I was rummaging around in the linen cupboard yesterday and came across a whole shelf of the most exquisite table cloths that my late Mom had hand made, stitch by perfect stitch, many years ago. The term Maderia Work stuck in my mind but on consulting Grok, he showed instances of Madeira work in various stunning bright colours, now Mom's beautiful cloths were only done on linen and in one colour only, I suppose ecru would be a fair description of the colour
Madeira embroidery is characterised by its meticulous techniques, showcasing a needlework mastery. The artisans employ a variety of stitches, including satin stitch, stem stitch, and bullion stitch, to create intricate patterns and designs.
The table cloths are magnificent, hours and hours, eons of patient, exquisite, painstaking work.
The table cloths have obviously been well used too, as the original Earl Grey tea stains have lasted well, they probably didn't have ''Jik way back when life was gracious and genteel!!
There is one magnificent cloth that is incomplete, I guess Mom's eyes could not keep up with this minuscule needlework.
Sadly this incredible talent and skill was not passed down to any offspring and although we did sewing at school, embroidery was not included in the syllabus.
Moving along the shelf, I came across a stack of fabulous crochet cloths, still pristine, I felt a pang of guilt that I had not showcased Moms talents to my peers, resorting rather to modern trends in table cloths, heavy forbid there is also a plastic cloth in my collection (blush).
I wondered idly what my girls would do if I bequeathed these treasures to them
Somehow I shuddered at the thought of these precious antiquities in a washing machine But I know my girls will realise the sentimental value of these outstanding works of art.