TEA TOWEL EMBROIDERY FROM DAYS GONE BY–by Cheryl Pierson

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When I was a young girl, I became fascinated with wanting to learn to embroider. Mom started showing me when I was about 10 or so—just the simple stitches, nothing fancy. But by the time I was in high school in the 70’s, I was pretty darn good at it and could do a lot of pretty things to jazz up my blue jeans and chambray shirts! I think my mom lamented the days gone by of embroidering handkerchiefs and aprons. At one point, I made my husband a shirt and had an artist friend free-hand the cover of the Eagles’ One of These Nights album onto the back of it. I embroidered it for him, and he had people offer him money for that shirt several times!

 

 

 

 

 

My grandmother had some tea towels she had embroidered. Where she found time to do that with raising 11 kids, I will never know. But now, I’m thinking that must have been something that was somewhat relaxing for women to do during that time period—after all, they could SIT DOWN while they worked! Granny had used Aunt Martha’s embroidery pattern iron on transfers (a staple for homemakers back then!) and she gave me a couple of packages of them. I still have them somewhere—I think they were puppies and lambs.

 

 

 

A few years ago, my sister and I were at a yard sale and we came upon a box of embroidered tea towels, pillow cases and table runners. All done by hand. All so unappreciated. The entire box for $2. We couldn’t pass it up, because we both just love old things. So we bought it, knowing we’d never use any of it. Just wash it and keep it because it was so old and someone had spent a good deal of time working on those things.

 

I put the metal iguana on there to give it a little more color!

 

I think we both must have been thinking of our mom, who spent long hours of the night painting—thinking of the time and love and effort she put into that hobby of hers. Did someone do the same with these old tea towels and linens?

 

I’d forgotten about them until we moved the china cabinet. I had to clean it out to move it and then put everything back inside. I “found” them and it was like Christmas all over again! I didn’t take time to iron them, but you can get an idea of the age and care that was used to embellish these everyday kitchen towels from long ago. I still have some pillowcases I did many years ago. I don’t think my eyes could handle working on those projects now. I miss it!

 

 

Do you remember seeing tea towels, pillow cases, even sheets—and other household items from the past that had been lovingly embroidered?

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A native Oklahoman, I've been influenced by the west all my life. I love to write short stories and novels in the historical western and western romance genres, as well as contemporary romantic suspense! Check my Amazon author page to see my work: http://www.amazon.com/author/cherylpierson
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65 thoughts on “TEA TOWEL EMBROIDERY FROM DAYS GONE BY–by Cheryl Pierson”

  1. I have a set of embroidered tea towels a great-aunt made–sadly, I don’t know which one.

    I also have a set of embroidered pillow cases given to me by a friend’s mom not long after I was married. She had received them as a wedding gift, and that was thirty years ago, so I imagine they’re 70-80 years old.

    denise

    • clarifying it was thirty years ago when I received them and she had been married more than 40 years at that point–I have the note with the info with them in a blanket chest.

      • I love getting thoughtful gifts like that that are homemade and took time and skill and LOVE. I probably will never get rid of anything I own that is handmade! LOL When you mentioned those pillowcases, I remember making a set of those for Gary and me to have, but they had to be ironed every time they were washed and I stopped using them. NOW…where are they? I know I didn’t give them away!

  2. I actually bought some of the Aunt Martha’s embroidery transfers at Walmart a couple of years ago. Just checked, you can still buy them at Walmart and amazon online. They are a lot of fun! Wish I could get my girls interested in
    learning to embroider.

    • Sherry, I promise you, when I was getting the Aunt Martha’s images for this blog from the internet, it was all I could do not to click on those and BUY SOME MORE!!! LOL I just love them all–probably because they remind me of good memories. I do miss doing embroidery, but I’m not sure my eyes could hold up to it now.

  3. When I was about 4yo my mom’s great aunt came to came to stay with us for an extended visit.
    Very old-school, she insisted that boys belonged outside getting dirty and girls belonged indoors learning to to crochet and embroider.

    Sis & I were forced to sit at Auntie’s feet to learn from her because Mom did not crochet or embroider.
    We made simple round doilies and started embroidering tea towels before she left. Dad ended up promising us $5 to finish our tea towel. I made $10 because sis couldn’t sit still and I ended up finishing hers and mine. We did one with days of the week and baby animals.

    • Oh my gosh! That made me laugh! My mom taught me embroidery, but she was a perfectionist and I (at 10 years old) often felt I’d never learn to do it “right”–but as I got older, I learned so much and got better and better at it, and I remember when I showed her that shirt I made for Gary and did the embroidery on, she was just amazed. That was a GREAT DAY! LOLLOL

      A girl I worked with taught me to crochet when I was in my mid-late 20’s. She made the neatest, most comfortable house shoes–I think I had about 4 pairs of them! I was never good enough to make something like that, but I did learn how to make afghans and I crocheted everyone in our family one for Christmas one year. I’m not sure now if I could remember how, but I think it would come back to me.

      Also, Mary Ellen, my cousin and her brothers used to have to iron their blue jeans, when we were kids, and her brothers would pay her some of their allowance money if she’d iron theirs for them! LOL That reminded me of that when you talked about your sister and you. Great memories!

  4. I used to do some embroidery. We got several things from my husband’s sister for our wedding 53 years ago. She did pillowcases. She was 15 at the time. I have old linens in my hope chest and Hankies and aprons from the 40s and 50s. I use doilies all over the house.

    • Paula, I have some doilies–I’m not sure who made them, but someone in my family from generations past. :(((( I wish I knew! I put them out just as decorations–they are just beautiful! And what a nice gift from your sister-in-law!

  5. Yes, I have some from the family. I also learned to embroidery as a child and did it for years. When the cross-stitch fad hit, I also did some of that too. My initial venture into embroidery when I was five led me to develop and interest in all arts and crafts.

    • Janice, I LOVED cross-stitch. I made so many things–just loved doing it–it was so relaxing to me. I did a lot of stuff on my daughter’s clothing (that was when it was the height of fashion–when she was in kindergarten) and it all turned out so cute. I think I kept a couple of those little outfits. I had boxes and boxes of thread and patterns and ended up giving it away hoping someone else could use it all.

  6. I have a collection of pillow cases beautifully embroidered. If I see them at any sale I will buy them! Knowing such time and care was spent making them.

    • Susan, that is exactly how I feel about it, too! So many beautiful things –it’s heartbreaking to see boxes of that stuff out at sales and thrift stores for next to nothing.

  7. Oooooh, Cheryl!! Love this post! I, too, used the Aunt Martha transfers and treasure every dish towel, table runner, and doily I embroidered or that were given to me.

    How I wish young girls still loved to embroider. They don’t sit still long enough – would rather play sports, spend time on their phones, etc, I guess, but embroidery is such a lovely pastime. My granddaughters have lots of embroidery thread – but they make bracelets with them instead. 🙂

    I’m so glad you rescued that $2 box. You were the perfect person to protect and appreciate them.

    • Pam, I wish young girls enjoyed learning to embroider, too. That is just a lost art, along with so many other–knitting, crochet, tatting, and so on. I spent many enjoyable hours working on crochet and embroider and crewel projects in the past! My niece learned to knit and taught my daughter, Jessica, when she was about 8 or 9. She picked it up so quickly and really enjoyed doing it!

      I split that box with my sister, and one of the things in it that she wanted was a mixer cover that had a rooster on it. I don’t know if she still has that but she used it for many years and it looked great in her kitchen!

      Hugs!

  8. Some of my mom’s friends use to do embroidery and all kinds of crafts. My mom never was interested in doing these kind of things, but she did sew and make clothes for us kids when we were small.

    • Connie, my mom sewed for all three of us girls, and for others, too. She made all of my sister’s bridesmaids’ dresses for her wedding, and she made sooooo many costumes for us through the years, not to mention “regular” clothing–beautiful dresses and so on. She made two of my prom dresses–and everything she made was just beautifully finished and gorgeous. Other people offered to pay her to make things for them but she felt like she was not “good enough” at it to do it! That was so untrue, because her work was fabulous. I still have some of the things she made me packed in boxes in the attic. That was back in the day when covered buttons where a thing and she taught me how to do those. I was so proud of myself! I think sewing is another lost art! I will say…the last thing I ever made was matching clown costumes for my kids for Halloween when they were 1 and 3, and I promised myself if I could finish those I’d never attempt another project like that. (kind of like Scarlett in Gone With the Wind where she’s saying, “As God is my witness I’ll never go hungry again…” — mine was “…I’ll never make another thing!” ) LOL

  9. My great-grandmother was the embroider in our family, but I don’t think my grandmother, mother aunt or my cousins and I ever learned to do this. I was 5 when she died. I still have some of her embroidery and her crochet pieces and I use them today.

    • I remember my mom had a pintuck pin cushion that her mother had made and used –I don’t know what ever happened to that, but it was a fixture in her sewing room for as long as I can remember. My grandmother (Mom’s mom) made both my sisters a pintuck pillow for their beds out of that satiny soft material, and I was so envious! LOL I don’t know if anyone knows how to do that anymore or not, but I’m sure it was a lot of work. So glad you have your great-grandmother’s embroidery and crochet pieces! So much time and love went into those things from so long ago.

    • Cathy, good for you! I think we need to start a revolution! Everyone needs to remember how to do these things and maybe find someone else to pass it on to. Kind of as an aside, when my son was a teenager, he decided he wanted to make guitars. I was desperate to find someone who might have a class on how to do it, etc., but when I posted it on our Nextdoor app, a woman responded that she knew someone who “might be interested” and to let her find out and she’d get back with me. It turned out to be a guy who was just SOOOO NICE and willing to teach Casey everything he knew. He had some grandsons about Casey’s age but none of them were interested. He was so thrilled to have someone to pass it down to, and Casey was VERY thankful and excited to have a mentor like that to learn from. Maybe there are still a few young girls out there who might want to learn these things we are talking about–crochet, embroidery and such.

  11. My grandmother’s only sister did a ton of embroidery and quilting. I have a bunch of pillow cases and table runners and things she made and a quilt she made for me.

    • Teresa, yes, I was just commenting above about how many of these talents are being lost because of not being taken up by the next generation and handed down. That is really sad, isn’t it? Embroidery was always so relaxing to me! I bet it would be good to lower blood pressure.

  13. Cheryl, I remember my grandmother saying she never saw her mother sit down without something in her hands. Embroidery, quilts, just sewing for the family. My grandma was born in 1902 so a long time ago. But we had all these crazy quilts and other old things, a lot of them looked like hours of hard work. But if you did a little every evening for your whole life, it would add up.

    • Hi Mary! Thinking back, I don’t remember many of the women in my family on either side that sat down without having something to do with their hands. I know my mom’s mother and my husband’s mother always had SOMETHING to do–and my mom, the same thing. But one thing I remember about my mom was that after the house was still and quiet and everything was done, she FINALLY got to sit down and paint, and that was her passion. She’d turn the tv on to those old movies that they showed until the station went off at midnight and just watch those and paint. She kept busy constantly. I guess I kind of inherited that, because for years, I would crochet, or embroider, or then later on I loved to color when that became a fad for adults(and boy, was I glad it did, because growing up I could think of no better gift than a huge box of crayons and a couple of coloring books!) LOL Also, coloring is a lot more fun than shelling peas…just sayin’…LOL

      My mom started a quilt for me many years ago–I would love to have that quilt top she began, but I’ve no idea whatever happened to it. Like you said, if you did a little bit every evening it truly would add up!

      Hugs, Mary!

  14. I started a tea towel embroidery project at the beginning of Covid and didn’t finish. Now I feel motivated again!

    It’s days-of-the-week chores, featuring a girl in a bonnet. I found it online, and had to transfer it by holding it up to a window and tracing it onto the towels by hand. I wish I could’ve found a hot iron transfer version.

    I’m always appalled that vintage handicrafts go for so little at garage sales and antique malls. They took so much time and effort.

    On the other hand, I love a good bargain.

    Thanks!

    • Abby, good for you! I hope you are motivated again and will have the chance to finish your tea towel embroidery! I remember that pattern you are talking about so well! I think my grandmother had that on some of her tea towels!

      Like you, it’s hard to see all those beautiful things from days gone by in a box like the one my sister and I found, just collecting dust (or worse!) and selling for just a little bit of nothing–especially when you think of all the time and effort and love that went into making them!

  15. I never learned beyond simple stitches and cross stitching. When I became engaged in70 my mother made me some pillow cases. I used them so much they worn out. My mother-in-law made some cross stitched ones years later as well and I gave them to my daughter so she would have something from her grandmother after she died. I have a couple of projects I occasionally get out to work on, but not often.

    • Kari, I haven’t tried to embroider/cross-stitch now for a long time, but I really am not sure I could do it at this point with my eyes. I would have to get one of those magnifiers they make to put over my work so I could see what I was doing. So glad your daughter will have something from her grandmother! That’s a wonderful gift.

  16. I’ve embroidered pillowcases, tablecloths, and handkerchiefs. I did pillowcases for all three of my older sisters, I did a tablecloth for Mom, handkerchiefs for Daddy. I did placemats and table napkins for myself, and am still working on the tablecloth that matches them. It’s gotten so hot I had to stop working on the tablecloth for awhile. I want to do some more things, though I haven’t yet bought any to work on. I’d really like to get the tablecloth done before I start something else! I do find it relaxing, though, so I can only imagine they did back then, too.

    • Trudy, I find it very relaxing, too. I’m sure they must have felt the same way–if for no other reason than they were being productive at something and getting off their feet for a while! I used to make a lot of gifts that were cross stitched and just loved working on them and being able to give something that I made. You gave me an idea…I just got a new dining table a couple of months ago, smaller than the one I used to have. I might thing about doing a project with a tablecloth. I’ve never done one of those. That might be something to do when it turns off cold again. Maybe a Christmas pattern!

      • Yes!! I really want to do some pieces for my living room, and some for gifts, too!! I just really want to finish the tablecloth before I start something else in embroidery. I’ve got to start making my Christmas cards, too!!

    • Oh how fun! You make your own cards? That is sooooo cool. I know a lot of people don’t send cards anymore, but I always do because it’s the only time I touch base with a lot of the people I send those cards to. And I always love getting cards from others. You do a lot of VERY NEAT STUFF, Trudy!

      • I take after my Mom!! She was very artsy crafty!! I’m going with a group of ladies from church the 28th of this month to paint some pottery at a local pottery shop! I’m really looking forward to that! Too bad you don’t live near me to go to that!!

  17. Neither of my grandmothers embroidered, but my husband’s grandmother tatted ( I hope that is the correct word) it looked like the edging around in the 4th picture from the bottom. It was beautiful but I don’t have any…sure wish I did.

    • Vicki, yes, that’s what I always heard it called–and like you, I wish I had some. It’s a kind of lace, from what I understand. Handmade lace. I wish I knew how to do it. Talk about a lost art!

  18. These were one of my first projects as a little girl and I remember those iron-on transfers very well. I still like to do crewel work. I have some of my mother’s and some of my own framed and hung as wall decoration.

    • Miriam, I like to do crewel too, but haven’t done any now in ages. I did a really pretty hand mirror for my mom (the back of it) and also a mirror to go on the wall, just decorative, about 4×6 (the mirror itself) but the frame where the crewel was was larger, the mirror just the bottom part of it. I have those things now that she is gone. I have a piece of cross stitch I did for my sister and a crewel piece I made her, too. One day I’m going to try to make something for myself instead of gifts. LOL

  19. yes I remember mom and grandma embroidering from those packets. my mom had so many of these packets from her mom. my mom taught me to embroider. I eventually received all those packets of patterns. still have them.

    • Lori, I don’t know why, but those packets just make me happy. And there are so many to choose from! I remember my grandmother had a bunch of those, and Mom had a very few because she really didn’t do a lot of embroidery, but I bought some when I was learning to embroider and just loved the pictures so much I bought extra ones–I don’t know where those are now, but I was sure happy to have all of them and have such a wonderful choice, and they were not expensive at all!

  20. I remember using embroidery many times when younger. I think it so sad to find things that someone spent a lot of time doing by hand in a garage sale being sold by their family. How could they not value their heritage?

    • Joyce, I feel that same way. My mom did some BEAUTIFUL china painting, and I have a few pieces of that. I’ll do a post on that sometime, because it is soooo gorgeous and she spent so much time on it. Not long ago, my daughter and I had gone into a thrift store and there were about 3 pieces of china painting that someone had done and those had wound up there in thrift store priced for about .50 each! OMG!!!!! I would just die of that ever happened to my mom’s stuff. I know how much time and effort and LOVE she poured into her art and I’m assuming that unknown person did, too, and there it sat for .50 a piece.

  21. Here’s something lese I meant to add–those Grand Millennial sellers on Instagram are making a pretty penny selling them. They’re hot in that demographic.

    • REALLY???? I had no idea! Just thought no one cared anymore. Thanks for letting me know–though I’d never sell these. Most of what I have is what I got at the yard sale I mentioned. I don’t really have any embroidery that any of my ancestors did. But I do have some doilies and one quilt.

  22. Good memories. I think I was about the same age as you when I learned to embroider, although I think you became a little (lot) more skilled than I ever did! I still have a couple of pillowcases I did and table runners my mom or grandmother did. They taught me to crochet, too. My mom did the granny squares so I’ve got the afghans. My grandmother did tablecloths with fine thread. I never got that good at it. A few years ago I picked up all the supplies again to “relax and embroider in my spare time” but I guess I haven’t found that spare time yet.

    • Sally, I don’t know what spare time is anymore! LOL At least you have the motivation! I never did granny squares, but that might be my next venture in crafting.

  23. I, too, have a box of “Aunt Martha’s” transfer patterns. They are so cute! I have mostly used them for painting on fabric rather than stitching. I have done some embroidery. My mother-in-law usually had a project of some kind going, mainly for gifts. She insisted they were meant to be used and so the flower cart and bluebird have worn off the pillow cases she gave our daughter and many tea towels have totally worn out over the years. They were used reminding us of Grandma’s love.

  24. Hi, when I was young my mom taught me how to embroider, my grandmother also embroidered. I loved to embroider pillow cases sheets , tea towels and other things. I have not embroided for a very long time, but I really loved it. I still have some things that I embroiderd.

    • Alicia, I have some of the stuff I embroidered too, but it’s packed somewhere. I need to clean the attic out and see if they are up there–it’s time to start using them! I loved embroidering too when I used to do it.

  25. Yes. I love them! I wish I could see well enough and the arthritis in my hands wasn’t so bad. I would like to be able to do embroidery. I did counted cross-stitch when I was younger. I think it adds beauty to simple things.

    • Connie, I just don’t think my eyesight is good enough unless I bought one of those magnifiers for crafting. You’re right though–it does add beauty to simple things and isn’t expensive to do. It was very relaxing to me!

  26. Yes, I have a tablecloth that my Grandmother cross stitched/embroideried. I have cross stitched lap quilts too. It has been a while since I have tried due to challenges with my body. Thank you for sharing. God bless you.

    • Debbie, I’m sorry to hear you are in poor health. I’m glad you enjoyed the post! Thank you for the kind words. What a treasure to have something that your grandmother made!

  27. Oh, I have some sweet hankies that my granny (maternal) and my grandmama (paternal) made, as well as pillowcases and I have a few doilies that my grandmama made. My mother-in-law made a few, also. My mama made a few embroidered pillowcases, as well, and could sew like you said your mother could, making our fancy clothes and our play clothes until she started having migraines and that was the end of her sewing career. I hated it for her. She didn’t have to use a pattern, she was just excellent at it! I don’t think she cared for embroidery, knitting, or crochet, because she didn’t ever do it, nor did she teach her 2 daughters. I tried, a little, to learn from my grandmothers, but didn’t. I do like to embroider, as did my sister, until she developed Alzheimer’s/dementia.

    • Lana, I hate to hear that migraines ended your mom’s sewing days. It seems so unfair when something like that strikes and puts an end to something we love to do so much. Mom didn’t have to use a pattern either. She did use them, but if she wanted to make something and didn’t have a pattern, she made her own, or just cut the material like she needed it. I wish I had that kind of talent! I’m so glad you stopped by today!

  28. We seem to operate on the same “wave length.” I din’t take up needlework until I was married, but my maternal grandmother did quite a bit of it. I, too, have iron on patterns from her. Shortly after I married, she gave me the family cradle with a baby quilt she made and embroidered. The panels have the puppies, lambs, kittens probably much like the transfers you have. Included were a stuffed doll and puppy from patterns printed on fabric, embroidered, then cut out, sewn, and stuffed. These likely date back to1910 to 1920’s. I got most of her and my aunt’s embroidered pillowcases, doilies, and runners. I also have a large container of like items that I acquired at auctions or yard sales. I have a tablecloth my mother-in-law did years ago. I bought a kit at the same time, but mine isn’t finished.
    I use my items as often as I can. I have runners on dressers and tables in our parlor. I guess living in a victorian house with mostly victorian furniture does lend itself to using them. I have done framed pieces and those that weren’t gifts are displayed here in the house.
    Thank you for the walk down memory lane.

    • Patricia, how wonderful to have the family cradle–such an heirloom! I love those baby animal patterns! You have so many wonderful pieces of your family’s history. The more I think about it, the more I want to try doing a table cloth of some kind. I’m going to start looking into that! I’m so glad you stopped by today!

    • My grandmother had a lot of table runners and so on she used on dressers…I think my mom called those “dresser scarves”–we didn’t use them at our house growing up, but I always thought they looked so elegant at my grandmother’s!

  30. I still embroider, but prefer stamped cross-stitch now. My mom had me hand-draw all of the NBA team symbols onto patches one time for my brother. She embroidered them in SOLID with straight stitching and made a wall hanging for his room. It always gets a lot of comments and we laugh and tell her his kids can take it on Antiques Roadshow some day as a piece of modern folk art! ?

    • Kerri, you must be a wonderful artist! And your mom, too! I can’t imagine drawing all those emblems and then your mom embroidering them–what a wonderful gift–for you, your mom and your brother! I love one-of-a-kind treasures like that!

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