All Things Linen

For almost 45 years I've been collecting linens of all kinds.  And even before that, around age 8 or 9, us girls back in the 50's would embroider towels and pillowcases "for when we got married for our hope chest".  I still have some of those towels.  I think my love of linens came from years of seeing my grandmothers, Mom, and aunts put their lovely tablecloths on the table for special occasions.  My grandmother would embroider pillowcases and crochet beautiful edgings on them and when we came to visit, she would lay them all out and tell us to pick one for ourselves.  I remember looking at the array of pillowcases and having a hard time choosing because I liked them all!  Back in the 50's when I was growing up, kitchens were colorful, and everywhere in the home were colorful fanciful linens.  I knew when I grew up and had my own home someday, I wanted things 'just like that'.
     Over the years I have collected probably 90-100 tablecloths, a couple dozen pillowcases, and many, many kitchen towels.  I also have a collection of about 40 sets of table napkins that will match just about any tablecloth I use.   I enjoy setting a pretty table - somehow it makes even a simple meal seem like an elegant feast!  When my own kids were growing up, I always set a table with matching linens and nice plates.  I remember one time I must have been in a big hurry and just put the plates on a bare table, no napkins, and more or less tossed the silverware next to the plates.  My then 9-yr old son Jerry looked at the table for a long time, and then said:  "How come the table isn't all romantic like it usually is?"   He was just horrified that his Mom who always made things so pretty would set such a bare table!  After that, I made sure not to get into that big a hurry that I couldn't do things right!  Moral of this story:  Kids really DO watch and listen to what parents do and say.  You may think nobody notices, but they do.
     Whenever I go to an antique store or second hand shop, it is difficult to walk past the display of vintage linens without fingering the goods and wondering what to buy.   These days I don't buy much of anything - unless.........of course there might just be that one item I have to get!!!!
     Here are some photos of a small part of my collection.   I recently bought a used book on vintage linens from Amazon.  That book had many of my table linens pictured in there, and it was real "eye candy" for a collector like me.  It's good to know that there are plenty of other women who love fine old linens.  Whenever I put one of the cloths on the table, I always wonder about the lady who previously owned it, what she was like, what her family was like, etc.   I feel a sort of sisterhood with those homemakers from back when.   I have some damask linens from the 1920's, when everything was elegant.  I have some faded and small table linens from the 1930's, when feed sack material was all anyone could afford.  And then, most of my linens come from the heyday of homemaking times, the 1940's and 50's.   Brightly colored fruits, vegetables and flowers seemed to dominate kitchens and dining rooms at that time.  Today's kitchens seem almost dull with all that black, stainless steel and dark brown.  My own kitchen today is filled with the colors and items from the 40's and 50's.  As a little girl back then, the kitchens of those times must have become etched in my brain, so when I had my own place, it was just a natural thing to do.
    Yes, caring for table linens is a lot of work at times.   You have to wash them carefully and IRON them, too!   But those old cotton fabrics wash so well, and stains are pretty easy to get out as compared to modern fabrics which seem to hold in grease 'forever'.   I don't mind the ironing.   I just think about the women who used to own that particular piece, and how many of them stood and ironed that very same cloth.   The Linen Sisterhood lives on!

A small selection of my vintage tablecloths from the 1940's and 1950's.  Look at all the bright colors!

When the tablecloths are not on the table, they are stored in this old cabinet (or on a shelf in my pantry)

Here are some of my colorful kitchen towels.

Some colorful embroidered pillowcases.  I did most of these.  The pink one my grandmother did back in the 50's.

Look at my grandmother's crochet work! 

Just a few of the many sets of table napkins I have.  Most folks are afraid to use them, but I encourage them to go ahead.  These cottons were meant to be washed and used!

Some of the smaller linen napkins become decorative pieces for my kitchen shelf.

Here's a photo of my kitchen taken just before we finished putting the drawer fronts on.  I have cabinet and drawer fronts now, but you get an idea of the colorful kitchen.  I change tablecloths about once a week - this way I can air the linens and use them and wash them - AND enjoy them!

You can't see the other side of the kitchen here, but I have a wall of Dutch figures on that part.