"Sand Between My Toes"
Founder and proprietor of No Chintz, Chrissie Jeffrey, creates the most divine, versatile & interesting collections of textile & soft furnishings, proudly showcased in her two beautiful Sydney stores, Woollahra & Willoughby.
When she was about four years old, Chrissie took a pair of scissors to one of her grandmother’s patchwork cushions & cut out a small square. `My grandmother used to turn all her old fabrics into cushions & spreads - viyellas & old silks & wonderful old crepes,’ she says, `& I just had to have that piece!"
"Walking Through The Vineyard" detail
"Nana's Chair"
Chrissie studied at East Sydney Technical College (now the National Art School), completing a rigorous three year `hands-on’ course in which students did everything from millinery & hand stitching, to cutting & making “from the block”, that is tailoring a pattern on a dressmaker’s mannequin in calico, a technique also used by students of haute couture. After a couple of years with Pamela Taylor in Surry Hills, Chrissie began her own soft furnishing business, Stitches, working with a range of interior designers, including Ann Gyngell & Michael Love, both of whom set high standards of workmanship & enjoyed prestigious client lists.
"Evening Breeze" Chair 
"Evening Breeze" Story
Over the next few years Chrissie’s reputation for reliability & beautiful workmanship spread but she felt increasingly frustrated that she could not get the fabrics she wanted. After a trip in the late 1980s looking at London textile businesses, Chrissie opened her first retail shop in Surry Hills, Sydney. `It was a tiny little shop but there was a demand for a wider choice of fabric & we filled the niche.’
Also in that year she worked with curators from the Powerhouse Museum on the exhibition A Material World about the history of textiles around the world. It encouraged her to push the boundaries & expand her business.
"Nina's Caravan"
"Alone In Paddy Field"
No Chintz Lamp Collection
Chrissie's two Sydney stores - No Chintz Woollahra & No Chintz Willoughby are testament to her passion, focus & commitment for her work. Both stores enjoy dedicated following from customers who want a special product. She is equally committed to her staff in the workshop. "It’s vitally important to keep those skills alive, to hold onto that knowledge.'
Chrissie & her team in the workroom also deal directly with architects, designers & textile houses, as well as such public clients as the Historic Houses Trust for the refurbishments at Duntroon College & Government House. `I really like collaborating with clients to get the best results possible. It’s very interesting to work with different sensibilities.’
"We are about finding the exact fabric you want, whether on-trend or classic, in a relaxed environment with a team of passionate experts who are happy for any opportunity to talk textiles"
As ever, Chrissie is moving in new directions. Some of her fabrics now are woven in India to her specifications & her online catalogue has become a major part of the business.
`I just love textiles,’ she says. Who ever would have guessed?
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