In England, in the latter half of the nineteenth century and in imitation of the 'original' cretonne cloth, the word cretonne was applied to a strong, coarse and unglazed cotton cloth that was printed with brightly coloured patterns, often floral. Cretonne was used for chair covers, curtains and so forth.
In late nineteenth century North America, the term cretonne was also sometimes used for chintz material (a fine, glazed material normally with a printed floral pattern) that was cut up for a form of appliqué. This type of work was called cretonne appliqué.
Sources:
- TORTORA, Phyllis G. and Ingrid JOHNSON (2014). The Fairchild Books: Dictionary of Textiles, 8th edition, London: Bloomsbury, p. 159.
- http://www.fabrics.net/joan1202.asp (retrieved 12 May 2016)
- Shorter English Oxford Dictionary: ‘Cretonne.’
Digital source of illustration (retrieved 30 June 2016).
GVE