The Kitchen Linens Book ... Excellent Vintage Embroidery Patterns

I bought this fabulous book ... No I don't sew, crochet, cross stitch or embroider ... but I think I'm going to.  Saw this, thumbed through it ... and I had to have it.  The Kitchen Linens Book: Using, Sharing, and Cherishing the Fabrics of Our Daily Lives by EllynAnne Geisel.

This is a book after my own heart. What could be better than great vintage table linens? For me, the answer is not much! These are truly adorable patterns that remind my of the pillowcases and hand towels in my closet that my grandmother made me.  Not only does this book stir up memories, but it makes you want to create memories too!

Here is a fabulous book review by Kelly from Modern June.

"EllynAnne knows her table linens; she has spent years collecting– she sees each piece as a memory. The Kitchen Linens Book covers them all, from humble workhorses like pot-holders, trivets, and towels, to casual dining linens for picnics and tailgate parties, to more elegant linens for gatherings like garden parties.

EllynAnne even gives nod to my fabric of choice, oilcloth! No backyard BBQ should be without an oilcloth tablecloth. And she gives instructions for combining a beach towel and oilcloth into a handy beach rug– I’ll be making four of these for the summer! (I have a tutorial for an extra large picnic mat on my Oilcloth Addict blog.)

This book is loaded helpful tips, recipes, projects, and the history of linens. Did you know that bright kitchen linens began in the Depression? You can see that trend happening again as our economy has brought us back to the home once more. Women, then and now, need a bit of loveliness to perk up our daily chores.

In the back of the book you’ll find a real treat, a reproduction transfer of a vintage Butterick pattern. EllynAnne gives you detailed directions for adding these cute teapot charactors to napkins, tea towels and tablecloths for your own use.

EllynAnne scatters “From the Linen Closet” stories throughout the book, detailing the stories she has collected from others and their lives with linens. My favorite is the story of a woman that has always given tablecloths as gifts for every occasion. Many years later the same woman’s daughter surprised her with a grand birthday party, each table set with the tablecloths she had given as gifts to all of her friends and family from over the years; each guest brought back their favorite tablecloth to share in this special event. What memories that must have conjured. I believe I’ll adopt that tradition, but my tablecloths presents, be them new or vintage, will have a copy of this book tucked in side along with a note insisting that nothing is too good to use. "

*The book features over 20 projects and 8 recipes.
* The book includes a classic Butterick transfer pattern for a vintage kitchen towel motif, circa 1945.
* Rich photography highlighting every detail accompanies stories passed from generation to generation.
* EllynAnne’s passion for finding and saving linens from flea markets, estate sales, and antique stores will inspire you to dig through your own closets and cupboards.