Table Linens

Looking at needlework patterns online and off, I've seen several table
linens with beautiful designs that start me thinking of making some.
But I have a few questions. Is there some way to treat a cross
stitched tablecloth to keep it safe from bad food stains? Some cross
stitching would probably hold up okay to laundering, but it seems some
more delicate stitches wouldn't wash so easily. Could you Scotch Guard
the fabric or something? I'm feeling really out of it today, so I'm
not sure I'm even asking the question correctly. There's another
question I have about terminology. In my experience, table cloths
completely cover the table, and table runners just go down the middle
of the table. But I'm not sure what a table topper is. Does it just
fit in the middle of the table or does it drape over the sides at all?
--
Suze
Cat hair? That's just an embellishment.

Is there some way to treat a cross
stitched tablecloth to keep it safe from bad food stains? Some cross
stitching would probably hold up okay to laundering, but it seems some
more delicate stitches wouldn't wash so easily.

Oh, c'mon, Suze. Haven't you ever read any of my posts on this subject???
O.K., I'll repeat it all. I got lots of hand embroidered linen tablecloths and
placemats for wedding presents. In the society in which I grew up, this was
considered a major gift of love. At first, I saved them for Sundays and
holidays, but then, around fifteen years ago, I decided to use "the good
stuff", including the sterling, for everyday. Very few of mine are cross
stitch, they are other forms of surface embroidery and some of them are
cutwork. They are all used in rotation, and, depending on how sloppy DH and I
have been with the red wine, gravy, sauces etc., there are generally two or
three in the laundry every week. I just toss them in with the light colors -
all except for the cutwork., which if I remember I put in a lingerie bag to
protect it.

They go once through the wash, then I check them to see if all stains are gone
before I iron them. If still stained, a little bleach generally takes care of
it. They don't go in the dryer, because linen has to be ironed so wet anyhow.

I haven't had to discard anyof them yet, but if I do I will figure that we have
loved and enjoyed it, and it has reached the end of its natural life. After
all, I know darn well that neither my DD nor my DIL will ever bother to iron
them, so rather than keep them sitting in a drawer they are out where DH and I
can use them, enjoy and appreciate them. If they die with us, so be it, these
things were made for use as well as ornament.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans

Good for you Olwyn.
I also have hand embroidered table linen which I use very frequently.
I'm married 39 years and now you can almost see through the linens but they
have been well loved and used and I'm happy if they die with me.
I have embroidered tablecloths and napkins for my daughter and daughters in law
and they all use theirs.
I well remember the bath mats and towels that my mother kept for visitors.
When she died they had gone yellow with age but were hardly used - I swore I
wouldn't do that.
The silver she used only on Holidays I use every week.
This way my grandchildren get to see how a table should be laid
Carol-Ann
10 miles NW of London England

*claps* I wish my grandmother had been the sort of person to show me how a
table should be set for 'high-dining'. I've never seen the silver that she
has, and will likely not see it until we have to sort out her estate when
she passes on. I'm sad that it is too late for her to show me how my
great-grandmother taught her how to lay the table...she's been out-of-it
since a stroke last year.

There's a lot that I wish I'd been taught...
Becky A.


"CASin43" skrev i melding
...
Good for you Olwyn.
I also have hand embroidered table linen which I use very frequently.
I'm married 39 years and now you can almost see through the linens but
they
have been well loved and used and I'm happy if they die with me.
I have embroidered tablecloths and napkins for my daughter and daughters
in law
and they all use theirs.
I well remember the bath mats and towels that my mother kept for visitors.
When she died they had gone yellow with age but were hardly used - I swore
I
wouldn't do that.
The silver she used only on Holidays I use every week.
This way my grandchildren get to see how a table should be laid
Carol-Ann
10 miles NW of London England

I use a linen cloth that my Dh and I embroidered nearly 50 years ago.
When we first got married Dh was in the Royal Navy. He went out to
Malta and I went with him. He used to take the cloth to sea with him
doing all the easier bits whilst he was away. Since he did not have much
storage room it was an ideal project. I used to do the satin stitch when
he was with me.
Eight weeks today it will be our Golden Wedding Anniversary and yes we
are going to Malta to celebrate it.

I still use some of the Malta weave cloths we got out in Malta. Sadly it
is no longer produced. When we went 6 years ago we got some of the very
last ones that had been made.

Shirley






In message , CASin43
writes
Good for you Olwyn.
I also have hand embroidered table linen which I use very frequently.
I'm married 39 years and now you can almost see through the linens but they
have been well loved and used and I'm happy if they die with me.
I have embroidered tablecloths and napkins for my daughter and daughters in law
and they all use theirs.
I well remember the bath mats and towels that my mother kept for visitors.
When she died they had gone yellow with age but were hardly used - I swore I
wouldn't do that.
The silver she used only on Holidays I use every week.
This way my grandchildren get to see how a table should be laid
Carol-Ann
10 miles NW of London England

--
Shirley Shone

"Shirley Shone" wrote in message
...
I use a linen cloth that my Dh and I embroidered nearly 50 years ago.
When we first got married Dh was in the Royal Navy. He went out to Malta
and I went with him. He used to take the cloth to sea with him doing all
the easier bits whilst he was away. Since he did not have much storage
room it was an ideal project. I used to do the satin stitch when he was
with me.
Eight weeks today it will be our Golden Wedding Anniversary and yes we are
going to Malta to celebrate it.

I still use some of the Malta weave cloths we got out in Malta. Sadly it
is no longer produced. When we went 6 years ago we got some of the very
last ones that had been made.

Shirley

What a great story. Congratulaions for the up-coming anniversary. It is well
known that navy guys did "female" crafts to keep busy. I remember w had a
friend aboard one of the earliest polaris subs ( out of Groton IIRC), and he
knitted the most beautiful twin-sets! fine wool, none of this worsted stuff!

gillian

Bless you, Olwynmary, for beating me to the punch. I second all your
sentiments.

Stop treating embroidery as if it will disintigrate with the first puff
of air.

I'm wondering what "delicate" stitches Suzanne is thinking of?

I'm also thinking that "table topper" could be anything from large
centerpiece to something that just hangs slightly over the side or just
touches the sides, but I'm not certain. It's obviously not something
that fits as a normal table cloth. There are so many "designer" things
being done these days.

Dianne

Olwynmary wrote:
Is there some way to treat a cross
stitched tablecloth to keep it safe from bad food stains? Some cross
stitching would probably hold up okay to laundering, but it seems some
more delicate stitches wouldn't wash so easily.


Oh, c'mon, Suze. Haven't you ever read any of my posts on this subject???
O.K., I'll repeat it all. I got lots of hand embroidered linen tablecloths and
placemats for wedding presents. In the society in which I grew up, this was
considered a major gift of love. At first, I saved them for Sundays and
holidays, but then, around fifteen years ago, I decided to use "the good
stuff", including the sterling, for everyday. Very few of mine are cross
stitch, they are other forms of surface embroidery and some of them are
cutwork. They are all used in rotation, and, depending on how sloppy DH and I
have been with the red wine, gravy, sauces etc., there are generally two or
three in the laundry every week. I just toss them in with the light colors -
all except for the cutwork., which if I remember I put in a lingerie bag to
protect it.

They go once through the wash, then I check them to see if all stains are gone
before I iron them. If still stained, a little bleach generally takes care of
it. They don't go in the dryer, because linen has to be ironed so wet anyhow.

I haven't had to discard anyof them yet, but if I do I will figure that we have
loved and enjoyed it, and it has reached the end of its natural life. After
all, I know darn well that neither my DD nor my DIL will ever bother to iron
them, so rather than keep them sitting in a drawer they are out where DH and I
can use them, enjoy and appreciate them. If they die with us, so be it, these
things were made for use as well as ornament.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans

Becky, there are books on "etiquette" out there (Judith Martin of Miss
Manners fame has at least one) that will show you how. I do it,
occasionally, just because. You can go as "high" as you wish. There is
everything from very formal (servants) to informal - all with class and
a little pizzazz.

Dianne


*claps* I wish my grandmother had been the sort of person to show me how a
table should be set for 'high-dining'. I've never seen the silver that she
has, and will likely not see it until we have to sort out her estate when
she passes on. I'm sad that it is too late for her to show me how my
great-grandmother taught her how to lay the table...she's been out-of-it
since a stroke last year.

There's a lot that I wish I'd been taught...
Becky A.


"CASin43" skrev i melding
...
Good for you Olwyn.
I also have hand embroidered table linen which I use very frequently.
I'm married 39 years and now you can almost see through the linens but
they
have been well loved and used and I'm happy if they die with me.
I have embroidered tablecloths and napkins for my daughter and daughters
in law
and they all use theirs.
I well remember the bath mats and towels that my mother kept for visitors.
When she died they had gone yellow with age but were hardly used - I swore
I
wouldn't do that.
The silver she used only on Holidays I use every week.
This way my grandchildren get to see how a table should be laid
Carol-Ann
10 miles NW of London England

I think a table topper is a square that is meant to go over one of those
little 18" round (or about that size) decorative tables that are covered
with a 70" cloth and then the table topper is put over that. I've seen them
used as end tables, or night stands. They were very popular a few years
back but I haven't seen them for a while. But I suppose they are still
being used because I have recently seen glass tops that are meant for them.

Lucille

"Dianne Lewandowski" wrote in message
...
Bless you, Olwynmary, for beating me to the punch. I second all your
sentiments.

Stop treating embroidery as if it will disintigrate with the first puff
of air.

I'm wondering what "delicate" stitches Suzanne is thinking of?

I'm also thinking that "table topper" could be anything from large
centerpiece to something that just hangs slightly over the side or just
touches the sides, but I'm not certain. It's obviously not something
that fits as a normal table cloth. There are so many "designer" things
being done these days.

Dianne

Olwynmary wrote:
Is there some way to treat a cross
stitched tablecloth to keep it safe from bad food stains? Some cross
stitching would probably hold up okay to laundering, but it seems some
more delicate stitches wouldn't wash so easily.


Oh, c'mon, Suze. Haven't you ever read any of my posts on this
subject???
O.K., I'll repeat it all. I got lots of hand embroidered linen
tablecloths and
placemats for wedding presents. In the society in which I grew up, this
was
considered a major gift of love. At first, I saved them for Sundays and
holidays, but then, around fifteen years ago, I decided to use "the good
stuff", including the sterling, for everyday. Very few of mine are
cross
stitch, they are other forms of surface embroidery and some of them are
cutwork. They are all used in rotation, and, depending on how sloppy DH
and I
have been with the red wine, gravy, sauces etc., there are generally two
or
three in the laundry every week. I just toss them in with the light
colors -
all except for the cutwork., which if I remember I put in a lingerie bag
to
protect it.

They go once through the wash, then I check them to see if all stains
are gone
before I iron them. If still stained, a little bleach generally takes
care of
it. They don't go in the dryer, because linen has to be ironed so wet
anyhow.

I haven't had to discard anyof them yet, but if I do I will figure that
we have
loved and enjoyed it, and it has reached the end of its natural life.
After
all, I know darn well that neither my DD nor my DIL will ever bother to
iron
them, so rather than keep them sitting in a drawer they are out where DH
and I
can use them, enjoy and appreciate them. If they die with us, so be it,
these
things were made for use as well as ornament.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans

For many years I lived with my grandmother. She was a stickler for setting the
table properly, etc. LOL - as she aged she wasn't able to set the table for
our formal family dinners - much less our elaborate holiday dinners. This all
became my job so I learned from the gound up. As much as the tables she and I
set were beautiful, cleanup was a complete pain in the @ss! I am sad to see so
many young people who are clueless about how to set a formal table. None of
her children or other grandchildren had much interest in this fancy stuff and
the grandchildren have no idea how to set a formal children. When my GM died
we split up the household, etc. I took the fancy linens no one else in the
family knew how to take care of them. It's a waste for me to have them as I'm
single and live in a house that's too small to entertain in but I do enjoy
using them on a rare occassion. If you have pretty things - heirloom or just
things you've picked up along the way, you should use and enjoy them. If they
get broken, don't feel badly as you got to enjoy using them. I've lost more
things thanks to my busy cats than from any human error. The other day I had a
hen party for a few of my stitching friends. I had such fun setting my pretty
things things out on the table. We all enjoyed using them and had fun talking
about where each piece came from.

Anne