While I am not really whinging about the weather – it was pretty miserable again today. We started with a hailstorm – and thus set the tone for the day!
It was tough, but I got myself out of the house and down to collect Margie and get to Ruby’s with the express purpose of sharing her warm lounge room and a cup of something hot!
The chit chat eventually accidentally fell upon that lovely old fashioned practice of getting a trousseau together! We were comparing notes and having show and tell with our latest knitting and crocheting projects.
With Ruby’s foot giving her grief, and her eyesight so very poor AND the weather keeping her inside, she is very grateful she can do something with her hands.
Back in Ruby’s younger years, most girls were taught all manner of needlecraft. The social scene back then wasn’t huge and in the country, it was even less readily available. Often when friends got together they would sit and make things. Lots of those things were ‘put by’ to give out at birthdays, Christmas or other occasions.
Girls started preparing gathering items for a house long before they even met a prospective Mr Right!
Lots of little memories and stories behind certain pieces. Some made, some shop bought!
One such set – a Duchess Set I learned – one larger middle piece and two smaller matching ones – was made by an elderly lady who was a patient for a while in Ruby’s hospital.
Apparently the ‘dear old soul’ had no family and it gave her great pleasure to make these beautiful pieces and wanted to give them to the nurses who took care of her. It was very strict policy that the nurses accepted no gifts, but it was so hard to refuse this lady, and a number of the nurses were lucky to get a memento. A beautifully edged tablecloth was given, and is now at Ruby’s church.
Things were made that nowadays you wouldn’t think to have in your collection – a breakfast tray cover, for example – something to present breakfast on, to your house guests!
Collections were made of towels, linen and other household items and stored in a special box or cabinet.
Ruby’s mother presented her with 2 sets of white double bed sheets. The kind of quality that would last 10 years, despite being boiled in a copper, poked with a stick and starched into oblivion!
We don’t think anything of brightly coloured & patterned bedsheets do we? Well – they were all white for a very long time. The first time Ruby saw and bought coloured bedsheets the look on Bill’s face was priceless. She hadn’t told him, and he went to get into bed and exclaimed “Well!!! I didn’t think things were so bad we had to sleep in the curtains!!” 🙂
Of course you collected towels – but you had to make sure you had a set of special towels for guests!!
Also special dresser covers were put on the dressers under the jug and basin of water that would be in a bedroom so you could have a wash. Hot water from the fire was used to fill the jug. Of course the cover would get grubby quickly, so there was a lot of washing, starching and ironing and you had to put it back ‘Ever so nicely’ on the dresser.
Tablecloths were important to have too – naturally you had to have your everyday cloth and also ‘one for best’ along with serviettes!
I got married a bit late, so having lived away from home so long I already had a good collection of house goods to use.
Some girls still have a “Kitchen Tea” where a party of friends come along and bring small kitchen utensils, tea towels and the like.
From reading this and that I believe bridal showers are a big thing in the US?
In Ruby’s day it was a Kitchen Tea Party. Presents were not grand. Small useful things like colanders, graters, pots… it all helped. Usually family helped out with some of the bigger needs in setting up a home.
Times have changed a great deal. I could not imagine myself sitting down making a trousseau, or being any where NEAR that organised. Mind you, my sewing abilities are legendary – ask my mother the best way to put a pair of undies back together (at 15 years old I thought stapling was the best solution) I eventually graduated from Staplers to Double Sided Tape. 🙂
It really was a lovely afternoon, snug and warm in the lounge room with Ruby and Margie chatting the afternoon away and reliving those early years!
Cheers!
Oh Lisa, those items are exquisite! And thank you for the close up of the butterflies. Am amazed at how they were created. Unfortunately here in the States, many find their way to thrift stores. Families don’t care nor want these items and all the work involved. From my mother’s and my mother-in-law’s apron stash, I could wear a different one every day and not repeat a single one. And I wear a butcher style apron that I made many years ago.
Elizabeth
I quite like wearing my apron! Not many people seem to these days!!
Its a shame how families don’t treasure those handmade items. I know our family does, and know a lot of the stories behind them. Little bits of personal history.
Glad you enjoyed having a peek at some of the things I saw yesterday. Was such a nice afternoon!!
Everything has to be new, and you can’t own it more than a few years, don’t you know?!
Seriously though, I wish we had more respect for things like this too. I had items that were older, and in my youth, I thought them pointless. Didn’t help that I had a nomad’s heart and moved all over, thereby having a lot of possession’s a hinderance. Had I known then how much I would regret given those things away…
Bridal showers are definitely a thing over here, it’s a huge industry! Unfortunately it usually has none of the class and dignity of the previous century, let alone what you guys do over there. Most of the time it involves getting so drunk you have a tag on you that tells people what they should do with you if you are incoherent, going to strip clubs and so on. At least that’s how they do it in downtown Seattle. Then there is the “get together with the girls and giggle about lingerie and sex toys” type! I skipped all that nonsense, both times I have been married. ;P
lol – somehow I have managed to keep hold of a lot of the heirloom stuff – despite the nomad existence at times! (Jeff may call this skilled hoarding)
haha that you need “a tag on you” !!!
By the time I got married I had gone way past the partying days of my late teens/early 20’s, so it was all quite uneventful – no arrests! 🙂
I really love the idea of a kitchen tea tho – sitting down to drinks – hot or cold – and cakes, and small presents for fun! (and useful)
How lovely! I’m one of those ladies who was taught to crochet and do embroidery. Later I learned to do crewel embroidery and loved doing tapestries. I’ve even hooked rugs! I stopped making doilies a few years ago because no one wanted them. I still have sets of crochet hooks and threads…..just in case. Mostly now I make afghans, what you call rugs.
I search out items like Miss Ruby has at thrift stores and buy them for my personal use. I would love to have such a collection as she has! What a joy to see…
How nice that you can do all that too! I have a small collection from my Mum and Nanna which I love. I even use them!
I didn’t have the patience as a kid for any of that. Too busy climbing trees! lol
Glad you enjoyed seeing some of Ruby’s collection!