I've already told you how much I love old French linen, well today I'm really excited because this weekend I've been able to find several unusually beautiful bed sheets to put into my etsy shop.
One of my really great pleasures in life is slipping into bed between freshly pressed linen sheets. Best of all vintage linen. I love the weight of the linen, the soft smooth texture, the way they feel cool in the summer and warm and comforting in winter. I never sleep better than in old French sheets.
Today it is still possible to come across bed linen, over 100 years old, and in perfect condition. If you are lucky it's monogrammed, if you're very lucky you get ladder work, lace or other embroidery too. Sometimes there are slight signs of wear, or even a tiny and perfectly darned hole, to me this just adds to the charm.
Traditionally the most beautiful sheets were embroidered as part of a young girl's trousseau. The wealthier the family, the more ornate the handwork, and the finer the weave of the metis, or cotton and linen mix. There are few places today who produce such fine and long lasting materials.
A fine bed sheet with a deep turn-down was particularly useful after childbirth when the mother "laid in" and received polite and congratulatory guests in her room. Today that same deep turn-down looks wonderful when the sheet is used as a curtain., just flip over the turn back and fix hooks to the fold, and you have a pretty and unique curtain.
When I am lucky enough to find antique sheets that have never been used, I particularly enjoy watching the linen fade from slightly blotchy beige, to a beautiful smooth creamy colour. The first thing to do is to soak the linen sheet or pillow cases or cloth in cold water for 24 hours. After that I wash it once or twice at a lukewarm temperature. The material is softened without damaging the fibre. After this, as the sheet is used and washed it becomes progressively whiter.
The best thing is that when they're not being used on beds, they even look great in the linen cupboard!
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I love how much you adore these beautiful linens Sharon. Your passion shines through! I am very tempted now....if you ever find an H or J could you let me know?
ReplyDeleteKeep searching...this is fun!
Jeanne:)
One of my true delights is ironing sheets! yes, I know, odd...isn't it? I just love love love the feel and satisfaction of ironing nice cotton or linen. Sheets, pillow cases, kitchen towels, napkins: I dab with water, put in a plastic bag for a few hours and voila: they are perfect for the iron!
ReplyDeletesimply beautiful!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely gorgeous...I can't imagine how lovely these are to sleep on, perfectly pressed and scented with lavendar! Swoon!
ReplyDeletexoxo Beth
love love love love love ... i love them as much as you do! he he xx pam
ReplyDeleteThere really is nothing nicer than sleeping in proper linen and freshly pressed sheets. Bliss!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more about slipping between freshly ironed sheets and a blissful sleep. I like mine with a hint of lavender...
ReplyDeleteI iron my vintage linens but not my own Rough Linen - the concept of 'washed linen' is very labour-saving! My only indulgence is that it must be real, 100 per cent linen, not cotton or *shudder* polyester.
ReplyDeleteThe contrast makes getting back to my own bed after travelling even better. I take off my hat to anyone who irons ALL their bedding!
Well actually girls, I do iron all my sheets, either with a hand iron for any delicate bits, or with my roller iron machine.
ReplyDeleteNot as bad as it sounds, therapeutic actually!
Sharon
very nice! Natural fabrics are gorgeous! My grandmother embroidered on bed linen - it's beautiful
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely gorgeous..... I love the monogrammes...And what a great idea to use them as curtains...
ReplyDeleteHugs
E
so beautiful...it amazes me that you would be able to find unused antique linens! i love how old linens look hanging in a window with the light coming through...and a slight breeze.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous and I agree about ironing being therapeutic as I iron all our bed linen. There is nothing nicer than getting into a bed with crisp sheets.
ReplyDeleteLeeann x
So beautiful! I'm inspired to pull out some of my own vintage linens and get them back on the beds again....or at the very least, on a shelf where they can be seen, instead of in a cedar chest.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the inspiration! xx Suzanne
Those are gorgeous! Very nice!
ReplyDeleteI spend hours perusing these linens at the market. I know eventually, I will find the monograms of all my friends in either sheets or napkins. And when I find my own...well that will be a day of celebration! I recently bought a butter yellow linen sheet at a vide grenier...the idea was to cut it up and use it for another project. But when I realized how really lovely it was, I washed it, yes...ironed it...and now it's my absolute favorite.
ReplyDeleteOh... beats the patterned car motif on my son's sheets and the yellow flannelette numbers in my linen cupboard. I can never quite appreciate fitted bottom sheets either with that elastic in the corners.
ReplyDeleteOh Sharon... these are incredible!!!!
ReplyDeleteHow can you possibly part with them. Tell me please!
I'm seriously tempted and will be heading over to your etsy store now!
I also wanted to thank you for your lovely anniversary comment. You are the best :)
Lots of love to you
Truly lovely linens! What a find!
ReplyDeleteI love your vintage linen!!!
ReplyDeleteThe monogram are so beautiful!!!
Hugs from me, Annamaria
I love old linens too but my trouble is I couldn't possibly part with them....xv
ReplyDeleteI too collect beautiful old linens. When I was a child, all of our pillowcases had beautiful crocheted trim. I thought you bought them that way - turned out my mother and grandmother had done them all! I still buy hand crocheted trims and sew them on mine.The best way to whiten is to just hang out in full sun - you will be amazed how quickly they whiten.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the ideas. There's always something new to learn and improve on in this mad internet world. Uptiming is surely something to keep an eye on. bed sheets
ReplyDeleteYou can know about the vintage french linen to have. Read the details from here
ReplyDeleteNice designs of bed sheets . A comfortable bed includes a lot of things like a beautiful bed sheet, comfortable mattress. Mattresses are of various types like orthopedic mattress , spring mattress and pocket spring mattress .
ReplyDelete