Antique bedspreads for the summer

Antique linen bedspreads are very popular at the moment. Perhaps it is to do with the summer arriving and being able to put those winter blankets away for a while! These three are currently listed for sale and show the variety of designs and styles that the Victorians and Edwardians used in the home. I bought them at an auction in Dundee, Scotland when I was there helping my daughter move into her new flat. It's always good to go to new auctions, watch the dynamics of the bidding and who buys what! And often the prices in one part of the country are very different to those in another

 The one above is all hand embroidered and then set with inserts of bobbin lace with a lace border.

The one below is in Pina "linen"  - fabric very like linen but made from the fibres of the Pineapple plant and not flax. Beautifully hand worked needlelace infills and drawnthread - hours of work!

And finally this last one below is more unusual as it is in a creamy yellow - most bedspread from this era are white. This one also has drawnthread work and uses Tenerife lace infills - very elaborate work

Summer linens and lace

I have had a hectic time lately...hence the long time since posting anything on the blog! Last week I was at Carlisle in the Lake District where I came across some nice old and interesting linens some of which will be listed on eBay today. Amongst the treasures was a very unusual tablecloth with Maltese lace edge and teatme motifs.

This is a close up of the centre motif

I also came across a tablecloth with lovely needlelace - each square panel completed in a different needlelalce design

Close up of a couple of the panels below

After Carlisle on Monday, I went to Scotland, then Northumberland and then on to Yorkshire at the end of the week. So linens from all over the north of England and into Scotland. More to come later.