I cannot count my day complete
'Til needle, thread and fabric meet.
~Author Unknown

Sharing a common thread with those who love the art of hand embroidery

Friday, May 15, 2009

Vintage Linens From Australia

With my last posts being about preserving vintage patterns and re-doing vintage linens, Gina, from Patra's Place of Stitching and Vintage Linens http://patrasplace.blogspot.com/ and Patra's Embroidered Aprons http://patrasembroideredaprons.blogspot.com/ contacted me about some vintage linens she no longer wanted and would like to send my way. My arms were wide open

and how thrilled I was to get such a wonderful bunch! Thank you , so much, Gina, I am just delighted!

there was a tablecloth...
toaster cover,



sweet little tray pieces,



this precious little doily...




with the prettiest lace edging.





Some pieces still had labels on them and someone from somewhere in time had started stitching on some....






For me, it was like being in a candy store....so much to choose from. I finally decided on this little tray piece. First of all I traced the design to preserve for later....







I chose these colors and stitches......







and crocheted an edge around it.








Isn't this sweet? Since I preserved the pattern, I can make more of these in different colors later on, and I can make sets of them. I decided to keep the original...











and will stash it in my very old trunk. This was given to me when I turned 16(my hope chest) and I placed linens and dishes in it for a later time when I would start my own life and family. I was going to hand it down to my daughter when she was 16, but she showed no interest in it at that time. She is busy making a life for herself in the Navy right now, so I think I will stash these linens and things for her to have when she slows down. Do any of you have a trunk or special box that you put all of your things in to get ready for your marriage? I would love to hear! Please stop by to say hello to Gina who is from Australia, by the way. She has some beautiful things for you to see at her blogs.











10 comments:

rustycupboard said...

check out my site at therustycupboard and see my daughters hope chest.
helen

Childers Corner said...

The patterns are great and I love what you did with the tray piece. It's looks so good and I love the colors you chose.

Gina E. said...

Kathleen, that is beautiful! I would never have done such a lovely job of choosing those colours and stitches; I just knew I had made the right decision in sending these to you!

Elaine/Muddling Through said...

Oh, WOW!!! What a beautiful banquet of vintage you received. And you've done a masterful job on the tray doily. It's gorgeous! Kind of makes you feel like Scrooge with his pile of gold coins, doesn't it?? :)
Hugs, Elaine

Jocelyn said...

What beautiful linens. I have an old cedar chest that looks very similar to yours. I also got it when I was about 16 years old. Through the years, I have kept many things in this cedar chest, starting with linens for my marriage, and now it contains porcelain dolls that my daughter collected when she was a child. My dd still lives at home, and one day the chest will be hers. Thanks for sharing about it.

Stephanie Suzanne Designs said...

Hello Kathleen, I wanted to drop by and say hello and let you know I've finally moved to the cabin!! How lucky are you to receive so many goodies! They are just lovely..I can't think of another person that should have had them either. :0)

I never had a hope chest..somehow my life of being an Air Force brat really kept me displaced...and even stranger than that I traveled for 45 years and have just STOPPED!!! LOL I'll be 51 on July 2nd..it's hard to believe that no one is gonna be saying that we need to start packing...funny how circumstances of life can either keep you settled or keep you displaced. I'm giddy with excitement over having a nice home to wake up in each day!

Drop by for a visit..I have some pictures of sunsets and the view from my porch and others you can see.

Hugs to you,
Stephanie

Anonymous said...

I had a "hope chest" but it was just a cardboard box...I started when I was about 16 and made a lot of embroidered pillowcases, etc..all worn out now.....I have in our family history, my great great grandmothers memories of her hope chest...she was born right after the Revolutionary War...when she was 8 years old, she was given two geese which she took care of and collected their feathers/down for pillows and a mattress....very interesting reading!

Susan of Pink Portuguese Roses said...

You lucky girl...or rather blessed...LOL!

I only wish someone would send me some old vintage lines to finish.

Woohoo for you!!!

Paula said...

Those are beautiful- what a wonderful and thoughtful gift!
The hope chest is so pretty, Kathleen.
Mine started out being called a hope chest, but after I was halfway through my 20's and still not married, I started calling it my "Hopeless" chest. (LOL)
Thankfully, there was a happy ending after all!
(But not until I was 32!)

Becca said...

Your hope chest is beautiful. I however am drooling over the wonderful linens you received. It is very hard to find vintage pieces to embroider. It was truly a special gift.