Second World War household linens - Utility Mark

The auction this week brought a large lot of unused Utility Mark household linens.

They were still in the original brown paper wrapping..all tied up with string.

Some had the original paper labels

 I wonder why they were bought and never used?  Maybe they were intended for "the bottom drawer" and due to the war the wedding was never to be.

The Utility Mark was introduced towards the end of 1941 by the British government with several purposes in mind.

Raw materials (cloth, wool, leather etc.) were in short supply and had to be conserved. Manufacturers needed to become more efficient in their working practices (Much of the skilled labour had left to fight in the war). Clothing prices needed to be kept down so that the civilian population could afford clothing of a reasonable quality.  The government took control of the import and manufacture of raw materials and supplied cloth etc. to manufactures.


Manufactures were encouraged to produce a limited range of garments and other household linens and therefore produce longer runs. This obviously increased efficiency while reducing the choice available.

The style of items produced were also subject to 'austerity' regulations, which restricted how much cloth was used. For example on clothing, pockets were restricted, a maximum length for men's shirts was introduced and a ban on turn ups for men's trousers caused much heated debate.

So in my haul were cream pure wool blankets, pure brushed cotton blankets and cotton twill sheets. The latter are so strong that they will last decades of use unlike the thin cotton sheets of today. Also tucked into one of the parcels were several Irish linen glass cloths and men's hankies

.

Finally, I had to include a photo of one of the adverts from the newspaper that was wrapped around the sheets.  Modern washing machines of the time......apparently labour saving devices? 

 



A textile treasure box!

So this week at the auctions I came across an eclectic mixture of textiles! I bought a box which was very much a case of "not judging a book by it's cover".

Yes, it looked like this on the outside, and not much more interesting at first glance inside as the top layer was a quantity of old 1950's green shiny damask curtains, but it turned out to be a virtual treasure chest underneath ....

Lots of interesting textiles but a very strange mixture to all come from the same household!

 Harris tweed fabrics in several different colours.

A white Irish linen surplice - complete with page from original catalogue from 1935.

    Lots of lace collars and other Swiss lace trim.

 Ladies silk hankies commemmorating the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

And lots of white Irish linen napkins - not a set of 4 or 6 amongst them!

All this along with the curtains, several pillowcases full of holes and three bottles of hand cream!

First auctions of 2012!

So it's back to the auctions for the first time this year - 2012!  As is the way, there hasn't been an auction for around three weeks due to the Xmas period and then this week there are six - some held on the same day so impossible to get to them all! So, I have had to decide which ones to attend, which to leave commission bids and which to avoid all together!

The first purchase this year was a box of Victorian baby clothes.

They don't look very inspiring in the box however now that they have been washed and pressed........

A great improvement!

At the bottom of the box was a lot of lace and Swiss embroidery trim. As the dresses all came from the same family (Alexander family)and were all hand stitched presumably the lace had been saved from other baby clothes and was awaiting use on more garments.

So now it's ready and available for you crafters out there to use to embellish and create something new.

Another auction tomorrow so I'll get the bidding paddle ready!

Christmas greetings from The Antique Linen Cupboard

I have been so busy over the last few weeks that I haven't had time to update the blog.  All those linen lovers and crafters out there have been buying like fury - I'm not complaining however!  This little robin redbreast provided a flurry of bidding and was very well received when he reached his new owner.

Victorian embroidered monograms have also proved very popular. I know that some buyers incorporated them into cushions or bags and others have simply been framed for a simple but personal gift.

I have also sold lots of small embroidered floral scraps and narrow lace for use in christmas cards. Like Victorian Xmas greetings cards - too pretty to put in the recycling box when Xmas is over!

So finally, I hope that you all have a festive and merry Christmas and wish you a happy New Year!

A lovely day out ..and lots of new stock.

I had a lovely day on Wednesday. OK, so I had to set off at 7.15am to the depths of the countryside, sit in a very cold, draughty cattle market shed and then concentrate very hard on the "machine-gun" delivery of a sale by a cattle market auctioneer (if you have seen sheep or cattle being sold you will know what I mean!). Some of the locals who attend bring their own cushion, blanket, flask of coffee and sandwiches and have a day out ( sitting in a cold, leaky wooden shed for hours?) ...they are made of stern stuff in the Northumberland countryside.  But I bought some great textiles....quilts, linen sheets and pillowcases, damask cloths, lace, tapestries, blankets and embroidered tablecloths. There will be more but I haven't unloaded all the car yet!

A bit like this one but fortunately (given the weather in the North East) it all fits inside!

This is a sample of some of the quilts - very typical of the Victorian period and now very sought-after roses and paisley designs.

And superb hand stitched quilted designs - the hours of work involved is incredible.

At this auction the lots are all tied up very tightly into bundles so it is impossible to really view any of the items before buying. It is really like buying blind  but it does make it interesting when you get your purchases. Have I bought a bundle worth twice or three times what I paid for it?....or do I just have a lot more cleaning cloths!  (Let me tell you I need more cleaning cloths like a I need a hole in the head). So now to explore some more lots - fingers crossed these ones have some treasures amongst them!

Getting ready for (dare I say it?) Xmas!

 Every year I have to tidy up the "sitting" room so that it can be used for Xmas. From January to the end of November it is called the "linen" room and the chairs and sofas are hidden under piles of sheets, tablecloths, doilies and quilts. In fact, my husband forgot the colour one of the sofas as he hadn't seen it for months!  This means first of all trying to find the time to get as much as possible washed and ready for selling.  (I do have baskets like the ones below but I don't have a room this large unfortunately!)

                                      If only we had the weather to hang it all outside like they do in India!

Then the remainder is stashed under beds, in the attic and in the garage. One day I dream of having a garage that looks like...................

Instead of like................................(actually this is tidy compared to our garage)

However, the trip to the garage today did unearth a box of linens that I stashed away last year and forgot about. Inside was a quantity of long white linen surplices that will be ideal for a choir or even more seasonally as costume for the angels in the Nativity play!  So now, back to the washing machine and the ironing board!

Expert needlework skills - embroidery everywhere!

Sales have started to pick up pace for Xmas. Every year, I resolve to be ready in good time for the buying season with lots of stock laundered and photographed...and every year is just as the last - me rushing around trying to cram 36 hours into 24! 
This year hand embroidery is very popular - more so I think than it has been for a long time.

This is a tablecloth currently selling and was bought along with others from a house in Northumberland.

By the same hand - expert needlework skills!

And Crinoline Ladies (or Southern Belles as they are called in the States) remain as popular as ever.

I have also bought this week a collection of hand embroidery tablecloths and napkins with a European flavour. Danish Hebedo embroidery, English whitework, Italian Reticella and Cyprus Lefkara work. 

Each corner and border motif has a different design infill

This one has the English Rose, Scottish Thistle and the Irish Shamrock in the design

 Ideal for the Xmas table or as gifts - now can I get them laundered, ironed and ready for selling in time?