Memories...Vintage Linen

Embroidery played a huge part in the lives of the women and girls in the villages of Transylvania. Today I have a vast collection of embroidered tablecloths, runners, cushion covers and small mats. I treasure all of it and hope that it will continue to be passed through my family. 
 
I have far too much to display, so, every now and then, I’ll pull another piece from a drawer and give it a turn on the dining table. There is so much history attached to every single piece, with many of the cloths showing the dates they were embroidered. It was a tradition for a girl when she married to complete a piece and then work the date into the corner.
 
My Oma and aunts spent all their spare time on intricate pieces of embroidery.  But, not only did they embroider, they also grew the flax and then produced the cloth aswell.  Amazing!  The photo above shows me on a summer’s afternoon pretending to use the spinning wheel (which now resides in my Transylvanian guest bedroom). At the time, I definitely didn’t appreciate how much work was involved.
 
The bear in the picture was incredibly well travelled (he’s still with me)!

The linen in the image belonged to my Aunt Katharina. She embroidered the date, 1931, when she married the love of her life Johann.