Collecting Antique Linens

Antique shows and garage sales are everywhere in the summer months, and with them comes the opportunity to pick up some great items at bargain prices. I always try to compile a list of pieces I'd like to find before the season arrives so I don't go too crazy with spur of the moment purchases, but one item I almost always go a little overboard with is old linens. For whatever reason, the look and feel of these once common, everyday items and the importance they held in households of the past are absolutely irresistable to me. Used here and there in the home, they give a very cozy, cottagey feel to every room.

Once upon a time, every respectable home contained a nice assortment of tablecloths, napkins, dresser scarves and doilies, most of which were likely the handiwork of the woman of the house, a collection amassed over a long period of time. Unfortunately, the skills required to create these beautiful items are becoming lost as fewer and fewer women have the need, desire or time to learn how it's done.

Thankfully, many of these old collections are finding their way into the hands of people who treasure them. Right now there is a great abundance of them available, but that has begun to change, as well as the prices attached to them. The quality of antique linens is often much higher than manufactured pieces found in department stores, so their value is only likely to rise over the years as they become harder and harder to find. Time is of the essence, so begin your collection now.

Choose linens that appeal to you, and don't be afraid to use them. That was, after all, why they were created. They do, however, have to be cared for properly but it is not difficult to do and is, in fact, something I look forward to. And I don't even like to do laundry!

An excellent source of information on laundering antique linens is http://antiques.about.com/cs/textiles/a/aa031900.htm

There are so many reasons for collecting old linens: availability, affordability, beauty and history. It's hard to leave a show without a few in hand.