{"id":31480,"date":"2014-10-07T20:11:42","date_gmt":"2014-10-08T00:11:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/?p=31480"},"modified":"2015-01-15T23:56:04","modified_gmt":"2015-01-16T04:56:04","slug":"vintage-wedding-napkins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/2014\/10\/07\/vintage-wedding-napkins\/","title":{"rendered":"Vintage Wedding Napkins"},"content":{"rendered":"

F\"35~06bride\"or 37 years now the 8 women who make up PlayGroup Mamas <\/a>have served as a sisterhood\/support system that has enriched each of our lives.\u00c2\u00a0 The group also hosts bridal and baby showers for each of our 23 children and does the heavy lifting for their weddings.<\/p>\n

Sweet Melissa, the youngest of the PlayGroup Kids, is getting married this weekend.<\/p>\n

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\"PGM's<\/a>

Here we are, minus one who was out of town.\u00c2\u00a0 PGM’s hosted a baby shower for my daughter-in-law, Shelly, the young lady in the center with the long hair. The group includes a university media specialist, veterinary assistant (to her husband), assistant manager of a major airport, four teachers and one passionate needleworker (that’s me).<\/p><\/div>\n

The troops have been called up to active duty, having already pulled threads for\u00c2\u00a0 24 burlap table runners and worked on centerpieces.\u00c2\u00a0 Friday and Saturday we will gather at the reception site to set up.<\/p>\n

My major responsibility is decorating and I always start with the table settings. As you may already know, I love, love, love textiles and have an extensive “resource center” of household items.<\/p>\n

The past few days, many hours have been spent ironing 150 napkins and once again enjoying the beauty and workmanship of these vintage treasures. Some are family pieces, though most were purchased but never bought new.\u00c2\u00a0 Each had served on many a\u00c2\u00a0 table before it moved to my house.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 And of course, they do not all match.\u00c2\u00a0 I think that is an advantage as the variety adds interest and elegance to the overall appearance of the dining room.<\/p>\n

I spent a lot of my ironing time speculating and daydreaming a biography for them.\u00c2\u00a0 Here are a few of my favorite napkins and a bit of their histories, some true and some not.<\/p>\n

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\"wed<\/a><\/p>\n

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These lovelies just scream WEDDING!!!\u00c2\u00a0 to me.\u00c2\u00a0 Each measures only 17″, a tad short of the average dinner napkin size of 20″.\u00c2\u00a0 But I don’t care.\u00c2\u00a0 I always use them for weddings.<\/p>\n

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\"wed<\/a><\/p>\n

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It’s likely that the paleness of the blue thread is a result of repeated laundering.\u00c2\u00a0 The linen is exquisite.\u00c2\u00a0 I like to think that a maiden aunt stitched these for a beloved niece.\u00c2\u00a0 Yes, rocking on her front porch. Humming hymns. Who but a maiden aunt would have time for the intricate embroidery?\u00c2\u00a0 Or maybe they were made in China.\u00c2\u00a0 I’m not sure.<\/p>\n

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\"needle<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I love the needle lace on these ecru linen napkins.\u00c2\u00a0 Again, I wonder, who made these?<\/p>\n

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\"nedle<\/a><\/p>\n

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I wouldn’t speculate on the number of hours it took to create one, let alone 4. \u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0 I have only 4, though probably there were more.\u00c2\u00a0 Or not.\u00c2\u00a0 Maybe after 4 she went blind.<\/p>\n

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\"ABS<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Purchased at an estate sale, these 8\u00c2\u00a0 fine damask serviettes are 24″ square. The embroidery thread for the beautiful monogram is so fine that it looks like 80 wt. was used.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2″ ABS is worked at the center of one side in a woven contrasting border band just 2″ above the hem, instead of a corner.<\/p>\n

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\"ABSt<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After my dear friend Suzanne Sawko and I finished shopping at the incredible sale, we speculated that the napkins belonged to one A<\/strong>nna B<\/strong>elle S<\/strong>tonewater.\u00c2\u00a0 She, we have heard, broke her parents’ hearts when she skipped town with a biker the night before her wedding to a respectable young attorney. Then, according to the rumors, she got a tattoo!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"norma<\/a>

In 1935, a set of\u00c2\u00a0 these napkins and a matching\u00c2\u00a0 tablecloth were given as a wedding gift.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

The intricate cutwork on these 18″ napkins make ironing a real challenge.\u00c2\u00a0 Along with a matching large tablecloth, the set was a wedding gift to an elegant, gracious, elderly lady in our church.\u00c2\u00a0 After her personal laundress retired, Norma sent the set to the cleaners after Thanksgiving dinner.\u00c2\u00a0 She was so distressed that the linens were simply smashed flat in a commercial mangle that she donated them to the church bazaar.<\/p>\n

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\"norma<\/a><\/p>\n

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Big score for me!\u00c2\u00a0 That gift set came to live at my house 40 years ago.\u00c2\u00a0 And I use it for Thanksgiving dinner, even without the blessing of a personal laundress.<\/p>\n

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\"cutwork<\/p>\n

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Aren’t these pretty?\u00c2\u00a0 A full 20″ square, these 4 are made of fine cotton and embroidered with a large and lovely cutwork design.\u00c2\u00a0 It looks like they were made by someone who studied in Madeira.\u00c2\u00a0 Oh yes….in fact they were!\u00c2\u00a0 I’m pretty sure that Cuban Magdelena made these after she moved into a Spanish convent. \u00c2\u00a0 The napkins\u00c2\u00a0 were sent to her sister in Miami for her wedding.\u00c2\u00a0 Uh-huh.\u00c2\u00a0 That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.<\/p>\n

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\"ft<\/a><\/p>\n

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I’ve always like brown.\u00c2\u00a0 It looks so rich on linen. There are so many vintage textiles, particularly cutwork, stitched in brown that it must have been popular for many years.<\/p>\n

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\"ft<\/a><\/p>\n

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On this 18″\u00c2\u00a0 set, the heavily padded embroidery presents dramatic texture which contrasts nicely with the smooth linen.\u00c2\u00a0 The fil tire’ at the design center adds a delicate touch to an otherwise bold design.<\/p>\n

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\"N<\/a><\/p>\n

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My very elderly, very, very proper and extremely dear friend Nell Marion sold me these napkins. \u00c2\u00a0 She was breaking up housekeeping in order to move into an assisted living facility and it was breaking her 88 year old\u00c2\u00a0 heart. \u00c2\u00a0 She did not want to leave her home and her enormous, priceless Meissen collection. \u00c2\u00a0 In fact, the sale was Saturday and she was to move to the assisted living place on Wed.\u00c2\u00a0 She died on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Her linen napkins are a generous 26″ square and\u00c2\u00a0 embroidered with a large,\u00c2\u00a0 formal “N.”\u00c2\u00a0 This led me to assume the monogram\u00c2\u00a0 stood for “Nell”\u00c2\u00a0 and that she had embroidered them.<\/p>\n

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\"N<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Certainly not!” she exclaimed indignantly.\u00c2\u00a0 “I was a business<\/strong><\/em> woman (she was an executive for Worldbook Encyclopedia in the 40’s and ’50’s), NOT an embroideress!\u00c2\u00a0 These were made by my Aunt Neva who had nothing better to do with her time.”\u00c2\u00a0 Okay, then.\u00c2\u00a0 Nell Marion was a bit imperious.\u00c2\u00a0 But delightful.<\/p>\n

This is probably enough about old napkins.\u00c2\u00a0 If you are interested, many other vintage textiles are posted on this blog.\u00c2\u00a0 I’ve assembled a variety of pieces in almost every category of household linens.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0 Exquisite handkerchiefs<\/a>, tablecloths,<\/a>, more tablecloths<\/a>, table runners,<\/a> placemats<\/a>, more placemats<\/a>,\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 guest towels<\/a>, lace portraits<\/a>, tabletoppers<\/a> and napkins have called out my name so many times that I am a wee bit ashamed (but not too much).<\/p>\n

Do you have a favorite vintage textile?\u00c2\u00a0 Please share photos and information about the importance of such items.<\/p>\n

I’ve got to get back to the sewing room.\u00c2\u00a0 The mother of the bride just called with an urgent request for a bow tie for her 2 1\/2 year old grandson.\u00c2\u00a0 He will be arriving in a few days to add the special joy that comes from the new life in the family.\u00c2\u00a0 Happy sewing to all of you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For 37 years now the 8 women who make up PlayGroup Mamas have served as a sisterhood\/support system that has enriched each of our lives.\u00c2\u00a0 The group also hosts bridal and baby showers for each of our 23 children and … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":31509,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[39,63,25,19,29],"tags":[798,179,800,799,801],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31480"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31480"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31480\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31549,"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31480\/revisions\/31549"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}