Friday, January 2, 2009

It's My Thing For Friday: Vintage Embroidered Pillowcases

I love hand embroidered pillowcases! All cotton bliss. I remember my grandmother making them and we always used them at home. If memory serves, it must have been in the 1950's when she was actively working on them. I can't sleep on anything else now! I thought that I would make some for myself, but it is impossible to find 100% cotton pillow cases anywhere. All of the ones that I have found available are a cotton/poly blend which simply won't do! I have found some gems at antique stores and on EBay at times as well. Sleeping on an all cotton pillowcase does not make your skin dry out as quickly overnight. Sweet dreams are almost gauarenteed. These beauties were actually hand ebroidered as well as appliqued - those red flowers are not just colored in. THe hand work is beautifully done.
Here is another excellent set. Never used. Colors bright and crisp and, once again, avery nice example of fine hand work.

Looks at these corcheted hems - this is the part that really gets me! How long did it take to corchet these colorful little edgings? They add so much to "language" of the case. So now you know another of my secrets. Beautiful, hand embroidered, all cotton pillowcases sore sweet dreams and soft skin!

8 comments:

Georgia said...

These are gorgeous! I am so lucky to have my Mom's (RIP) embroidered pillowcases, as well as several patterns we chose together in the 1960s. They are "iron on transfers" ... and also traceable, such that I can preserve the original patterns and use the "iron on pencil" ( forget what they're correctly called) to make copies. I make my own pillowcases by the way, and recommend that. 100% cotton! And of course making them yourself, you can use French seams - something that I have not seen in OTR pillowcases in many years. Seams on store-bought linens are serged instead. Thanks for sharing these beauties & bringing precious memories. One of my "life goals" is to have the underside of my hand embroidery, look as good as my Mom's. Georgia (in the rain at 2400 ft. on the crest of a ridge - yay for rain!)

Jeannie said...

Hi! I picked up some 100% cotton pillow cases at Fred Meyer in the bedding dept. Now I have to embroider them! Have a great weekend. Cheers

Vicki W said...

Those are really beautiful! I ahve a small collection of embroidered pillowcases too.

Deb Lacativa said...

As I scrolled through the pictures,I kept hoping to come across some of the fifty or sixty I did, um, 52 years ago...lol!

My grandmother watched me a lot to give my mum a break. To keep me out of her hair she taught me to do a cross stitch and set me to stitching miles of little X's along the hemline of all the pillowcases and sheets in the house. I branched out and got radical right away - TWO COLORS in one stitch! That's when I was hooked and started calculating my allowance by how many skeins of DMC floss I could buy each week.

Judy Sall Fiber Art said...

Boy, these bring back fond memories of my childhood! One of my Grandmothers was a very talented crocheter, and made lovely lace. And I remember learning how to embroider using those iron-on patterns! To this day, I love to embroider, and have several packets of patterns in my pattern stash! As for cotton pillowcases, I agree they aren't too difficult to make. My Quilters' Guild makes pillowcases for several organizations in town as a community service project, and I learned the secret of the 'jelly roll' method last year.
Marie, I definitely think you are a throwback to gentler times! The pillowcases, fountain pens... all speak of an era when womenfolk especially spent time creating lovely lasting things, and I so relate to that. I have two crocheted items framed in shadow boxes that were created by either my paternal grandmother or great-grandmother. From where I stand, they are pieces of art, and the continue to inspire me to this day. So enjoy your treasures!
Judy

Sandy said...

These are lovely treasures. I remember my mother and grandmother doing them. I did a few but not such beautiful work.

Robin said...

I have a few vintage sets like this too... OMG I love 'em!!! Robin A.

Unknown said...

I am with you on this one! I adore them and am lucky enough to have four sets that my grandma made me...Just love them and how they look and feel....these are really beautiful. Melinda

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