We're so used to referring to sheets, tablecloths, and napkins as linens that we mostly forget the word actually refers to a fiber: the Flax Plant. These days the fabrics used for "domestic service" are more often than not woven of cotton, although flax, bamboo and other "sustainable" fibers are making a big comeback!
Redwork Towel
Historically, Linen and Flax were used in the fine linens of France, Belgium and other European Countries, cherished by generations for their "hand", {how the fabric feels} their sturdiness, and their unbeatable quality and fine attention to detail! But there are some beautiful vintage pieces made of sturdy woven Cotton, too! 
How do you know what you are buying is truly an antique linen, or vintage? What should you look for? How much should you pay? Here are a few tips:
1. Like anything else, I suggest you just go out and do some research. If you know of a shop where they sell antique linens, go there. Look. Ask questions. Sometimes a museum will have a linen collection you can go see, too. Maybe your Mom or Grandmother has some antique or vintage pieces tucked away to show you! The quality is unmistakable. The hems are hand sewn. The embroidery is beautifully executed. After seeing a few examples of the real deal, believe me, you will know one when you see one!
Linen & Flax Towels
Handwoven Antique French Sheet, woven by two women,3. Check out the item carefully. Check the hems for any frayed areas. Hold the piece up to the light, this will allow you to see any stains, spots, or holes. Check for repairs. Be sure to open all the napkins, or pieces of a set, to check the condition. A few little age spots don't bother me, but if they bother you, don't buy that particular set. Saying that, you can't expect something 100 years old that was loved and used to be like a tablecloth or sheet set you buy new. The wear and aging is what makes this antique. You are paying for that quality, but also the way it looks now, after the grace of age has been washed over the item. Antiques tell stories of the past, they do so with a few little wear signs.
Handwoven Antique French Sheet, woven by two women,
as evidenced by their initials in Red, this is the other "half".
4. If the item you buy is stained, it may or may not come clean. We make sure that everything we sell is clean. I personally wouldn't buy from a dealer who sells uncleaned linens, pillows or even Burlap or Grainsacks. I have found that the dealers who take the time to wash and press their offerings, have better quality pieces. Because they care. Unless you really know what you are doing, I would pass on the "great deals" with lots of stains. Antique Linens do not take well to Bleach, it weakens the fibers, and can leave holes in the piece where the stains were. {See below for some washing methods I recommend}
5. Prices vary greatly. A set will always cost more than a single piece. One pillowcase may be 25.00~185.00 or more, depending on the age and if there is hand embroidery, monogramming, Lace etc. A pair will be more. A simple torchon {drying towel} can fetch 28.00 ~ 50.00. Beautiful Redwork Show Towels in wonderful condition go for as much as 300.00 and up, depending on what the rarity of design is. Napkins sell in the 125.00 ~ 650.00 range, depending on size, quality and how many are in the set. Add a matching tablecloth for another 600.00 or so. Antique sheet sets will vary in price from 100.00~ up to 1250.00.
Victorian Whitework Pillowslips
You don't have to do without, if the truly antique pieces are out of your budget. You can find some wonderful vintage pieces, with pretty embroidery, for under 25.00. They will be just as happy to do duty in your homes as their more expensive cousins. They'll most likely be made of thinner cotton, and embroidered from one of thousands of pre~printed tablecloths, pillowcases and sheets made in the 1940's ~ 1970's. But they will still make you smile when you see them. Or you may find a few napkins at a fleamarket, or a great tablecloth. Mix and match to your heart's content! For a few dollars you can have a piece of history. If you happen on a real Victorian piece, like the one with the Butterflies, above, and get it for a good price....then you have a true find! {if we had found those there, we would be beside ourselves....but, we bought this from a European connection}
To care for antique and vintage Linens: There are some wonderful soaks on the market especially formulated for cleaning antique and vintage pieces. Many can be washed in the machine, although I prefer hand washing. The dryer is in most cases a no~no. Hang your linens outside in the fresh air to dry. If there is a spot, you can try this: Pat the stain with lemon and salt, or soak the cloth for a few days in a bucket of water with mild soap. Rinse gently without wringing, pressing to expel the water. Lay the cloth over a clean white sheet on a bush or grass and let the sun naturally dry and bleach it. Repeat the process as necessary. {Grass fields in Europe used to be referred to as the bleaching fields}
I use a mixture of water and Dreft. In cases where I feel the fibers can withstand it, I use OxyClean. This is not really recommended by antique textile experts, but sometimes it's what I use to save a piece for my own use. Do not use bleach. The antique fibers just aren't able to withstand bleach, you will do more harm than help. Like I mentioned before, often bleach makes holes where spots used to be. No matter how you wash, be sure to rinse, rinse, and rinse again. Better to rinse too much than not enough!
With the right care, your antique and vintage linens can still be hardworking and beautiful for another 100 years.
I love to use antique and vintage linens, because they remind me of all the happy dinners, nights sleep and other sweet memories families had with them so long ago.
Let me know what kind of antique or vintage linens you love, and how you use them at home.
