Uses for Vintage Embroidered Pillowcases

 Some of the very first vintage linen pieces I owned

were embroidered and crocheted pillowcases

that were given to me after

my great-grandmother passed.

 

 

I was a young junior-high girl.  Even then, I admired the

pastel colored embroidery and dainty crocheted edging. 

I have no memories of Agnes since she moved to the

other side of the United States

when I was very, very young.

 She had come to America as a young girl with her

immigrating parents from Czechoslovakia.

 

  

 

Here she is on the left.  I wonder where she was going

arm-linked with her friend.  Their fur-accented coats

and fashionable hats whisper to me of

some special outing.

 

 

 

For a while, I used my great-grandmother's pillowcases,

but after several washings,

I noticed the soft cotton was wearing thin.

To protect these little pieces I had of Great-Grandmother's time,

I found other uses for her embroidered pillowcases.

 

 

For months, I would drape them over the bedroom nightstands,

letting the handiwork show toward the front of the nightstand.

The cotton pillowcase then draped over the back portion

of the stand.

 

 

I've also placed them inside my linen closet so that

the beautiful edging falls right at the edge of the shelf.

Sheets and towels get stacked on top.

 

 

 

 Sheet sets can be folded and stored within

these pretty vintage cases.

 

Imagine reaching into your linen closet without having

to search for the matching fitted and top sheets!

 

This storage option also reduces the amount of allergens

and dust mites that come into contact with your stored linens.

(We've got allergies at my house!!)

  

 

If you find a clean and mostly un-used set, consider

gifting them to that dear relative

 or friend who already has

everything. 

Even if a year or two's worth of laundering

wears out the beauties,

they still will have served their intended purpose --

adding beauty to the home.

 

 

All of the pillowcases

featured in this post have been

gifts from friends

or my own thrifty finds.

 

 

The Internet and creative craft books

also give numerous repurposing

ideas for these particular vintage linens.

 

Dozens of Ways to Repurpose a Pillowcase

I love this one!

 

 

Do you have any ideas for using your

embroidered pillowcases?

 

I'd love to hear!

 

 

Blessings,

Amy

Bedside Caddy from Vintage Pillow Case

Using only the straight stitch on your sewing machine and a vintage pillowcase you can make a sweet bedside caddy.

Are you ready to begin?



1.  Choose a standard vintage pillowcase with an all-over floral motif.  Launder and press.  (Estate sales, thrifts stores, and Goodwill all have great vintage pillowcases that have long ago lost their matching sheets.  You can also check with Grandma.  The back of her linen closet may yield some long lost beauties.  Etsy and Ebay also sell vintage pillowcases, but the sellers will charge you several dollars per case.)

2.  Fold long sides together forming a long rectangle.  Pin along the edges.  Sew a 1/4" seam around all four edges.

3.  Choose your favorite vintage image cropping and/or sizing to no more than 3 X 5 inches.  Print the image onto June Tailor's Quick Fuse Iron-on Ink-jet Fabric sheets following the manufacturer's instructions.  You can borrow my image below.  (This is one of my relatives.)  The other caddy samples that you will see in my photographs use images from Sandy Babb's at Quill Cottage  and Karen at the Graphics Fairy.



4.  Cut out the image and iron onto a coordinating piece of non-fraying fabric such as fleece, felt, wool, or flannel.  Use pinking sheers to cut around the fabric leaving about a 1/2" border outside of the vintage image.

5.  Use Scotch Blue Painter's Tape (It's wonderful for marking fabric!) to mark a 7" square at the top of what was the opening of the pillowcase.  You will build your vintage collage in the 7" square.

6.  Attach the vintage image to the 7" square by taking 3 strands of embroidery thread and sewing a free hand running stitch around the border fabric.

7.  Embellish with bits of crochet, old buttons, charms, lace, and ribbons.

8.  Fold the 7" collage pocket up wrong sides together.  Slip stitch the outside edges.  Remove the bottom Painter's Tape.

9.  Straight stitch along the edge of the remaining Painter's Tape to form the two pockets needed for the caddy.  Remove the Painter's Tape.  Last minute embellishments can still be added.

10.  Slide the long flat part of the pillowcase between your mattress and box springs to secure your caddy.

You are only limited by your imagination!

 

Amy

"The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying,

Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love:"

Jeremiah 31:3