is all hand-drawn by Kristin*,” Hedy said. “And bless her heart, it almost made her quit, I think. This was almost the thing that finally did her in!”

*To be clear, she’s talking about Kristin Klier – our lead designer who’s been with us about 11 years – NOT Kristen Schley who you’ve all gotten to know and love in our customer service department. Lord knows we love our KristEn, but about the only thing we let her draw is a name out of a hat!

“When we were in Europe last summer, we saw that Dior had come out with their toile, and it was just gorgeous,” Cheryl said. “It was a beautiful French toile, in a pink, and they did it in a blue version as well, and I just thought, ‘That is so pretty, how do we take that and adapt that to Double D Ranch?’ So I took that inspiration from the European runway and brought it back to Double D, in this true Texas toile. We’ve got our cowboys herding longhorns, we’ve got oak trees, we’ve got cacti – she’s got all sorts of hidden treasures in there!”

P.S. Not only is the title apt for this Texas-themed version, it’s also a handy mnemonic to remind you how it’s pronounced – ‘twaal’, rhymes with y’all!