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Thursday, May 29, 2008

Vintage Linen Dolls and a Secret

I have been busy making these dolls, and I went to lots of Goodwill shops and many many yard sales, garage sales etc.. to gather the linen.It always amaize's me that ladies would sell their antique linen for 25 cents and tell me(( Ohhhh that belonged to my mother or my grandmother or my great grandmother)).Would you sell your grandmother's vintage linen for a quarter?? ,has it so little value to you???

I love old linen I have trunks of it,and never pass up a doily or anything crochet into edge lace or something with exquisite embroidery work.I love the feel of it, so soft and snowy, the embroidery work is so lovingly done.Just beautiful things to hold and look at.

I could visualize the dolls dress ,and went to work creating them. I kept the loveliest the most delicate doilies and linen's of course I wont cut into them to make other things , they are too pretty, and someone worked so hard to create them all those years ago.They tell a story , they really do.

Want to know a secret??? I also collect vintage jewelry !! I have..... ...... not one .......... not 2.......... not 3................... but ~~~~((((4)))) trunk size rubbermaid containers full of it!!!!!... Oh yes I do !!
My most prized treasures are the rhinestone brooches , oh how I love those brooches!!
Some day I will take pictures of it, you won't believe it, you will think I am a pirate !!!

I have made many little boxes for little girls filled with earrings and long beaded necklaces who were just delighted with their bounty for playing dress up.
I don't wear it personally , I just like having it,and again it just amaize's me that some ladies will sell me their mother's jewelry for a quarter or a few bucks and say with tears in their eyes, ....(((That was my mother's jewelry!!!)) Why why why would you sell your mother's things like that?? I don't care if it is just costume jewelry if it was your mother's why would you want to get rid of it???

Some years back I was at an estate sale and it was a DIL selling off her MIL's things, all kinds of jewelry and clothing, right down to her old Sunday best gloves remember those?? That lady had every color of glove you could imagine with jewelry to match, wow I thought I had died and went to heaven, I bought it all, every last piece, I asked the lady selling it who this all belonged to?? She gave me a smirk that ~~ said it all really, and told me it was her MIL and they were getting ((rid)) of all of her things.Kinda breaks your heart when you hear that esp. with the attitude and smirk she had telling me all this.

All my vintage jewelry tells a story about a lady who owned it and wore it and enjoyed it.Same thing with my vintage collection of linen,they were cherished pieces of history, that ladies washed ironed and in some cases starched and kept for years and years and years until they sold it to me for a quarter.Lucky me I get to enjoy and cherish it for them!!

What do you collect??? What can't you pass up ????

13 comments:

Unknown said...

Ohhh that just eats my lunch when I see that someone is selling family treasures just like it was junk and they 'needed' to get rid of it. I grabbed up my grandmothers quilt tops that she had sat for hours and cut and sewn when my uncles wife was giving things away that belonged to my grandmother because she just didn't want the clutter. I sat with muy grandmother when I was a wee one watching her cut and sew some of those quilt tops. I am just glad that I was able to save that small piece of my grandmother to treasure, like I treasured her.

Great post.... Thank you for sharing.

Stephanie D said...

Thanks for dropping by my place! Came over to see yours and I LOVE the eggs--so intricate! I like the beaded items, and the dolls, and the stamps, and the thoughts of 4 bins of vintage jewelry makes me absolutely green with envy!

My last home was a mile a way from Michael's and Hobby Lobby--and I was so very weak! It's amazing how much more money I have now! lol

Kari (GrannySkywalker) said...

Diane,
Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment. I've read a bit of yours and have enjoyed it quite a bit. It's like actually "talking" to you. lol

I took a bunch of my grandmother's lace and doilies, etc., when we were cleaning out her house after she passed away. I just couldn't bear to send those things to Goodwill or put them in the yard sale. Especially the pillow cases with the stitching on them. Grandma always made the most comfortable beds...cool, clean sheets that just felt like heaven. Having those old pillow cases just makes me feel good! And knowing that she used them too...well it just doesn't get any better. :)

Kari

Carole Burant said...

Such beautiful linen dolls you make, they're gorgeous!! I know what you mean, though, when you see people selling such vintage family pieces for next to nothing...like you, I could never give away or sell anything that once belonged to my gran or mom.

Omigosh, how I would love to see your four trunks full of vintage jewelery!! I have the jewelery my gran left me before she died and I treasure each piece. As you say, every piece has a story behind it.

When you have a chance, make sure you drop by my blog to enter my giveaway:-) xoxo

Charmingdesigns said...

I have old jewlery...I stash a little here and a little there, which adds up to alot if I would ge it all together!LOL Thanks for coming by for my giveaway.Laurie

Diane@Diane's Place said...

Hi, and thanks for visiting and commenting on my blog. Glad you like it. :o)

I do a lot of needlework, especially crochet, cross stitch, sewing and quilting, so I know how much work goes into it. I'm sorry some people place so little value on those things, but think of it this way: their loss is your gain!

Happy weekend, and feel free to drop by my blog anytime! :o)

Hugs,

Diane

Ragged Roses said...

Hello and thanks for visiting my blog. Your dolls look very sweet, I too have a soft spot for old linen and fabric - it's addictive
Kimx

Needled Mom said...

I, too, have lots of old linen and needlework. It is a passion of mine to pick up all of those wonderful discarded pieces. So much work has gone into them.

Someday you will have to share some of you vintage jewelry pieces.

Dena said...

I couldn't agree more! Why would anyone part with such treasures and for pennies on top of it! How wonderful that they are now in your loving care.

Thanks for your visit and your kind words :)

Hugs,
Dena

BumbleVee said...

I like to use some pretty pieces of vintage jewelery on my dolls and outfits... it would be fun poking through all of your stash! I never see much worth bothering with at the sales I have been to.

~~Deby said...

oh those dolls are BEAUTIFUL !!! what a gorgeous collection and obvious talent you have (can I be envious) as a lover of lovely sitchery and doilies and one who also saves them from unknow fate I loved this post.
Deby

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