Something Old Is New Again

I love taking something that has lost its usefulness and turning it into something that can be treasured and valued again.  In my antique show travels I find many beautiful hand-embroidered linens that are not used anymore.  My mother had a cedar chest filled with pillow cases, doilies, and other linens that she sewed in her teen years.  I still have a few of them and I display them where I can.

Here's a sample of a linen table runner that I found that was stained on one end and had no purpose anymore.

I cut off the good end and the crocheted lace edges to make a small gift bag with handles.  I used an old white sheet to line the embroidered part.  Here's the finished product:

I can't wait to use this for a gift bag!  I hope that it will serve many new purposes as it's given over and over with gifts inside!

Here are some more that I made:

Have you repurposed any old linens?  Please let me know!