Vintage Pillowslips

Grab a hold of something, this is a picture heavy post.  I apologize right now.  Except I don't.  I'm indulging a little bit of nostalgia, a little bit of my desire to document my own personal history here on the blog, and a bit of sharing some contagious craftiness.

What follows is pictures of pillowslips (a nostalgic way of referring to pillowcases) my great-great aunts made at least 50 years ago.

No one remembers quite when the pillowslips were made, just that my grandma's aunts (referred to as aunties from here on) embroidered the images onto pillowslips and my grandma crocheted the edges.  I had a difficult time choosing which to highlight in the pictures

The detail is fascinating.   I had a little rag doll as a kid that I knew came from aunties, but they had passed away before I was born or very soon after. Still I was raised with stories about aunties.  They were busy little bees- two sisters who lived together and took care of each other in their old age. 

The aunties had severe arthritis.  My grandma has said my entire life, "I've got to keep moving so I don't freeze up like aunties did."  So, despite several arthritis complications of her own, my grandma recently traveled to Michigan to celebrate my aunt and uncle's 65th wedding anniversary and also down to visit us in Arizona.  At 86 years old, she's done well at not freezing up despite three knee replacements (one knee replaced twice) and multiple surgeries on the joints in her fingers.  

Yes, that is the backside!

The work done is really exquisite.  I've embroidered.  I like to think I've done a good job, in fact I have a table cloth with a rose done in yellow much like this pillowslip.  What's amazing to me is the neat job done on the back of the project.  Almost as good as the front...

The crochet thread is very fine- not sure what it compares to today's product.  It seems somewhere between tatting thread and crochet thread.  The crochet work was done by my young grandma.  She does a much easier edge with a larger thread to this day on receiving blankets for her great-great grandkids.  These precious, used blankets are stored away for my kids to use on their kids.

One more of the backside

And the care taken to crochet into the fabric- neat, orderly and tight.  Fabulous.

My grandma brought them to my mom as she wants them passed on to someone who will appreciate the work and remember the source.  A little part of me is sad that this lovely work spent a lifetime sitting in a closet so they wouldn't get worn out.  A lesson- crafting is made to be used and worn out, not saved like a precious thing.  Still, what joy to pour over these pillowcases all these years later.

backside!

What do you think?  Lovely no?  Definitely contagiously crafty.