Antique linens

Saturday afternoon I stole off with the car full of deliveries for the local thrift store and also with a secret agenda. The Catholic relief thrift store was having its antique linen sale and I was really curious what they would have. I have started getting interested in antique linens slowly over the years and I always seem to gravitate towards them at the brocantes and antique stores in France, so I was curious to see a huge sale like this with thousands of pieces. Think white sale but from the 19th century!

I didn't buy much just perused and took notes for future purchases. I need to learn a little more before I start buying because these linens are such an investment, but I am excited by the prospect of what I can do with them and how I can use them in my home and in my decorating. There were also lots of notions--old lace collars, parts of clothing, buttons and antique scraps for sewing projects.

The sheets, and there were hundreds of them, were like most antique linens I've seen. They are nearly always this white, heavy linen and many of them are from the 1930's and 40's. The "not so old ones" in other words those mid century ones, were in the range of 20 - 65 euros depending on their condition. Many in the 20 euro range probably had fold marks or some slight yellowing. Sheets much older than this ran into 100's of euros and one or two or more were even priced at 300 euros or more. They were very old, from the mid 19th century and in very good condition with beautiful monograms. There was so much to look at that I got a giddy feeling in my stomach. Many pieces I just wanted to touch and hold and the delightful part of all of this sale was that I could do this easily whereas most French brocantes keep a watchful eye on customers and you get the evil eye if you pick up delicate linens. Here I could touch and examine. I love to touch old things!

In our old house here I found two old linen sheets tucked up in an armoire, probably from the late 40's. They are not in the best of condition but I will keep them for making pillows out of. What French grandmother doesn't have an armoire full of them bought for her trousseau when she was first married? Seb's mother has at least 25 of them neatly stacked and ironed in hers, all inherited from her mother. When I asked her why she didn't use them, and dropped some heavy hints that I would if she was feeling the need to do some Spring cleaning, she said "Oh, all that heavy linen. They take too long to iron." She's right. They are difficult to iron but when I buy mine I will not iron them. I'll just iron the part that shows at the top where it will be folded down. If you line dry them and fold them quickly enough there is no need to iron them. Mother in law would never be happy to use hers and not iron them. It isn't in her genetic makeup to put something unironed on a bed.

I didn't buy much. I only bought a small lace trimmed pillowcase and a few things in the baby/children's clothes section of the sale (not all of the baby clothes were antiques but they had set aside pieces which had a timeless look, lace details or suggested the 19th century--fun to browse through). I have plans to dress my bed with some lovely, white monogrammed sheets and a beautiful lace coverlet. I would love to toss one of those gorgeous lace trimmed tablecloths on my table and I will save my centimes carefully over the next year for this (between 60 - 150 euros usually with the matching napkins), and I'd also like to make a slipcover for one of my chairs out of an old 20 euro sheet or two. There are so many possibilities of what you can do with these things!

The sale happens quite often and the store is lost in the country here near Paris but it's only five minutes from my house so I'll be going back. Want to come along next time?