EllynAnne Geisel

I loved this book before I even opened it: under the pretty dust jacket, it's bound in cloth printed to simulate a cheerful 1950s tablecloth. When I actually opened the book, it only got better. It's composed of part memoir (including short reminiscences from other contributors), part textile history and part crafts instructions. The author's passion for her collection is such that she can't resist giving us a peek into her linen closet; I enjoyed that too. And in case we need some ideas show more about what to put ON all those lovely tablecloths, there are even a few recipes! This book is fun to read -- and I get the feeling it was fun to write, too. show less

I got this book through the LibraryThing early reviewers program probably because of all my other crafty and cooking books. I have to say, it's not one I would have picked up on my own, but I've very much enjoyed reading through it. It's definitely a feast for the eyes (if kitchen linens are your thing) with tons of lovely photographs from the author's supply. I don't read the author's blog, so I assume if you're already familiar with and a fan of her style (and lifestyle) this will be show more similarly enjoyable. For me, it was, at times, just a smidge too preachy, smug and old fashioned. (I'm probably not of the right generation to fully appreciate the nostalgia factor.) But it only creeped in every once in a while. There was a little story about inviting friends over after work and sending them each home with a quiche for dinner. Maybe she has time for that, but I'm one of those harried friends...But that's only a small complaint in an otherwise very enjoyable book. And I imagine those types of stories are a big part of its charm for many readers. I enjoyed the history sections, the recipes, and the transfers in the back very much.I particularly agree with KnottyArtisan's review. show less

This book could be appreciated solely for the beautiful photographs of embroidered, embellished, and lovingly preserved linens, but it is so much more. I adored this book. Every page brought a new memory of my own family—my mother, my grandmothers, my aunts—and how seemingly mundane items like dishtowels and tablecloths can have such a large impact on our lives.

The book includes a collection of essays and photos from various women, not just one, but one thing that struck me was how show more similar the essays were. Not in actual content, but in the way they spoke so lovingly of the women who had gone before them in their family. As I read this book and looked at the photographs, almost every story allowed me to relive memories from my childhood. I grew up in the 50s and 60s, and many of the items pictured in this book were familiar to me. I remember embroidering pillowcases and dishtowels over iron-on transfers, and I remember piling out of the family station wagon and helping my mother cover a picnic table with a red checked tablecloth.

I recognized the “grape cluster” hot pad made up of bottle caps covered with crochet—one of my grandmothers had made that exact pattern and I saw it on her dinner table at every family dinner. My other grandmother made tatted lace edgings for pillowcases, and crocheted doll clothes for me.
Many of the women in the book collect vintage linens, and scour thrift shops for them, something I’ve also done. I have recently been thinking about the ways that “women’s work” enhances the home, and the way that women through the ages have found that needlework both improves the ambience of their homes and gives them something to focus on, enabling them to deal with adversity in a productive way. You may worry, but if you have needlework to occupy your mind and your hands, at least you can produce something beautiful.

The handwork that these women did not only made something useful and beautiful for their homes, it enhanced their families’ lives and gave them memories to last a lifetime.
This is a beautiful book, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. show less

In our family, there has always been a treasure trove of linens, many embroidered by the hands of long-dead relatives. As a child I did not pay much attention to the time and skill that went into these works, but was rather blasé about them because they were always there, ready and available to serve as a dresser scarf, cover a table, or were stored away as “special.” Looking back, I am horrified by my treatment of some of these linens, and as my family has grown and aged, I have a show more newfound appreciation for the time my ancestors put into making, creating, and decorating these linens. Considering that many of these women worked on farms, the time they took out of their already busy day to decorate plain pieces of white linen is remarkable. With these women in mind, it was with great pleasure that I read EllynAnne Geisel’s _The Kitchen Linens Book: Using, Sharing, and Cherishing the Fabrics of Our Daily Lives_. In this book, like in her previous one, _The Apron Book: Making, Wearing and Sharing a Bit of Cloth and Comfort_, Geisel shares photographs of vintage aprons, appliance covers, handkerchiefs, towels, napkins, tablecloths, and other table linens while interweaving their history, providing recipes, and personal narratives for each of the items. This is not a book that you look through all at once, nor is it one that you look through and then never open again; Geisel’s book should be considered something of a small coffee-table book where photographs of vintage linens are meant to be studied and appreciated again and again. Geisel also provides tips on caring for vintage linens, ideas on how to resurrect ruined linens for use as cards, or decorations, as well as ways to reincorporate them into everyday use. These linens and their designs may strike some as too antiquated and quaint for a modern family, but by writing this book Geisel is helping readers appreciate the timeless beauty and simplicity of embroidered cloth, and reinforcing the joy one can have in using their linens as they were meant to be used. If your supply of vintage linen is low, or even if you already have some, this book will have you cruising yard sales and online auction sites for vintage items similar to the ones shown. show less