People collect old linens for a variety of reasons. Do you remember curiously touching the scalloped edge of your grandmother’s doilies? Maybe it was your great uncle’s monogrammed handkerchief that really fascinated you. Often, the quiet voice that whispers, “Buy it,” is nostalgia. They really don’t make things like they used to, especially when it comes to linens; all that time, all that care, all those tiny stitches.

Or maybe you just like the elegance and beauty of a delicately embroidered tablecloth, and you can picture that set of six intricately lace cocktail napkins laid out on top of it. You won’t find anything so rare and so distinctive in a department store, because all of those old pieces were made by hand.

Your collection may have started with a quilt handed down from your mother, or it may have started with a quilt you bought on eBay. Regardless of what type of collector you are, there are several ways to display your linen collection. Some collections stay carefully folded in trunks older than the linens, but with careful preparation you can display even the most fragile of pieces safely.

Frames are a popular way to display smaller pieces of linen. You might place a handkerchief in an equally lovely antique frame, or you might opt for a more economical but still elegant plaster model from Wal-Mart. Colored matting can be used to set off embroidery, or the frame can be decorated with matching buttons or bits of lace.

Take framing to the next level with a shadow box. Shadow boxes add dimension and variety. You might pair your grandmother’s ivory gloves with her black and white wedding photo, or you might choose to layer your linens for a unique textual effect.
Few quilt collectors are without a curtain rod which allows for quick, easy, and interchangeable wall hangings.

If you really love your linens, why not decorate the guest bedroom in them? The sunrise is lovely through lace curtains, handkerchiefs may be sewn onto pillows, and there’s no better place to display a quilt than a bed.
Long ago, someone put a lot of time and love into each piece of your linen collection; it deserves to be admired.

Alana Morgaine
Our Vintage Linens

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Tags: collecting vintage linens