Too Pretty To Use, Too Pretty To Put Away!

 

This vintage, hand embroidered table cloth was made by my grandmother.  I have had it since she passed back in 2001.  It had been laundered, pressed and neatly folded for sometime.  Every now and again, I would get it out and think about using it on my table, but I just couldn't bring myself to doing that!  What if something was spilled on it and it got stained?  I would be devastated.  So I would fold it back up and put it away again.

In 2008, when we found out we were expecting, my mind began racing about how I would decorate the nursery.  However, this was going to have to be done on  a VERY tight budget. When we had found out we were expecting, my husband had just been laid off from his job after 15 yrs of service. Great timing eh? Oh well, everything happens for a reason!  And this table cloth had been waiting for this special moment!  It turns out we were having a girl and this would become the curtain in her nursery!  I couldn't think of a better way to honor my grandma and her hard work!

 

The detail on this amazes me!  I only wish I had half her patience!

I did line the curtain with curtain liner so that the sun would not rot the fabric.  I sewed a casing to one end to fit over a wide pocket rod and then attached pink satin ribbon at the top front and top back side of the cloth so that I could softly gather it up from the bottom.

I love the way the sun filters through in the morning!  But for nap time, we have a room darkening roll shade that we can pull down.  Great for bedtime in the summer too!

This was a perfect fit for our daughters room!  The entire room is re-purposed things, furniture we had and a borrowed bed that was my niece's.  We were fortunate!  We purchased very little for this room and I think it turned out great!  Not only is her room functional, but it has grown with her wonderfully!  She is now two and a half and it still works great for her and for a few years to come!  Not mention, pretty much everything in the room has some sort of history and story.  Which I love!

The dresser/changing table was my step moms and her mom's before that!  My husband did a fabulous job converting this to a changing table and building the wonderful wall storage caddy! Mr. T built the box that mounts to the top of this little dresser from the back.  Right now it holds the changing table pad.  In a few more months this will come off, the caddy will come off the wall and mount to the top of the dresser to hold all her "hair accessories". We purchased an antique mirror to mount above it once I get it complete (I'll post that later).  I love this piece.  It was originally white.  While 8 months pregnant I refinished it in a very soft pink and decoupaged antique inspired peonies to the front and then antiqued it with an antique glaze.  I have to admit about 10 months ago, I was sitting on the floor playing with my daughter and noticed that where the middle drawer curves out, on the underside, I never painted it.  OOPS!  Guess that's what happens at 8 months pregnant and you can get maneuver as well. The framed vintage hankies were from my mother-in-law's child hood collection.

More vintage hankies from my mother-in-law, converted into throw pillows, prints my husband framed from a coloring book of my grandmother's.  A vintage quilt hanging over the edge of the futon that was hand made by my great grandma! The shelf above is full of family pieces that have been handed down.

Close up of the vintage prints.  I LOVED these as a child and always wanted to color them  I am SO glad my grandma said no!

More of my mother-in-laws hankie collection!  My niece's crib we borrowed.

The toy chest was mine as a child and the chandelier was recycled from our dining room!

We love this room and I love the history behind it! It's a great tribute to many members of our family and a great way to reuse the beautiful items from the past that are too pretty to use and too pretty to put away!

Not to mention how budget friendly it was!

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Miss Mustard Seed

My Romantic Home