TEA TOWEL AND LINEN EMBROIDERY OF LONG AGO--by Cheryl Pierson

When I was a young girl, I became fascinated with wanting to learn to embroider. Mom started showing me when I was about 10 or so—just the simple stitches, nothing fancy. But by the time I was in high school in the 70’s, I was pretty darn good at it and could do a lot of pretty things to jazz up my blue jeans and chambray shirts! I think my mom lamented the days gone by of embroidering handkerchiefs and aprons. At one point, I made my husband a shirt and had an artist friend free-hand the cover of the Eagles’ One of These Nights album onto the back of it. I embroidered it for him, and he had people offer him money for that shirt several times!

My grandmother had some tea towels she had embroidered. Where she found time to do that with raising 11 kids, I will never know. But now, I’m thinking that must have been something that was somewhat relaxing for women to do during that time period—after all, they could SIT DOWN while they worked! Granny had used Aunt Martha’s embroidery pattern iron on transfers (a staple for homemakers back then!) and she gave me a couple of packages of them. I still have them somewhere—I think they were puppies and lambs.

A few years ago, my sister and I were at a yard sale and we came upon a box of embroidered tea towels, pillow cases and table runners. All done by hand. All so unappreciated. The entire box for $2. We couldn’t pass it up, because we both just love old things. So we bought it, knowing we’d never use any of it. Just wash it and keep it because it was so old and someone had spent a good deal of time working on those things. I think we both must have been thinking of our mom, who spent long hours of the night painting—thinking of the time and love and effort she put into that hobby of hers. Did someone do the same with these old tea towels?

I’d forgotten about them until we moved the china cabinet. I had to clean it out to move it and then put everything back inside. I “found” them and it was like Christmas all over again! I didn’t take time to iron them, but you can get an idea of the age and care that was used to embellish these everyday kitchen towels from long ago. I still have some pillowcases I did many years ago. I don’t think my eyes could handle working on those projects now. I miss it!

Do you remember seeing tea towels, pillow cases, even sheets—and other household items from the past that had been lovingly embroidered?