Grandmother's Sewing

Granny's Embroidery and Drawn Thread Hemming

My maternal grandmother Anna was the only grandparent I knew.  My paternal grandmother and both grandfathers had died before I was born.  Granny was the oldest of 14 children and the mother of 9 children.

The above is the border she embroidered on a bed sheet for my mother.  The pattern is known as jasmine vine.  The center flower (shown above) and the two flowers at either end of the border have multi-colored petals, while the flowers in between have solid colored petals of one of the colors in the multi-colored flowers: red, pink, orange, blue, and yellow.  And then, she attached a solid green border, patched to make it the right length, with drawn thread hemming to set it off.

Jasmine Vine Border

  

The border is only on one side of the bed sheet because my mother had her bed pushed against the wall and only one side could be seen.  I am not sure exactly when it was sewn, but I know  it was made more than 50 years ago.  I've no idea how long it took her to sew it.

When my mother gave the bed sheet to me, I noticed that some of the embroidery had worn off through frequent use and washing and I repaired the worn spots by embroidering over them.  The white sheet has yellowed a bit with age, but it is still strong.

I have been keeping it stored in the linen cupboard, but more recently, I have been using it on my daughter's bed (which is also pushed against a wall!) as a decorative cover.  I washed it, today, and ironed it.  I don't know if it is better to keep it stored or to use it.

There was also another bordered bed sheet Granny had made for me, when I was a child - it had appliqued birds along the border; clusters of 3 birds in flight, in 3 shades of blue (light, medium, dark), with a solid blue border edge.  I can't remember if the border was attached with drawn thread hemming or not, but I imagine it was.  I no longer have that bed sheet; either it tore or my mother gave it away.  My mother was not a "keeper of stuff", unlike me!

I also have a bed spread my grandmother crocheted, in filet crochet with a pattern of roses.  She crocheted with fine thread using steel crochet hooks, and made a bed spread for each of her daughters and daughters-in-law.  According to my mother, Granny had been left-handed and thus couldn't teach her daughters to crochet.  My mother took up crochet after Granny's death and I have many of the table covers she made.

Do you have family "heirlooms" made by your mothers and grandmothers?  Do you keep them stored or do you use them?