Hey, It's In My Genes

My Mother could never pass up old linens, especially those with handwork on them.

Mama wasn't a flea market kind of gal, but yard sales?

Oh, honey, pull the car over . . . now!

As an accomplished needlewoman herself, it pained her to see the old embroidered or crocheted linens that Granny or Great Aunt Swizmerelda had carefully wrought, piled up on a picnic table in a driveway -- for sale to any old Philistine with 25-cents.  "Heartless," she'd mutter.  "How can they bear to let these things go?" as she piled napkins and runners, doilies and tea towels, tablecloths and pillowcases over her arm. 

So you see, as I tell my husband, I am not to blame.  It's in my genes, this love of old hand embroidered linens; nature will out.  Mama taught me how to embroider and crochet, and how to adopt the orphaned handwork cast-offs of this world.

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It's Tuesday, and I'm linking to several blogger parties -- you can find the links at the end of the post.

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People are still selling Grandma's old linens on eBay.
Maybe their Grandma's, maybe someone else's, but the tablecloths and other goodies are out there.

My latest:  a big linen cloth, cross-stitched.  Wonderful heavy linen, skilled embroidery.

It's over 100 inches long, so it will work for our dining table when it's got just one leaf in it -- perfect for family meals!  

Along with that cloth, I found another from the same seller, also embroidered:

Sadly, not as skillfully done. 

Those Xs on cross-stitch should all be X-ed in the same direction.

Someone got a little laissez-faire in her cross-stitching.

 

I also eBay-ed old damask napkins.  Lapkins, almost -- 22-inches square.

In a rose pattern and in excellent condition.  Very, very inexpensive.

Here's a tip:  Napkins in odd-numbered sets often sell for less; people want even numbers.

This was a set of 5.  Went for a song, when similar napkins in sets of 6 sold for much higher amounts.

Me, I'd rather buy two sets of 5 napkins cheaply and mix them up, than spend a bundle on a set of 8 that match.

If your guests are looking that closely at their napkins,
get new friends, or pour the wine more generously.

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You know that porcelain lamp I got a few weeks ago, courtesy Craigslist?  Story here.

The one that looks like some of the china patterns I have?

It has migrated to the parlor.  I adore it, although I'm still not sold on that enormous silk shade.

It's like the Guiness Book Of World Records' Giant Coolie Hat.

So today I fiddled with landscaping the table where the lamp has taken up residence.

A pile of books, of course -- this summer I'm in the mood for silly and am ripping through P.G. Wodehouse.

(Thank you, Annie!)

The garden is not giving any blooms right now except shriveling hydrangea blossoms,

some straggly phlox, one lousy gladiolus, and a sea of rioting Black Eyed Susans --not the look I needed!

So it's faux in the old Imari teeny tureen, an eBay find from last year.
I love that this little piece of export porcelain is as old as the room it is in.  And that is old.

I put a tea cup on top of the stack of books.
One tea cup, from the gilt and lustre ones from last year's VNA Rummage Sale. Story here.

Then changed it, to the Mikasa Shogun pattern that I got in Philadelphia last spring.  Story here!

Then changed it again, to the Mikasa Far East; I have service for 6-billion in this.

Which do you like?  I like #3, the Far East, which surprised me, as I expected to like #2 the best.

 Hmm... okay, I just now this very moment noticed that the shape of the cup, above, mirrors the shape of the lamp.
Duh.  Flat sides, Imari styling -- yeah, they belong together!

I had other things I wanted to photograph, but my camera keeps telling me to
change batteries, and I put new batteries in, and it says the same thing. Over and over again.
It's a naughty, naughty camera and must be spanked.

Now for those Linky Parties -- there are four of them!

Visit Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday.

And there's Tam at the Gypsy's Corner for Three Or More Tuesday.

 

 At Coastal Charm, 

Linda hosts Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays.

She's featuring some great blog

giveaways -- go see!

And Bonnie at House Of Grace
gives us
Twice Owned Tuesday.

Click on any one of these ladies' blog party titles,
and see what our fellow bloggers are up to
this Tuesday.  Then, go to Goodwill or cruise Craigslist.
See you there!  -- Cass