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Stitching & Crafting Room:  Vintage Linens  |
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The Farmers Daughter
Farmgirl in Training
46 Posts
Sherry
LeRoy
Kansas
USA
46 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 23 2005 : 06:14:05 AM
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To those of you who love vintage linen as much as I do, I wanted to pass this little bit of information on to you. We live in on the prairies of Kansas and vintage linen has always been something we could pick up at a fairly decent price. I had noticed I wasn't seeing as much of it as I used to and now I've had two shops tell me this...They both said it's getting harder and harder to come by. Not only are women making the Shabby Chic things out of it but people have suddenly realized when all of it is gone, it's gone for good. I was amazed at the prices they had on some pieces and one of the owners told me I'm only going to see it go higher as it gets more scarce. This same woman also told me since 9-11 ALL old things have suddenly started to sell faster and higher. We both agreed that people are trying to go back "to the past" when things felt safer. So, those of you who collect or sell vintage linen might want to take a good look at some of your things and ask yourself if you REALLY want to part with them because the day may come when we can't replace them with another piece. Hugs,
Sher, The Farmer's Daughter |
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Aug 23 2005 : 06:46:35 AM
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Hi Sherry! I agree with what you said. Do you sell any vintage linens in your shop? I have recently become interested in homespun, flax items. The online auctions want a king's ransom for them!
Being is what it is. Jean Paul Sartre |
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The Farmers Daughter
Farmgirl in Training
46 Posts
Sherry
LeRoy
Kansas
USA
46 Posts |
Posted - Aug 23 2005 : 06:55:39 AM
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Yes, we do have some vintage linens in the shop but I have to be honest...After seeing how much they are now going for in the other stores, I went out and took out the ones I really couldn't bring myself to part with! HA Actually, we bought an old primitive cupboard two weeks ago and I found it looks super in our bedroom with old linens draped over the doors! If I can help you in anyway I'll be glad to keep my eye out for what you collect. Just e-mail me. Hugs,
Sher, The Farmer's Daughter |
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lamarguerite farm
True Blue Farmgirl
649 Posts
missy
Battle Ground
Wa
USA
649 Posts |
Posted - Aug 23 2005 : 08:51:07 AM
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Our prices on vintage linens have been high for quite some time. I have been doing the Shabby Chic/Cottage thing as a business off and on for @ 6 years and they were high when I first started. Every once in a while I will get a good deal at a garage or estate sale, but the ones in the stores go for 20.00-40.00ea for the really good table cloths. I got a really cute square linen table cloth with white roses at a garage sale this weekend for 3.00. I was soooo excited. I thought about re-selling it, but I don't think I can part with it. There's just something about the way it makes you feel when you pull out a pretty vintage table cloth and drape it over your table. They are always so cheery.
Blessings,
Missy
"Show me you're garden and I shall tell you what you are."
-Alfred Austin 1905 |
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Photobugs
True Blue Farmgirl
363 Posts
Pamela
Post Falls
Idaho
USA
363 Posts |
Posted - Aug 23 2005 : 8:20:27 PM
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I am glad for the tips on vintage linens. I have been collecting them for years and not parting with them. I have several large bins full. I had the thought that maybe some day they would be worth something and my daughters could benefit from them. In the mean time I can enjoy them. I can't believe the work that goes into them and I can pick them up for so cheap at yard sales. I also feel like I am saving them from being thrown away, as some people might do with them if they do not appreciate the old things.
I have collected several blue and white checkered table cloths as well as red and white ones. So I can now cover several tables with them at one time. So if I have a party and want to stay with one color theme I can do it! Too fun, huh? They look so good in the pictures I take as well. I try to get the camera out every time we BBQ with my kids.
Pamela
"I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!" |
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The Farmers Daughter
Farmgirl in Training
46 Posts
Sherry
LeRoy
Kansas
USA
46 Posts |
Posted - Aug 24 2005 : 06:25:20 AM
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I can't believe that you gals are able to find vintage linens at yard sales! Would you believe the only thing "vintage" I have ever found is an apron? (And we yard sale in Topeka all the time!) All of our linens come from estate sales or auctions. From the prices I was seeing last week Pamela, I would say your full bins just might pay for your daughters educations! HA As I mentioned earlier, I have decided to start enjoying some of mine instead of selling them. There's something about waking up in the morning and looking over at all that wonderful, delicate stitching to make my day start off with a calming effect! Hugs,
Sher, The Farmer's Daughter |
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bramble
True Blue Farmgirl
2044 Posts
2044 Posts |
Posted - Aug 24 2005 : 06:47:53 AM
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I've been collecting for a long time and have noticed that alot of what is out there now is damaged permanently and only fit for some type of project. Went to a farm/flea market yesterday and found a table with very good priced things and was ecstatic until I realized everything was damaged in some way. She had tons at 2/ 1.00, 5.00 tablecloths, etc but I bought the one piece of tatting I could find and repair for .50. I guess I better hold on to my hardanger, filet net embroidery and all those other goodies I have been collecting for years. Glad I was drawn to these things early and am a conservator by nature, they are endangered!
with a happy heart |
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Aug 24 2005 : 08:51:19 AM
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I do enjoy my linens, too. We can still find them here at yard sales and occassionally goodwill. I'm having an outdoor family party this weekend and intend to cover every table in an old table cloth! And use my collection of cloth napkins and placemats! (I can just hear my Mom saying, "But you have to wash and iron all those things!".... don't care. Just means I can hang them outside to dry and they'll smell wonderful when I iron them!
**** Love is the great work - though every heart is first an apprentice. - Hafiz
Set a high value on spontaneous kindness. - Samuel Johnson****
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lareyna
True Blue Farmgirl
242 Posts
Arlene
Valley Ford
Ca
USA
242 Posts |
Posted - Aug 24 2005 : 09:39:22 AM
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| We have a woman in town who makes jackets out of the old tablecloths, they are gorgeous, $200.00 WOW |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - Aug 24 2005 : 2:03:31 PM
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I love, love, love vintage linens. The fabric we have today doesn't even compare with the feel of the stuff from the 40s and 50s. I love to make pillows and other things from them -- I look at like I'm preserving a piece of the past and giving someone a chance to have something to pass down. But there are certain things that I couldn't even begin to think of cutting. I will only cut if it has damage and pieces can be salvaged. I enjoy using my vintage linens, too. That's what they are for. And if they are laundered properly they will last for many more years! The prices are getting higher as the supply becomes more scarce. Unless it is a very special piece I will continue to hunt for my own and try to avoid paying antique mall prices.
"If you are lucky enough to have a garden, you are lucky enough!" |
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Lacy
True Blue Farmgirl
114 Posts
Lacy
Dallas
Texas
114 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2006 : 06:42:59 AM
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I'm getting married in a few months, and part of the "wedding decor" is going to be vintage linens on the haybales for seating at the ceremony. I went to our local "trade days" and bought about 10 lbs of hand embroidered dresser napkins (?) and dish towels and little card table tablecloths. They are so special and it touches me to think how much time someone spent on personalizing each one of them. And best of all-- after the wedding I have the beginning to a great collection! They were actually very reasonable ($1-10 ea), but they're obviously smaller and not all in perfect condition. I'm posting pics of some of it on my blog if anyone's interested...
http://farmaspirations.blogspot.com |
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happymama58
True Blue Farmgirl
1210 Posts
Patti
Missouri
USA
1210 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2006 : 09:31:16 AM
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Vintage linens are one of the few things I really "collect", and I don't have nearly as many things as I'd like :). Prices in my area vary from place to place, and I can still pick up some wonderful bargains if I'm careful. I visit my favorite antique/junk stores on a regular basis, watching for new additions and buying what I can afford. Some days I spend $2 and others $20, but both days I come home really happy. Thanks for the heads-up on prices. I guess this is another time it's nice to live in an area that lags behind on trends.
Some people search for happiness; others create it. |
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Rusty pins
True Blue Farmgirl
91 Posts
Paula
Oelwein
Iowa
USA
91 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2006 : 09:39:38 AM
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Hi girls! This is my first post...and I just had to reply to this!
I also LOVE vintage linens! I live in the midwest...with tons of cows and corn...and i'm able to find them at pretty good prices. I've collected them for many years and have a nice collection. I use every one I buy! My bed is changed every week with the old linens...you just can't beat climbin' into a bed made with old linens! I also use old linen towels in my kitchen. Everyone I use is old. They wash well...and a few of them have out lasted some that I've bought at a high-end store! I even give them as gifts to my frinds and family and have gotten a few girlfriends hooked on them.:o)I guess the best thing is how wonderful i feel when I put on that old apron while I'm bakin' or the old tablecloth i place on my table before dinner. I have many that have holes...I still use them. i try to think of the woman before me who used them. Did they ever dream that such simple things would bring such joy to us now?LOL
Glad to meet all of you! My name is Paula ;o)
"Life shall judge us harshly enough. Let us at least be gentle with each other."
http://www.rustypinsandoldlace.com/ |
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Utahfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1940 Posts
Portland
Oregon
USA
1940 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2006 : 11:39:55 AM
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Welcome, Paula ~ What a charming way you expressed your love of linens. You're in good company here. Most of us feel the same way. I'd like to use your post in a book I'm slowly compiling from posts on this forum called "Aprons and other simple pleasures". How would you feel about that?
Thanks, and enjoy your time among us!
Farmgirl hug,
Patricia
Happy Wishes! |
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Rusty pins
True Blue Farmgirl
91 Posts
Paula
Oelwein
Iowa
USA
91 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2006 : 1:08:36 PM
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Hi Patricia! I'm honered! You sure can....Sounds like a wonderful book. Let me know when it's finished, I'd love to read it!
Thanks again for the wonderful welcome!! It just feels like home.
Paula :o)
"Life shall judge us harshly enough. Let us at least be gentle with each other."
http://www.rustypinsandoldlace.com/
'Antiques & HandMades for your heart and your home.' |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
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blueroses
True Blue Farmgirl
1323 Posts
Debbie
in the Pandhandle of
Idaho
USA
1323 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2006 : 3:17:27 PM
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Lacy,
Love your blogsite and the linens look great! Good luck with the wedding weather & your search for the farm.
Debbie
"You cannot find peace...by avoiding life."
Virginia Woolfe |
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Rusty pins
True Blue Farmgirl
91 Posts
Paula
Oelwein
Iowa
USA
91 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2006 : 3:23:09 PM
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Thanks SO much Jenny! I sure do like that 'Full..Old' look!! The more chipped of paint an item is the faster I run to it!! I alsways get a little heart skip everytime I'm near a antique store...a junk shop..or a yard sale! One time I had my 12 year old son and as we where passin' an alley, I saw a dunpster with some old wood moldin' ...I raced around the block..jumped for joy while I placed my new found goodies in the car...I even threw my son inside the dumpster to get all the goodies from the bottom!LOL To this day my son tells everybody about it. If they aren't junk lovers like myself...I get a real nasty look from them!LOL
Anyways...Thanks again darlin'!!
paula ;o)
"Life shall judge us harshly enough. Let us at least be gentle with each other."
http://www.rustypinsandoldlace.com/
'Antiques & HandMades for your heart and your home.' |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2006 : 3:50:31 PM
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I feel the same way!!
I remember my second son, who was my baby for many years before the other 5 (all adopted) came along came home from somewhere one time and told me that I would have loved it there..since it was full of old breakable stuff. (grin) he was probably right.
Jenny in Utah
It's astonishing how short a time it takes for very wonderful things to happen...Frances Burnette
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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katie-ell
True Blue Farmgirl
1818 Posts
Katie
Illinois
1818 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2006 : 3:59:04 PM
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| Lacy - I just love your old linens -- especially the tablecloth with the sweet deer on it. What a fun idea for your wedding. Sure hope you get your wish: those blue Texas skies with just a smidge of puffy clouds. :) |
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abbasgurl
True Blue Farmgirl
1262 Posts
Rhonda
USA
1262 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2006 : 4:25:06 PM
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I had no idea prices were soaring for old linens! I have the ladies at our local thrift store set aside those things for me to go through. Every few weeks they have a box full! They usually charge me $5 or $6. I am counting my blessings! A few months back, they had over thirty housedresses for me from the 40's & 50's. They asked $8 for all of them, because they didn't "smell very good"!) You should SEE the fabrics! Some are in wearable shape (and in my size!) and others will be cut up for doll dresses. I had to come home a lie down for a bit after that find!
I do use the linens in sewing projects and for doll dresses, but mostly only those that are in poor repair. I can't bear to cut into a perfectly good piece of lace or linen. My Mom brought me six of the most delicate hankies last week...all white with different handmade laces. I wondered about the woman had taken such great care to trim them so lavishly.
I have a reputation of never turning down anything someone is giving away. I also love to talk with people! That, and a smile brings untold treasures!
Rhonda
...and I will sing at the top of my lungs, and I will dance, even if I'm the only one! |
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Utahfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1940 Posts
Portland
Oregon
USA
1940 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2006 : 5:20:42 PM
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Stuie and I went "antiqueing" today and found some absolutely beautiful vintage hand made lace for a ridiculously low price. I will probably turn the pieces into a doll outfit. We also got some lovely linen pieces that will make great doll aprons, some Model Railroader magazines for son Pete from the thirties, a Pyrex bowl to replace one I had for 25 years that just broke, and a 1921 issue of Farm Journal. I love old magazines. What great finds!!
Happy Wishes! |
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dgarnera
Farmgirl in Training
45 Posts
Debra
Pine Grove
CA
USA
45 Posts |
Posted - Feb 11 2006 : 08:38:43 AM
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I recently was blessed to find 5 vintage potholders crocheted with thread and 4 vintage embroidered hand towels- that are quite large- almost the size of a little receiving blanket for a baby. I get doilies, vintage hankies, vintage potholders and cloth napkins all the time at our local thrift store.. but we live in a area that has a lot of retirees.. so when I get a huge find it was usually an estate that was donated.
blessings,debra
Joyful momma of 5 plus 1 in the oven.. |
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Stitching & Crafting Room: Vintage Linens |
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Vintage Linens
