Romance Of Linens and Lace
I am a lifelong collector of vintage lace and linens, mostly from flea markets, garage and estate sales and from foraging through the attics of relatives. I love to hunt down lace in any form, from old petticoats to thin bands of remnants that might have edged an early Christening dress.
Lace For Summer
Summertime is synonymous with lacy curtains slightly blowing in open windows, linen napkins on lovely white tablecloths, lace edged pillow cases and sheets and crocheted trims on guest towels.
A Hint Of Luxury
You may not have a big armoire filled with edged pillow shams inherited from a loving grandmother, but there are ways to create small pleasures each time you open your linen closet or sit down to a meal, even if you're dining alone.
1. Tie a white satin ribbon around pure white pillow cases as they would have been in an Edwardian linen closet.
2. Tie a pale rose-colored ribbon around a few lace edged hand towels and tuck a sachet under each.
3. Line the linen closet shelves with lavender-scented shelf paper.
4. Attach a simple white crocheted edging to plain white pillow shams for a contrast of textures.
5. If you are able, embroider a delicate ribbon or rose buds along the edge of plain pillow cases.
6. Scour the thrift shops for petticoats to turn into curtains. My bathroom curtains were once the full underskirt of a wedding dress and my kitchen curtains were once lace-edged linen table runners.
7. Strips of new lace can be purchased by the yard. Dip it into tea to turn it into an old-world trim for bed linens and curtain swags.
8. Gather lace or sheer white curtains with tasseled silken cords or a large taffeta ribbon.
9. A cut-work doily or tea cloth softens any shelf, wooden table or painted dresser and inspires a display of treasured items. One of my grandmother's cutwork tablecloths covers a small Shaker style corner table in my living room. It's set on the diagonal so the cutwork corner dips over the edge. It holds antique picture frames, a plant in a wood grain scoop and one of my rose-covered decoupage boxes filled with rose petals.
10. If you have a strip of lace or vintage linen too narrow to make a curtain, consider using it as a valance with a sheer cafe curtain below. Cover another window with a flat, lace panel for light and privacy.
Leslie Linsley, author
Reprinted with permission, HouseNet, Inc.