Devon wrote: <I am also in a quandry because many of these items from the 20's have negligible value, but they are now 80 years old. What should people be doing with them? Should they use them, in which case, can anything 80 years old actually withstand washing, even let's say 4 times a year after family gatherings?>
In the early 1960s, just after I was married, I admired a tray cloth owned by the elderly lady who lived next door to us. She'd made it for her bottom drawer when she married in 1910. It's handkerchief weight cotton with drawn threadwork and whitework embroidery. She'd used it regularly for 50 years, and it was washed, bleached, starched and hot-ironed just about weekly for the 50 years until I admired it. She said to me "Take it, I don't want it any more.", and insisted I took it. I've still got it. It's used occasionally, and washed in silk/wool handwashing liquid, not bleached or starched any more and ironed at a suitable temperature. There are just one or two breaks in the drawn threadwork. It isn't valuable, and was intended for use. It would be silly to hide it in a drawer. Jean in Poole - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
