This is a picture of my grandma's table right before all the Christmas yummies were piled onto it. She just got this vintage tablecloth from my great aunt and I was admiring it all during dinner.
I kept seeing tablecloths like it when my mom and I were going to the flea markets and antique shops. Mom told me she thought she had some at home that I could have. Lo and behold she pulled them out of her sewing room and they had big chunks cut out of them! "Oh yeah, I made dish towels out of them" she says. Arrrrghhhhh!
My mom promised to keep an eye out for some more for me. I am hoping for some beauts like these. Or these.
I clicked on the link "Beauts like these" and couldn't believe my eyes. I started remodeling a room this past week-end by doing demolition work on the walls. About three layers down was wallpaper in the EXACT same pattern of the Vintage Strawberry 1940's table cloth! My house is 121 years old, but this particular room had been an add on when they decided to update the house with indoor pluming. Now I have an idea of the time frame of the addition. The pattern is not surprising, because I live in a neighborhood called "Strawberry Hill" (and I actually have wild strawberries that appear in my backyard every year). Thanks for helping me solve a mystery.
ReplyDeleteMy grandma had cross-stitched tablecloths very similar to these for all her grandchildren. You'd probably like cross-stitching- ya know if your free time ;)
ReplyDeleteI have several vintage tableclothes of this sort that I've picked up at antique malls for about $10-$20. They wrinkle like crazy if you dry them in the dryer. I find it best to iron them dry and use a little spray starch. (Supposedly keeps stains from sinking into the fabric.)
ReplyDeleteLove your pyrex collection by the way. It got me to start picking up some blue & white ones. (I have a blue & white obsession.) Blue & white seems to be a bit harder to find than the other colors. Maybe I should branch out. :)
Riley & Tiki's Mom
My grandma also had the dishes with the green flowers around the edge. In fact, she had the matching bowls (mixing and otherwise) that went with it. We divided up her dish ware among family members and gave the mugs to Hospice when she died.
ReplyDeleteEeep! My mom's had the "Gold butterfly" Corelle dishes for years! I have a dish or two from the set at my places from when she sends me home with food.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how mass produced patterns can make one feel like "home" even when you see it on someone else's table!
I grew up with those same dishes! My mom still has them.
ReplyDeleteMy grandma has several dish sets... one of which is an amazing set of heavy dark brown dishes with white wispy edges that I see at antique shops occasionally (I wish I knew what they are called)... but she ends up using the Corelle... because it is so sturdy.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE LOVE LOVE that your grandma has her glasses turned over.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother has the same tablecloth. We use it every year!
ReplyDeleteI had those exact same dishes growing up too!
ReplyDeleteAnd my first set of dishes at our first house were Corelle - courtesy of my Mother-in-Law... yes, sometimes I wished they weren't so sturdy so I could have needed new ones sooner!
I have that table cloth!
ReplyDeleteOH MY GOD!! I have that tablecloth, it was my moms....every year i get the xmas stuff out, that goes right back in the attic. Maybe next year we will use it, it looks so cool! Terri
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for including a link to my website! I have been collecting vintage printed tablecloths for about 6 years and was a founding member and past VP of the Vintage Tablecloth Lovers Club. I hope my site can be a great resource to fellow collectors.
ReplyDeleteAn important part of tablecloth care is to hang the cloths to dry instead of using the dryer because the tumble and heat of the dryer shortens the life of these treasures.