Sunday, October 2, 2011

Mother in laws table cloth

This is one of my most prized possessions. It comes to me under sad circumstances, my mother in law had it with a lot of other stitchery and since the family knew that I was very much into my stitching they thought it was best it came to me. You see the family had to put her into a nursing home because she is suffering from Dementia and no-one could safely look after her any longer at home. With this piece also came a tapestry chair, firescreens, cross stitch table runners and napkins.

I don't know if it is from her days in nursing or it was her mothers or her sisters and unfortunately now that she can't really string a whole sentence together I will never know.

I love the names that can be found on it, like Gertrude, Ethel, Mabel and Constance. There are also male names on there too and the hand writing is beautiful and flowing. Most of them have been stitched in off white and they do look like they have used silk threads.

I thought there was a date on it but for the life of me can not find it now. My mother in law trained as a nurse in England and wonder if it is something that they use to do at the end of their training?

Anyway I thought I would share this with you today, I have also had a small finish but I will show you that next time.

ABC
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4 comments:

Terri said...

I have seen this done several times in different places over the years. I am planning on starting one myself, but you use a white tablecloth when you have guests and you ask them to sign their names, and date it, and then you embroider over their signatures.

I have received several things from my husband's grandmother that belonged to her extended family (even something from HER grandmother) because she knows how much I love needlework and handworked items. You are so very fortunate.

Babs in Alabama said...

What a treasure you have and all the other things that came with it. Sad circumstances but they knew you would take care of it all. I have never seen this myself except on a very small scale.
thanks for sharing with us,
babs

Colours of the Outback said...

That is lovely. I am sorry about your mother in law. Very sad.

MaryT said...

How wonderful that you were able to get this treasure. It's just beautiful. Too bad you can't find out the history on it.

Mary Louise in IN