There are op shops that are true thrift stores. Then there are opshops that pretend to be antique stores...at least the people working in them like to think they are, and price their stock accordingly. Our local Brotherhood of St.Lawrence op-shop is run by dear old ladies who are happy to get a few dollars for their charity, and don't haggle over prices if a customer thinks it is too high. I usually 'tip' them an extra dollar or two because their prices are ridiculously low! They don't get much in the way of vintage linen in there, but last week somebody must have dropped this lot in and I came at the right time!
This is a "carver cloth" - something that was common pre-WW2, I believe. This is an excellent example on ecru linen. The next two photos are close ups of the exquisite stitching on the cloth.
Centrepiece on cotton.
Closeup of centrepiece detail.
This is one of a pair.
And so is this, one of a pair.
Again, there are two of these napkins, probably made in China or the Phillipines, where a lot of this style of embroidery came from (and still does). I don't collect it usually, but this design is not as common as some of the others around, and I think it is lovely.
This is a "carver cloth" - something that was common pre-WW2, I believe. This is an excellent example on ecru linen. The next two photos are close ups of the exquisite stitching on the cloth.
Centrepiece on cotton.
Closeup of centrepiece detail.
This is one of a pair.
And so is this, one of a pair.
Again, there are two of these napkins, probably made in China or the Phillipines, where a lot of this style of embroidery came from (and still does). I don't collect it usually, but this design is not as common as some of the others around, and I think it is lovely.
