Category Archives: Vintage Clothing

Victorian era clothing and lace

1860, 1880, 1890, antique, country, crafts, fabric, Furniture, Green Living, Hints Tips, repurpose, restoration, Uncategorized, Victorian, Victorian, vintage, Vintage Clothing, Vintage Sewing

Bringing Back Style & Quality

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The eclectic look in home decorating is trending. Repurposing, reusing, refurbishing is

Side Board 1920 - 1930
Side Board 1920 – 1930

in vogue. Thank Goodness. I never thought my house would ever get back in style. Actually one of the reasons why are in the antique and vintage linen and lace business is because we love quality. Hold a piece of 1890 – 1930 lace up to a piece of lace from the “mart” stores, you’ll see what I mean by this. Remember the 70’s?  Avocado walls, polyester and shag carpeting? I can do without the long shag, but the denser and shorter shag does make a great retro look for select rooms. How about the 80’s with the popcorn ceiling and the color “salmon?” What, you don’t remember salmon colored walls?  How about avocado?  We don’t use sideboards that much anymore and we don’t store blankets or linens in chest of drawers that much, because our homes and condos are getting smaller. We don’t have the room for too much furniture, but we still want the quality and style associated with that era. So, what can we do? One popular idea is to repurpose / retrofit a Victorian Chest of Drawers or Side Board into a remodeled bathroom sink and cabinet. My next decorating change will be to scrape the popcorn from my ceiling. However, thinking with my retro state of mind, if I don’t look up, it can wait for another year. Who knows, it might come back in style.

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1860, 1880, Antebellum, antique, country, crafts, Damask, economics, entrepreneur, fabric, Green Living, Hints Tips, home life, Kitchen Collectibles, lace, small business, using color, Victorian, Victorian, vintage, Vintage Clothing, Vintage Sewing

Goodbye 2013

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Once again, we find ourselves at the end of a hectic year.  I am not sure if I can ever get the image of Miley Cyrus swinging across the screen

Happy New Year 2014
Happy New Year 2014 (Photo credit: Eustaquio Santimano)

naked on her wrecking ball, nor the horrible carnage of the Boston Marathon out of my mind, but I am going to try real hard.

I wish to thank all you who helped make my stores as successful as they were last year, especially those of you who stopped in and said hi on the weekends when I had a chance to be in the stores.  I had a ball meeting with you.  Let’s do it again real soon.

I want to thank those who stopped by my Facebook Page and who visited our website/blog at Linens2Lace.com.  Thank you for your kind remarks.  I want to thank those of you who purchased the many types of vintage linens I have in stock and those who simply browsed and had kind words to say.  Thank you for picking up our “Use Anytime” discount cards and for telling your friends.

I want to thank my furniture buyers.  You made my year.  We decided to mix up our offerings this last year by bringing in antique and vintage furniture that reflected what you might find in sewing rooms or the bed and bath area.  We are very pleased with the results of this mix.

My wish for all of you is a very prosperous 2014.  My mother always told me to never discuss politics or religion, so I won’t – except to say that my hopes are for 2014 to find a congress that remembers that they are “for the people” and not just their individual party affiliations.  Sorry Mom – I had to do it.

I am looking forward to this year.  I am looking forward to meeting all my friends again, including strangers who I consider friends I haven’t met yet.  With my teaching schedule, I get in to the stores on weekends and on holidays so once again, if on a weekend you see someone with their nose buried in a pile of vintage linens or lace – it’s probably me.  Stop in and say hi.  I’d love to visit and show you around.

Best wishes and Happy New Year 2014

antique, fabric, Green Living, Hints Tips, lace, repurpose, restoration, vintage, Vintage Clothing, Vintage Sewing

Getting Things White for Spring – Glorious Spring.

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Linen
Linen (Photo credit: Rameez Sadikot)

We have been busy and it has been good but I have been neglectful, so I hope today’s entry makes up for it.  The new site in American Classics is growing in customers and we are happy as can be.  We added the Victorian Section and that too has grown in popularity.  The other day I spoke with a woman who was getting married and she was going to have a Victorian / Steampunk wedding.  Because of our yellow tag sale, she bought things right and left.  That would be a fun wedding to attend.  I hinted my behind off, but to no avail.

Another lady asked me how to get older linens white.  Here’s a quick formula I use for the linens here.  It’s a gentle remedy.

In a large roaster or pot, (I use the roaster we roast the Turkey in.) fill with hot water and several slices of lemon.  Bring to a boil, turn off the heat and add your linens.  I sit the roaster over two of my top burners.  Use a wooden spoon to push them down until they become completely submerged and saturated with the water.  Cover the pot and leave overnight.  I cover mine with tin foil.  The following day, rinse well, wash with mild detergent and water as usual and then lay the items out in the sun to dry.

Another way to do this, especially while it’s still cold outside when you would end up with frozen linens, is to use Biz & Oxyclean  Use 1 Scoop Biz and 1 Scoop Oxyclean to 1 Gallon Hot Water.  Soak in the hot water for up to 48 hours, then rinse and launder as usual.   Use the scoop that comes with the Oxyclean.  This works very well. 

By the way, I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for spring to get here.

1860, 1880, 1890, Accessories, Antebellum, antique, Dolls, repurpose, restoration, Steampunk, Uncategorized, Victorian, Victorian, Vintage Clothing

New Space, Add Victorian, Go Crazy

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When you are facing a raft full of gingham, lace, satins, silks and velvet, what do you think? The first thoughtDSCF3004 that came to my mind was “I need to open a section of Mom & Me’s Vintage Linens and Lace, devoted to Victorian / Gothic (Goth) style. The idea intrigued me so much, the more I thought of it, the better it became. Of course, that thinking led my creative side to go crazy. That expansion led me to adding a partner who’s an expert in furniture and the styling’s of the Victorian era, especially the American Victorian era; where, if you were in the south, extended into the Antebellum era. (After war) Naturally, a theme setting like this, demands authentic furniture and they have some beautiful pieces. The more the idea nurtured and the more we talked about it, the better it became. So, we did it.

We added Furniture like a three-piece parlor set with chairs, footstools and a beautiful couch. Add in matching 1860 velvet couches. Not reproductions mind you, serious Victorian era furniture, including a Barrel top desk and a Victorian dresser with a marble top that will knock your socks off.DSCF3012

Want to see what we produced? Stop in at the American Antique Marketplace and right next to my store in space B30, you will see my new addition in space B26, which include the furniture I just described. If you love Gothic, Victorian, or Steampunk, you will be sure to find something that matches your taste here. Stop in, finger the Satin. Run your hands over the Battenberg lace banquet tablecloth that’s hanging on at the entrance. That’s 123 year old lace you’re holding. Still beautiful to this day and it has many more years left to grace your table. However, if you see me holding tight to the 130 year old Rose colored Watermark satin with Battenberg inserts, please try to understand. I’m having a little separation anxiety.

More pictures to follow.