I’ve been working for over a year on preparing for an eventual move to a retirement community, and that involves lightening the load of culch most of us accumulate. (Culch/cultch, the Maine word for the pile of stuff that accumulates on any non-rolling household. Learned from Louise Dickinson Rich’s books when we first moved to Maine.)
I inherited big piles of household linens, both commercial and handmade, mostly from my grandmother.
My grandmother, wedding photo from 1907
Here is some of her needlework:
One end of a dresser scarf. She made a number of dresser scarves.
This is the cover for a large pincushion, intended for hat pins. It matched the bedspread in the next picture.
This is the center medallion on the matching bedspread.
Another dresser scarf
I’ve had these linens for years without doing anything with them, and they aren’t my style. Finally I found a solution! I sent them all to a friend who loves vintage linens and knows a lot about them. It’s a win-win. The items have found an appreciative home and I don’t have to worry about them any more!
Zippy Quilts 
Wow, your Grandmother did beautiful work! And, so sweet that you gifted these items to a friend!
Thanks! And Thanks or visiting and commenting 😀
And who could that very grateful friend have been? Who who who?
I was just looking at them again yesterday, and folding and petting them gently.
I need to lighten up my household too but I just love all the fabrics so much.
And I still think you need to do a series about the fascinating women in your family! 🙂
You are the first person who came to my mind.
Hi Andrea! I miss your blog and appreciate your still following mine 😀
I’m sure there are things that are NOT fabric that can be lightened–ha! Keep what you want.
Nothing like lightening the load, and always good when you find someone who can love and appreciate these things
Yes!
All of that hand satin stitched – wow. As keeper of the Family Linen, I’d say your Grandmother would be pleased with your mindful solution. ❤️
I sometimes wonder if Granny even thought about what would happen to all her “stuff”. Mother kept it all in storage, and I did for years, but that’s just silly. So glad to find someone who wanted it.
Thanks for sharing a sample of your grandmother’s lovely work and we too went through the purging of “culch” to prepare to move to our new 55+ community! Good luck on your new adventure, I think you will love the lighter living and your new community, we are enjoying it!
Aha! I didn’t realize it was a “retirement” community you had moved to–so glad to hear it. It’s a little daunting, but we haven’t yet found a single person who isn’t pleased with the move.
Somedays its like being on vacation all the time. There are a couple busy bodies here and there as you would find with any community but most be are happy and relaxed and fun!
I loved your grandmother’s photo — what a treat to see her! And then to see her work, and enjoy her handiwork. I’ve gotten rid of some linens, too — mine are heritage, like yours, but just things I’ve collected on my trips and from yard sales. There is this moment when you realize you aren’t going to do anything with them (use or create) and it’s best to let them go to their next home. Loved this post!
Thank you, Elizabeth. Gwen keeps suggesting I should write about my “interesting” Mother and Grandmother, and I have done some of that for our daughter. I also go to the local Family History Center, where I learned that my Mother eloped for her first marriage! It’s fun to think of all the things I never knew.
Your grandmother was beautiful. It is so hard to let go of beautiful things made by people we love, even when it is not something we can move into our next season of life. I was going to share a name of someone I follow who cherishes vintage linens. I have acquired a large collection when I married my husband 20 years ago. They were all his mother’s and grandmother’s dresser scarves. We have a victorian house crammed full of vintage things, and I don’t look forward to the day when we have to downsize. The house was built before 1905; and is full of old beloved things. As you sort and rehome, sharing the photos of beloved items with family and friends is a lovely gift; and it takes up little space.
Yes! Photos are a wonderful idea. I don’t envy you the job of downsizing all those treasures. I hate to think how much we would have if we hadn’t moved so often.
A happy solution to your ‘problem’. It’s generous of you tp.pass on this fine work. I am sure your friend is delighted
And she has a blog, too, so we’ll eventually get to see what she does with the stuff.
I am one of those quilters who are putting vintage lindens and dollies into quilts. I belong to a Facebook group who repurposed them. I also have made blouses out of vintage table cloth.
Oh, good for you! I looked at making things out of vintage linens, even bought a pattern, but just never got around to it.