Collecting Vintage Linens

I have strong memories of my mother spending hours at an ironing board, pressing the dozen damask napkins and the heavy matching tablecloth, in preparation for a holiday dinner. It was a labor of love, because she hated to iron! These had been handed down by her mother to her, and now I own them.

If you are of my generation, you will remember the tremendous joy we felt when "permanent press" was invented! Few of us need to iron any table linens any more, so if you are a collector of vintage fabrics and "linens" (a generic term for several fabrics for domestic use) you will know that the ironing must, indeed, be a labor of love.

Ironing is, of course, only one aspect of caring for aged fabrics. As you explore the flea markets and garage sales for old hankies, napkins, aprons, antimacassars, dresser scarves, tablecloths, or baby clothes, you will find most are very fragile. Those antique dealers who specialize in vintage linens usually have removed stains as much as possible and carefully pressed the items so they will look more attractive to buyers. However, you will probably find most items at garage sales and other casual venues will not have been so carefully handled.