The Meaning Behind the Meaning

Did you ever try so hard to complete a task that you missed the giant flaw in your plan?? 

Mimi, did.  In a big way!

Now, every piece we bring into the shop for sale is carefully inspected, and I had inspected this one.  I had checked for stains then diligently washed the item. I had checked for rips, holes, tears or loose threads that might need to be repaired.  And, I had (this part is really important to the point of this story… and my humiliation) inspected the tatted lace decoration to be sure it was completely intact.  It was.

This “treasure” met all of my criteria. It was old, probably 1920’s or 30’s.  That part is important later, too.  It was in excellent usable condition. It was pretty.  It ironed like a dream, and it would photograph beautifully! All of the stains came out and it was a beautiful white cotton delight!

I prepared it, laying it out carefully after ironing it so that I could show it with great pride to the Middle One.  It’s not often we find items of this age, made of fabric and in this incredible condition.  It had come from an estate sale at a little home in the next town over.  The owner had clearly been talented with a needle and thread. I found many little hand made treasures that day. 

The Middle One comes home from a hard day at work, and I’m so excited to display this lovely apron ~ certain she will be as thrilled as I am and want to list it as soon as possible.  I have her sit down. I go to get it, drape it carefully over the back of the sofa so she can see the lace and how perfect it is… 

Silence falls.

“Mom, we can’t sell that!”

I’m stunned! It’s so perfect! Why can’t we sell it???

“The lace,…are those swastikas?”

Well…..insert startled exclamation of choice….

Yes, as a matter of fact, they were.  How did I miss that? The Middle One was immediately shocked.  Whose home had it come from? Why would someone have such a thing? It was time to give the Middle One a history lesson.  See, I had run into this before.  Many years ago I had purchased a bag of linens at an auction in Diss, Norfolk in the UK.  It was a sight unseen kind of thing. While sorting it later I ran across over a dozen doilies – tatted lace with swastikas and I was curious.  I asked around, did some research and learned the following.

As a symbol the swastika dates back almost 5,000 years.  That’s right, 5,000!  The name swastika is from a Sanskrit word meaning “well being” or “good fortune”.  It is still a sacred symbol for many religions including Buddhisim, Hinduism, Jainism and Odinism.  It was used by the ancient Greeks and can be found among the ruins of the city of Troy. 

 

In modern times, it was used by Coca Cola and Carlsberg beer, and even the Boy Scouts adopted it and the Girls Club of America named their magazine The Swastika.  There’s even a photo of an American Army plane with the swastika painted on its side. It was a common pattern woven into many household items and used regularly in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.   It was simple, considered quite attractive and graceful and it represented good luck, best wishes or ‘well being’.  It was just a benign decorative pattern until a monster adopted it.

So, yes ~ in today’s modern world it is a symbol of hatred and evil. But it wasn’t always, that way.  We will not sell this apron. I’m actually not sure what we will do with it.  I left it on the back of a chair that night – pretty upset that;

We couldn’t sell such a well crafted item.

A symbol with such a benign and happy original meaning has been so corrupted

I had totally missed that detail in my zeal to prepare it

Upon retrieving it from the back of a kitchen chair, I noticed a small, fresh, vibrant, blue icing stain (the Master Chef had been here with her children and some cake).  That will be cleaned and it will be folded and packed away. 

Perhaps at some point in the future ~ once years have passed and the symbol's original meaning can hold greater value than the meaning heaped on it by a madman ~ it can once more be an item of value. Perhaps the eons of peaceful history the symbol enjoyed can eventually overcome what it came to represent and it's original meaning can be won back from the atrocities it currently brings to mind, ultimately defeating the legacy of an evil time. Then this item can become something new ~ A treasure that represents what it truly is, a simple, useful household item made by the hands of woman creating a home and decorating it with beauty.

Lessons Learned?

Not every symbol means what you believe it means ~ entirely

Owning something with a negative symbol does not necessarily mean you ascribe to the negative meaning

Don't accept something's meaning on face value, look deeper

Take a moment to stop and look with fresh eyes ~ someone else may notice something you don't, and that goes both ways

Research if you don't know or don't understand, ask relevant questions, query, think about it, percolate on it ~ decide for yourself 

**Mimi has been a student too long not to site her sources – thanks to the following websites

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29644591

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007453

http://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/symbol-swastika-and-its-12000-year-old-history-001312

How To Make An Heirloom

Heirlooms are losing their value... 

Not the monetary value, the intrinsic value that comes from tradition, memories, honor and love.  With the loss of Sunday lunches at Mom’s or Grandmother’s house, comes the loss of knowing her table will be graced with fine white linen, carefully washed and ironed, the loss of snowy white cotton napkins at each place, her china and crystal beautifully set. We’ve lost seeing her bustling about in a serviceable but lovely apron to cover her good church clothes while she prepares the meal. Each step of preparation completed with a sense of tradition, love and family and the incredible value of effort.  At some point in our busy lives, convenience became more important, we needed to make the next game or prepare for the next work day, see the next tv show or rush out to meet friends. We moved to paper plates, take out lunch and throwaway utensils. 

I miss the tradition and the treasures of that bygone era. I love the memories seeing them provokes. I enjoy finding such treasures at estate sales and imagining their use and value – judging by the way they’ve stored, their condition and their place in the home.

So many of those treasures fall into our hands, but a few are a little damaged through age, use and general conditions.  It would be good, we thought to create new heirlooms and hopefully help bring back a bit of their lost value.

Over the months we have accumulated a laundry basket (or 2, maybe 3) of what the Middle One refers to as ‘Franken-linens’. Her term for pieces that are mostly whole, but have a small amount of damage that prevents them from being sold.  Why couldn’t we turn them into new heirlooms, but do so in a manner that would echo the period they originally came from?

We could embrace reduce, reuse, recycle!

I purchased a 1940’s apron pattern, used another apron or two we had acquired as a pattern and set out to see what could be created.

For the first attempt I found a sheet made in the 1930’s.  What wonderful cotton they used! These were meant to last. They were meant to withstand hard scrubbing, harsh lye soap, starch and irons heated by the fire.  I honestly don’t think you can find fabric like this anymore.  To decorate these aprons I gathered all the lady’s handkerchiefs that had a small hole (or a big one), and my box of vintage buttons and added them to the pile. It wasn’t smart to trust vintage thread so that had to be new, as did a bit of binding.

It’s a shame to see so many very lovely pieces go to waste so if we can create something new, practical, beautiful and worth saving, it can only be a good thing right? Now, I’ve never sewn anything to sell. I’ve bartered with it a little, and done a few favors, and I sewed for myself and my girls when they were younger. But this is a whole new experience for me.

Battenburg Lace Half Apron

The sheet became the body of the aprons, the handkerchiefs the pockets, and the buttons for accent. A single beautiful tablecloth became an apron and then two pockets for other pieces.

This week I added my first creations to the shop, Estatelyladies, and I’m sharing them here with you! We chose to list them as created by Mimi's Estatements to separate them from true vintage items. If these go over well there will soon be pillows, Christmas stockings, and who knows what else!

Full Apron   Advance Pattern 7856 from the 1940's - Body from vintage sheet, lace pocket from vintage lady's handkerchief, vintage yellow pearl buttons and buttery yellow binding and now raw seams!

Full Apron     Pattern made from a vintage apron that was beyond saving. The body is from a vintage sheet, the pocket and bib are decorated with a lady's handkerchief damaged in one corner. Bright blue piping accents!

Half Apron  designed using measurements from a 1950's apron. The body is from the same vintage sheet as above (it was a very generous sheet!) and the pocket is a cheerful lady's handkerchief!

Mommy and Me set - dimensions from a vintage apron. The body is, once again, a crisp vintage sheet, the pockets are from the battenburg lace tablecloth and the all is set off with bright spring green binding!

Major Gifts

Among the many questions we have been asked, (ok, in my mind you people ask a lot of questions), two of the most prevalent are: where do you find all your treasures? And, who is the Major?  Well, here you go, it’s time to answer both of these.

To begin, the Major is my husband and the Middle One’s father, (there are also two other daughters, the Master Chef and the Little Mama). He is called the Major because, though he started his career in the Army, he retired from the USAF as a Major.  Clever huh? Now, he’s also a “collector” and a one of those people that everyone loves. He’s never met a stranger, and yes, he could in fact, sell ice in the Arctic Circle. Seriously, he is man, myth and legend.  Though his current interest is vintage/antique cameras, in the past he’s accumulated vintage/antique tools, vintage/antique sewing machines and cars… not running, valuable cars, he acquired cars that needed “a little work”… over 300 cars.  Years ago, while taking a public speaking class for the Army, he chose the speech topic of “Why You Should Buy My Truck”.  Yep, he sold it.  He sold it to someone in the class - that day.

The USAF sent us to England, we moved with 7 ½ crates, four years later when we moved home… 21 crates.  Scary, huh?? We are used to this, but to those outside the family it is often a bit of a surprise. 

To give you the complete picture – he is also an OR nurse, photographer, humorist, grandfather, teaches motorcycle safety, and rides his 40^th anniversary edition Honda Gold Wing as often as is possible. 

So these questions may not seem like they have anything in common but they do. You see, one of the places we find our treasures, is through the Major.  Take the bags of linens he brought to us, he found them at a flea market. After asking the per item price, he inquired on the price for multiple items, then the per bag price, then made an offer on all the bags – of $20. He’s the king of $20 bargains.  In the middle of all the asking and offering, he chats.  He smiles, he asks questions, maybe tells a story and while seeking a bargain, often makes a friend.  At one auction he sent me a picture of a shelf of glassware, I was interested in one item… one, single item … as the auction progressed the entire shelf was offered and he bid $5, they offered a follow on of the next 3 shelves at $5 each.  Guess what…. All 4 shelves, $20, over 100 pieces. He once gifted us with a box of dominoes he paid $5 for, “just to get us started”.  It was full of vintage dominoes sets ~ really cool sets. (There are 3 more boxes of ‘stuff’ acquired at the same time, all totaling $20 but he kept those) You would not believe how many things he’s brought home over the years. 

The Major is currently mastering the art of FaceTime from estate sales. Right now he’s got accessing it down pat, but he needs a little work on the steady motion part. Sometimes I need a little Dramamine.  We also have to work out some sort of code talk to keep from alerting others to what we value! Still, despite being in our practice stage, our last try netted 157 individual vintage Fisher Price pieces.  Yes, that’s right 157.  As well as some truly nice vintage linens, soon to make an appearance in our shop.

I suppose, at the end of the day, there are a couple of important things to know about the Major.  He served his country for over 30 years, through multiple deployments, several moves, two services and so very many great stories. He enjoys his Goldwing and photography. He loves his 5 grandchildren. He is incredibly funny in a self deprecating, slightly quirky way. Oh, and he has his own Etsy shop Premier Vintage Studio  and yes, he is a competitor. 

If he tries to bargain with you…you have two choices; 
Give in to the bargain, its going to happen, you can’t win

Or

Play the bargain; exchange some stories, toe the dirt, make a wild offer, dicker, counter offer, and in the end shake hands and walk away knowing you made a friend, sold or bought for a fair price, and most of all, you had some fun getting to know a truly good man.

Steam, Starch and Time

 This week I rediscovered ironing. 

Yes, yes, I know. No one irons any more. Today’s fabrics frequently don’t need it, or wont even take it. But, yesterday’s fabrics are a different story.

At the last estate sale I found a veritable treasure, 28 absolutely beautiful, vintage, lady’s handkerchiefs.  Now, there were many more, but a search through an entire box yielded only the 28 prettiest, in the best condition.  Some are printed, some are embroidered, a few are monogrammed. Some have never been used, their original tags still attached, some are a little worn but clearly loved. 

So how did this find become a nostalgic afternoon?

After a good washing and careful inspection, they were nothing more than  a large pile of wrinkled squares of clean, fine cotton and linen, and potential.  

In order to make them presentable, they had to be ironed. 

In all fairness, this necessitated buying a new ironing board – apparently they only last about 25 years, and my last one was leaning precariously. On a cold, wet afternoon I found an old movie on TV, set up the ironing board, pulled out the spray starch, and plugged in the iron. Immediately I missed the sprinkle bottle that sat by my grandmother’s ironing board. You may remember such a thing – a Coke bottle with a cork inserted in the top and an aluminum sprinkling head attached.  I may have to find one and order it (if I don’t luck up on one at an estate sale. Also, I know I’ve seen them on Etsy)

As soon as the hot iron slid across the first corner of the first handkerchief, I knew it was going to be a good afternoon.  You see, when a hot iron, steam and Niagra Spray Starch mix on fine, vintage cotton, magic happens.  Press a button and a wonderful cloud of steam and nostalgia wafts up. Time seems to stand still.

Each piece starts out as a wrinkled wad of cloth - fine cloth, but certainly not presentable. As the iron moves over it and the wrinkles disappear, beautiful details emerge. Some of these linens are so fine that they are almost sheer. They are delicate and feminine. They are small works of art. As each piece is carefully pressed I begin to imagine who might have bought such a thing in the past and who its future owner might be. 

One exceptional treasure is very fine cotton lawn, sheer but strong. In one corner a large shadow work S has been monogrammed with elegant but simple detail. As the wrinkles smooth away it’s apparent that the shadow work embroidery might actually be a very pale shell pink. The color is almost indiscernible. This is an exquisite piece for a bride, or a cherished friend or family member.

Another has tiny flowers embroidered along the border. One has a cluster of flowers carefully worked in each corner. Still another has tiny initials GSM

in white embroidery on an opaque white field.

Watching the pile of wrinkled cotton decrease and the stack of pristine linen grow, the realization also grew that for the last hour I was relaxed, lost in memories of watching my mother or grandmother iron. I reveled in the aroma of steam and cotton and starch. While this task requires care, it does not require deep thought. My mind was free to wander. The satisfaction of seeing all of the beautiful work done year and years ago once more glow was incredible.

Now let no one get carried away and suddenly decide that dropping off your linen at my door step will be welcome.

The Major will tell you that his (not my) Sunday morning job when our girls were small, was ironing church dresses. Still, I enjoyed the afternoon. I accomplished a great deal, and Im looking forward to the rest of the ironing needed for the shop.  Tea towels, pillow cases, cloth napkins, tablecloths, aprons and doilies. Ok, the doilies are tedious.  And I have to wonder, why don’t we have these amazing fabrics any more? When did we let the satisfaction of a quiet afternoon’s work become drudgery.  For me that afternoon’s ironing resolved a couple of common dilemmas.  

A chore was accomplished that needed doing. 

Time was found to relax and enjoy an old movie 

(one of my guilty pleasures). 

My heart was touched by the memories of my mother and my grandmothers completing this same task, knowing the same scents and the same sense of accomplishment. 

And it's been confirmed, newer is not always better.