Fabric from my grandmothers things. Possibly from1920-1930. ANYONE RECOGNIZE IT? | ||
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Posted 2 years ago
AliceM
(2 items)
Fabric from my grandmother's things. My mother remembers ironing them as a child. She was born in 1933. Total of 6. 4 have same pattern - different colors. 2 pieces have roses on white background. 1 with yellow roses, 1 with red roses. Measures 34" x 32"
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Can anyone identify this fabric?
To me but I'm no expert it looks as if one time they were possibly table cloths? I think they're beautiful
Are your pictures showing the fabric folded?
You are allowed to post 4 pictures so can you show the fabric laid out straight?
Also show the edges of the fabric. Are the edges folded over and stitched (hemmed)? Is there a curtain rod “pocket” on one end?
By the print, it’s use would have been in the kitchen - probably as window curtains since you have a total of 6. Using 2 panels per window, that would have accommodated 3 windows……does your mom recall the number of kitchen windows?
Watchsearcher, Hear, hear!
AliceM, It would be good to see the edges, as well as a nice unfolded view of at least one of them.
Thanks for all the comments. I have edited the post to add different pictures. There are no rod pockets and a small hem on the 2 ends (I'm assuming), with raw edge on the 2 sides. All are the same. The border sides are the ones left unhemmed.
AliceM, Thank you for the unfolded pictures, especially the one with a corner folded back.
That one clearly shows a double-fold machine-stitched hem on one edge, and a selvedge on the adjacent perpendicular edge (the typical finish on two edges of a bolt of fabric when it's woven at a factory).
Google Lens turned up more than a few siblings (no twins, though) for your red rose one described as Wilendur tablecloths or table toppers, e.g.:
*snip*
Vintage Small Tablecloth / Table Topper Wilendur Red Roses
34.5x 33"
*snip*
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1427151444/vintage-small-tablecloth-table-topper
*snip*
Some of the most popular items in collectible linens today are the brightly colored printed tablecloths of the 1930s-1960s. These vintage table linens take us back to a simpler time, often evoking fond memories. Perhaps the best-known of printed table linens is the Wilendur brand produced by the Weil and Durrse Company from 1938-1984.
Weil and Durrse actually produced several lines of table linens, but Wilendur is the most popular and most sought-after. The company first began manufacturing table linens in 1924 with its “Pride of Flanders” table linens, made of fine European linen, primarily from Belgium. When importing products from Europe became difficult during the run-up to World War II, the company shifted to a heavy cotton or sailcloth fabric, and in 1938 introduced Wilendur tablecloths.
Besides tablecloths, Weil and Durrse also produced placemats, napkins, runners, towels and aprons in matching patterns for their Wilendur tablecloths. Luncheon sets or tea sets, consisting of a small (usually about 34- or 35-inch-square) tablecloth and four napkins, were also available. The company also sold its fabric from bolts. Housewives could buy any length of fabric and make tablecloths, napkins, placemats, towels or curtains. The bolt fabric was either 44- or 54-inches wide with two selvage sides. All the lady of the house had to do was hem the two ends.
Wilendur tablecloths always had two selvage and two hemmed sides.
*snip*
https://www.worthpoint.com/articles/collectibles/bold-vibrant-vintage-wilendur
They do seem a bit small even for Great Depression era tables, e.g.:
*snip*
Neat vintage Samson folding card table with decorated top, 26"X30"X30"
*snip*
https://www.whitleyauction.com/auctions/26580/lot/76936
*snip*
Jesse Shwayder founded Shwayder Trunk Manufacturing in Denver, Colorado, in 1910. His brothers Ben, Mark, Maurice and Sol joined the business between 1912 and 1923. The name “Samson” on your card table label was based on the character in the Bible known for his great strength. It was first used on Shwayder’s suitcases in 1916. The company began making folding tables and other products when sales of suitcases declined during the Depression.
The company name was changed to Samsonite in 1965.
*snip*
https://www.kovels.com/kovels-komments/collectors-concerns/samson-table.html
But, hey: Wilendur table linens. I think that's what we might be looking at here. :-)
A'ight. I read this again, and I don't think I was altogether clear in my comment from the other day.
Only one problem was that huge excerpt I used from the Worthpoint Wilendur listing. It was very informative; however, because it was so big, the pertinent tidbits are easy to miss. I'll be pulling quotes out of it again as I go back to clarify:
https://www.worthpoint.com/articles/collectibles/bold-vibrant-vintage-wilendur
It's possible that at least some of your grandmother's fabrics are Wilendur, because:
"Sometimes Wilendur linens had a cloth label attached, but not always."
The red non-rose piece seems like a candidate because the turned back corner clearly shows one selvage edge and one hemmed edge:
"Wilendur tablecloths always had two selvage and two hemmed sides."
About "selvage/selvedge":
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selvage
The red rose one seems to have no exposed selvages. Both of the edges seen in the turned back corner look like they've been hemmed, albeit not necessarily with mitered corners, possibly because the hems are quite narrow.
About mitered corners in sewing:
https://sewguide.com/sew-mitered-corners/
The size of these pieces are indeed rather small, however:
"Luncheon sets or tea sets, consisting of a small (usually about 34- or 35-inch-square) tablecloth and four napkins, were also available."
Perhaps even back in the 1930s, they were being used in the diagonal or as an overlay as the Worthpoint listing writer suggests modern users of vintage linens might do:
"A vintage tablecloth can work on a larger table, however. Often people will lay the tablecloth at an angle, allowing the wood corners of the table to show. Another way is to cover the table with a larger solid color cloth and drape the vintage cloth over top of it."
Using a roughly 36 inch square tablecloth on the diagonal could work quite nicely:
https://www.omnicalculator.com/math/square-diagonal
It's also possible that your grandmother made her own Wilendur lookalike tablecloths using fabric she bought from a separate source. Thirty-six inch wide or even narrower fabric was still quite common in the 1930s:
https://www.thevintagepatternshop.com/product-category/vintage-sewing-patterns/1930s-sewing-patterns/
I myself am partial to the blue one with the kitchen motif, but then I'm partial to both blue and coffee. <3
BTW, thank you again for adding new pictures to your post, because without them, I might never have tripped on Wilendur. :-)
I knew Keramikos could give us a wealth of great info! I’m still looking thru it myself hoping to learn more about some old fabric I have.
I learned to sew from watching my granny, my mother, and from my mother lying about my age so she could slip me into a class at or local Singer Sewing Machine store. My older sister and I were the only to children in a class of adult women but our outfits turned out just as good as theirs did!
But all that digression was to say it was very common for a home seamstress, including myself and my family, to only hem the cut ends and leave the selvage edges alone when making curtains or table cloths or such.
I’m very partial to anything with red roses on it. I can see the cloth in pic 2 being used as an overlay over a larger white table cloth. :^D
I’d love to see on overall view of the cloth in picture 3.
Since only 4 pictures are allowed, u can always make a second post to allot yourself 4 more pics.
I’m really enjoying this post. :-)
Thank you so much for all this info. Has given me a lot to consider. Yes, I would say a definite possibility that Granny bought "look alike" fabric. From what few pictures I have seen of them during these years, they were just surviving. She did work in the "war plant" in Chattanooga, Tenn. & could have had access to fabric. I will be glad to make another post to show the other pieces.
AliceM, You re very welcome. :-)
Here are some Wilendur patterns for your perusal:
https://www.pinterest.com/tamar1959/wilendur-will-endure/
However, it does seem quite possible that your Granny saw a Wilendur table cloth in a store, or an adventisement, and thought to herself, "Why, I can make those myself!"
Watchsearcher, So your mother lied about your age to sneak you into a sewing class. She probably knew that you could already sew circles around a lot of people. };-)
Yeah, you probably remember that 36 inch wide fabric was still not uncommon in the 1960s.
Keramikos, you are right about my sewing skills: as a child, I made doll clothes on the sewing machine before Mother allowed me to plug it in for electricity! I had to turn the wheel with my right hand while guiding the fabric with my left hand…that was slow go but I got the job done. :-)
In the Singer class, my chosen project was a button front blouse with a collar and set-in sleeves made in a red patterned cotton fabric along with a black A-line wrap around skirt lined in the same red fabric as the blouse. I wore the outfit to school till I outgrew it.
I have perfect recall of the fabric because my granny used my scraps in a quilt which I have to this day.
AliceM, showing your fabrics makes me wish I had my Granny’s old table cloths ….I know she used table cloths but there’s no telling what ever became of them.
If you have other fabrics belonging to your grandmother, keep them. People repairing antique quilts need old fabrics and will gladly buy it.
Watchsearcher, That's so great that you have a quilt your Granny made using fabric scraps from the outfit you made in class. <3