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Sunday, April 22, 2012

Ironing Out All The Days of the Week



Here's my fresh laundry on a Saturday morning still damp from the dryer after a nice long soak to brighten it up. These vintage kitchen towels that our mothers made are just the kind I'm thrilled to come across at a fleamarket, and they are at just the right stage for pressing with a nice hot iron. 





When the fabric is damp, the iron just glides, and a fragrant steam rises from the smooth cloth. I like to iron first thing in the morning when the roosters are still crowing. It's a soothing way to wake up and plan for the day ahead.   










 


I gather my finished linen together as the work progresses, and soon have a neat little bundle laid out to show a good start to the new day. If I get nothing else done in the next twenty four hours I have my tidy little stack to point to! I just love cheery little towels like this with the brightly colored stripes on the edge.









The days of the week just seem to fly by. . . .





"Life is made up of small pleasures. Happiness is made up of those tiny successes. The big ones come too infrequently. And if you don't collect all these tiny successes, the big ones don't really mean anything." Norman Lear



I hope you enjoy some small pleasure today!

Jacqueline



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31 comments:

  1. HIBISCUS HOUSEApril 22, 2012 at 8:56 AM

    I so enjoy the fresh ironed linens. I too enjoy the embroidered older towels..thanks for posting.
    Dolly

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  2. Clara {Clover and Violet}April 22, 2012 at 8:57 AM

    They look so pretty all crisp and freshly ironed!

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  3. Ann@A Sentimental LifeApril 22, 2012 at 9:00 AM

    Love vintage linens, so sweet and done by hand. I have tons of my Great Grandmother's pieces. Some have teapots, days etc on them.

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  4. AnonymousApril 22, 2012 at 9:11 AM

    Your little towels are a sign of a much more simple time and I too find nothing more fun than ironing them. I cherish the ones that you have gotten and the ones that were given to me by my late mother. What treasures we have.

    Gretchen

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  5. Shortbread and GingerApril 22, 2012 at 9:38 AM

    They are lovely - so sweet!
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

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  6. Bella's Rose CottageApril 22, 2012 at 9:39 AM

    AAhhh.. Now that is a nice way to wake up :-)
    a super cheery morning at your place today J..
    I have a lovely set of day of the week towels my Great Grandmother made for me when I was little.. a treasure.
    Crowing a Good Morning to you (love that rooster!)...
    Hugs,
    Bella

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  7. Judy at GoldCountryCottageApril 22, 2012 at 9:56 AM

    Good Morning Jacqueline: I hate to iron. Pure and Simple. EXCEPT for the little piles of linens! Why is that, do you think? It is just very rewarding to see it stack up. I have a towel that someone embroderied the word "glasses" on it but no days of the week yet. I'm looking. Happy Ironing and it isn't even Monday yet..Sad to say mine has backed up on me and they are now in a plastic bag to keep the plaster dust off them!!.Judy

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  8. LindaApril 22, 2012 at 10:09 AM

    Thanks for sharing...
    I too love finds like these...
    So endearing and somehow even warming to the soul...
    I have some embroidered pillowcases as well, and I LOVE ironing them..

    Have a great day...
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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  9. Vintage GalApril 22, 2012 at 10:24 AM

    Jacqueline ~ the tea towels look so fresh and crisp after being ironed. I love them!~ I have a thing for linens like those. Have a wonderful Sunday

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  10. Vickie @ Ranger 911April 22, 2012 at 10:30 AM

    I love the bright cheerful colors of your vintage towels. I'm working on a few small embroidered towels for our granddaughter's play kitchen and it makes me even more appreciative of the hours of work that went into every vintage piece I have. Thanks for sharing your lovely images.

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  11. Michele M./ Finch RestApril 22, 2012 at 11:04 AM

    Jacqueline, you really do find joy in all you do.

    What a remarkable gal you are!

    Hugs!

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  12. Victorian1885April 22, 2012 at 11:18 AM

    Thank you for sharing your lovely vintage linens! It makes me want to sort through my collection and get them freshened up too!

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  13. Katie@LeBeauPaonVictorienApril 22, 2012 at 11:28 AM

    My mother had dozens of towels like yours when I was growing up; she embroidered them all herself in high school and put them in her hope chest! I think all of them have long been in the rag bag by now (it's been almost 45 years!), but I still love to find linens like that for my own kitchen and I have a few. I just did all my ironing yesterday as a matter of fact. It's actually something I really enjoy doing!

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  14. AnneApril 22, 2012 at 11:38 AM

    What a sweet find.Those are fun to use and so pretty to display too.
    Anne

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  15. Patricia @ 9th and DenverApril 22, 2012 at 12:17 PM

    They are beautiful!
    I have vintage patterns from my mother in-love's belongings AND! all her stitching and embroidery floss. It would be wonderful to sit and do some of these...for her grand-daughters (my girls) to enjoy!

    Your's are lovely and crisp looking...hard to believe they are vintage!

    ~Pat

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  16. RowanApril 22, 2012 at 12:19 PM

    What lovely kitchen towels and so beautifully ironed as well. They look brand new.

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  17. Nancy @ The HeadmistressApril 22, 2012 at 2:42 PM

    Love the linens! However, the Norman Lear quote is something I MUST copy and share SOMEWHERE! I hope you won't mind!
    Nancy

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  18. DianneApril 22, 2012 at 2:47 PM

    Your post brought back some fond memories of ironing with my grandmother. The only thing she allowed me to iron was napkins, pillowcases and dish towels. Since she didn't have any dryer other than the great outdoors, we rewet the linens with a sprinkler top on a bottle and then I was allowed to iron. Like you, I love the smell of fresh linens under the iron. You weekday towels are so wonderful. Dianne

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  19. UnknownApril 22, 2012 at 6:25 PM

    These are so pretty. My daughter and I were just talking about how much work went into the old linens and how they often end up a Goodwill or sold at a garage sale. We pick sweet things like this up when we see them.
    What a great collection.
    xoxo,
    Mary

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  20. Pink Roses and TeacupsApril 22, 2012 at 7:58 PM

    I love ironing old linens too! Something about the sweet fragrance and crispyness of starched linens! Love them!! Yours are so pretty!

    Debbie

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  21. debiApril 23, 2012 at 1:06 AM

    Your sweet, freshly pressed dish towels would be a beautiful start to any day!

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  22. Sandi~A Cottage MuseApril 23, 2012 at 4:45 AM

    These are so sweet and I love the quote you share today!
    Have a wonderful week!

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  23. susan hemannApril 23, 2012 at 6:29 AM

    I collect vintage linens too. I want to preserve all the handiwork done by our mothers and grandmothers. So important.
    I also enjoy repairing and ironing them. It is a way of calming down and refocusing my energy.

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  24. SusieApril 23, 2012 at 7:32 AM

    Love those dish towels.!!! Smiles, Susie(She Junks)

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  25. Chrissy...The Apothecary ShopApril 23, 2012 at 7:42 AM

    Call me crazy but all I can think of is how they smell....weird?? It just reminds me of my Mom doing that on a Sat. morning and I just loved the smell of it! xooxo

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  26. ReginaApril 23, 2012 at 8:01 AM

    Loved your post. I have some of these towels and I love them to. Thanks for sharing, Have a great week.
    Regina

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  27. PaulaApril 23, 2012 at 8:42 AM

    What beautiful linens and what a lovely post! You are probably the only person I have ever 'known' to have made the thought of ironing sound like a pleasure - almost cathartic. Perhaps I should try to keep your inspiration in mind the next time I reluctantly put up my ironing board! x

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  28. suzieQApril 23, 2012 at 10:17 AM

    I treasure finding old embroidered linens when I go thrifting, I respect the time and care that went into creating each unique piece. I would love to find a days of the week set. The smell of ironing will always remind me of my mom, who STILL irons at age 90! I hardly ever iron nowadays but I do remember having damp items in a bag in the fridge, getting ready for that task. Isn't it ironic that our lives are filled with less chores, but we see so busy?

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  29. AnonymousApril 23, 2012 at 10:24 AM

    Hi! I must say I admire your collection of towels. They are pretty for one thing. If I ever get any I'll leave them damp before I try to iron them. Thank you for sharing.
    Pat

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  30. HaworthApril 23, 2012 at 11:39 AM

    Your vintage linens are so sweet, Jacqueline. Don't you just love the way they iron up? I truly enjoy ironing. (Especially "flats"!) And you're right that the tidy, pressed stack of towels, pillow slips, table cloths or napkins is such a tangible accomplishment. Have you ever used lavender or Egyptian cotton linen water? It's lovely to spray it on your linens just before pressing them, and it doesn't stain.

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  31. Pamela GordonApril 23, 2012 at 1:36 PM

    Love this post and the old tea towels. They are so pretty.

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