This table cloth was my Grandmother's. She was married in 1914, and this was a wedding present. It has 11 napkins with it. It is amazing there are no stains on it. My mother says she used all her white tablecloths even when she fed the threshers. (farmers who harvested wheat) All the farmers helped each other by going farm to farm at threshing time (hot summer in Kansas) and all the farm wives used their best linens and dishes to feed the threshers, noon and evening. It was like an unspoken competition of who could feed the other farmers the best, and by the next morning, all the farm wives knew who served what, how much and what their tables looked like. Can you imagine white tablecloths and dirty, hot, tired threshers?
17 comments:
I can't even imagine white tablecloths and dirty, hot, tired threshers! Beautiful tablescape!
Your table is beautiful! Mine gets ruined with two kids, I can't imagine a table of threshers :)
Just beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Pat, what a great story of your grandmother's tablecloth! I especially love the sparkle of your votives and the crystal trees -- they add such charm!
Beautiful table and the linens are amazing. Love this!
Those ladies used bluing when washing linens. My daughters' paternal grandmother had the most beautiful white linens everyday and special. She was a rural housewife also. My children have some of those linens and they are as pristeen as they were when new. Bluing is the only "secret" I know of, that G'ma B used.
A beautiful tablescape! I would love to know your grandmothers secret for getting out stains, she must have had one to keep her linens so pristine!
What a beautiful tablescape, everything is so pristine! I can't imagine having a group of dirty, hard working, stinky threshers sitting down to a table like that! The men must have thought the women very funny. Great story, thanks for the fun!
Hugs, Cindy
Those Kansans know how to do it up right! Beautiful table, Pat.
What a beautiful table and how wonderful that you have your grandmother's tablecloth and napkins. I loved the story of feeding the threshers! I'm amazed those woman would use their best linens for them!
Beautiful tablecloth - I love the story of using it to feed threshers. We still have yearly displays of threshing around here and they are dusty! Those women must have used lots of bleach to get them back to white :)
I love the crystal reflecting in the candlelight - a very pretty setting and I am happy to visit via Kathleen's party.
Such an elegant table and I love the threshing story. Living in rural Nebraska, I know just what a threshing is. Your tablecloth and napkins are treasures :)
CHRISTmas Blessings!
Gail
What an interesting story about your tablecloth and threshing, I never heard of it before. Love the little trees and votive holders. They make the table sparkle.
Happy Holidays,
Carey
Very pretty and what a great story about the threshers! To me this is what makes blogging fun -- the stories people share.
Hello Pat,
you made a wonderful table. I love the center arrangement, it looks really as carved from ice. And the tablecloth of your grandmother is amazing and a lovely tribute to her. Yes, I can imagine, that the threshers had washed theirself carefully before they sat down. Because on the next day everybody also knew, who made the wonderful table dirty!
Love that story. Wish you a wonderful Christmas.
Greetings, Johanna
Thanks so much for stopping by, commenting and joining me on my blogging journey! I love your posts and will continue to follow. Merry Christmas and all the blessings of the season.
This is just gorgeous!! I LOVE all the white. The flatware is just gorgeous, what is that pattern?? And I love the crystal too. Beautiful, white and wintry!!
Aren't family treasures just the very best! I am an advocate for vintage/antique linens. They bring such a special substance to our tablescapes. Loved the information about preparing meals for the threshers...and the "competition" among the wives serving them. Thank you for sharing your charming design. Cherry Kay
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