Recently I’ve had some spare time to do an ‘autumn clean’ (I’m not waiting for spring!) and in doing so, I came across a lot of my mother’s linen hand-me-downs and it got me thinking that these had been in my families for three generations that I am aware of.
What makes an heirloom?
An heirloom can be any number of things, but for me, I consider them something of beautiful quality and generally handmade. They evoke memories of times spent with loved ones or can bring a sense of warmth of a time we may not have experienced. I like to think of all the delicious hearty meals made from scratch, that were served upon my favourite tablecloth. A gorgeous tablecloth that before my autumn clean, had not seen the light of day. We all do it, that “it’s too special to use all the time” belief.
But back to the cleaning…
The pieces I pulled out to inspect and wash are all handmade, and most of them are also hand embroidered with the most exquisite floral stitch work. Someone at some point in time sat and created such a gorgeous mini work of art. I have a few tablecloths but most of the pieces are table runners, which would have utilised precious scraps of fabric in days gone by. I can almost imagine my grandmother sitting by a lamp stitching away with a furrowed brow and a pot of tea.
I love the fact that all these pieces I now have, have been painstakingly made with love with the intention to make a home that bit extra special…They are pieces I will hand down again...
And this brings me to the connection between heirlooms and the linens from LinenBarn – they are not mass produced nor made in a factory. They are loomed in traditional style, resulting in low production numbers, but of exquisite quality. Our head weaver is part of our family, and it is with love that she creates the heirlooms that will appear at your home for years to come, with skills that were taught to her by her mother and her mother before her.
We hope you enjoy your LinenBarn heirlooms!
