McBurney and Black
McBurney and Black
About Us
After many years working in the world of textiles, I established McBurney and Black in 2013.
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Grandmothers Lizzie Black, from Scotland, and Margaret McBurney, from Ireland, were my inspiration. They both had a great love for linen, an addiction to collecting and serious needlework skills! I also have close links to the Irish Linen trade; my great uncle a linen lapper and my great aunt a linen yarn winder in the days when Belfast was known as Linenopolis.
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The aim is to share their legacy and that of many others by offering a carefully curated collection of Irish Linens and haberdashery.
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As someone who specialises in the sale of antique and vintage Irish linen I passionately believe that it continues to have a relevance to our lives today. Mixing old and new can bring a refreshing look to any home.
This has been at the heart of my business McBurney and Black right from the start. Linen is such a wonderful textile; it improves with age and many of the linens I sell are at least 60-80 years old, some older still. Rather than tucking these pieces away in a drawer to be kept for best, we should use them daily and celebrate the skill that went into making them.
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The collection is constantly changing as buyers find the perfect tablecloth or set of napkins - so the challenge is to find more beautiful, unique and sometimes quirky pieces to tempt you.
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Image courtesy of PhotosBy.Si
Fiona McKelvie, Founder
Just because a piece of linen is vintage doesn’t mean it has to be used in a traditional way. I love to combine the old and new, creating a way to enjoy these timeless treasures in our modern lives.
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After many years based in London, June 2022 saw me head home to Northern Ireland, the home of Irish Linen. I regularly view estate sales and private collections so there is always something new to find on the shop shelves.
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I also arrange linen tours for textile enthusiasts from time to time and lecture regularly on the history of Irish Linen to a wide variety of organisations, from international tour groups to museums and historical societies.
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Image below is a field of flax in full bloom.
