Wednesday, March 24, 2010

So Excited About My Irish Linen Gift..........

Well, of course there is a story to this gift..........

I have been helping out a friend who is clearing out her parents home.........   I have been through this process so understand her situation a lot.

So she has let me look around and see if there was anything that I needed before she had her sale........the better word should be "wanted".    I found a lot of old neat things which I will tell about in another post.   

I saw this stack of beautiful Linen fabric and asked her about it.   She proceeded to tell me the story about this being her mother's and it was handmade in Ireland and is over 100 years old.     She said that she was thinking of keeping it so I encouraged her to do so.   She sat it down and about 30 minutes later, she came back and untied it and counted out the pieces (which are a little over a yard each).    She counted out 18 pieces and handed them to me and said "thank you".   The thoughts were rapidly going through my head as to what I could make with it.........I was so happy.   This happened a couple of weeks ago.

Fast forward to this morning.   I get a call from her this morning and this is what she said......."I've decided not to keep the remaining 19 pieces of the linen fabric so I brought it down with me so I could give it to you."     Usually I am up and at it and ready to roll for the day by that time but not today...........that quickly changed as she said she was only going to be there for a little while and she didn't want to leave it sitting around in case someone thought it was a sack of rags.........   So I now have all 39 pieces........what a friend........what a gift.   Now I need to get busy and make something with it but I want to research and find out the best way to color and decorate a couple pieces of it.




So if that wasn't enough, I got a whole box of old doilies and linens.   I haven't a clue as to what I will do with them or use them for but I love them.   And what is really neat is that I had known my friend's wonderful mom who made them and embroidered these items.









6 comments:

  1. Wow....beautiful fabric. I know its all in good hands. Some you could incorporate in a collage for sure. Is any of it strong enough to be the lining for one of your fab purses or wallets?
    Maybe a quilt?
    whatever you do I'm sure it will be gorgeous!
    Eileen

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  2. Wowza! This is a mixed media dream come true! Fabric collages, dying the doilies or using in a mixed media collage, the sky's the limit! What a wonderful friend, and memory of the person!

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  3. WOW! 100 year old Irish linen?!?!?! Oh, that's a cross-stitcher's dream! How fine is the fabric count? Would it work for hankies? or tablerunners? You are very blessed with this wonderful fabric gift, Nanc!
    And the doilies? When you figure out what to do with them, please let me know? I have all of my grandmother's & I absolutely love them - but there they sit, piled together in my closet. :-(

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  4. You are a ture friend and really deserve all the yummy items you received from your friend. Knowing the maker and having an attachment to them makes them all the more special! Have great fun using them ;}}
    Nancy mayer

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  5. Special . . . just special :)
    Don't worry about what to do with them. One day inspiration will tell you what to do *smiles*

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  6. ~*NANCY LYNN!!!*~

    I no longer have your mailing address!
    Do you still have my Amber... email?

    I am SO glad to hear from you!

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