The Kitchen Linens Book Review

The Kitchen Linens Book

Using, Sharing and Cherishing the Fabrics of our Daily Lives

By EllynAnne Geisel

As a collector of vintage, one of my favorite things is to decorate my home and craft room with my finds. I love to display my treasures and share them with the world around me. Among these items displayed are linens. Many of these I maintained in their original state as tea towels, tablecloths and such. However, others that are a little ragged, stained or worse for wear I rejuvenate and transform into aprons, potholders and other multi tasking laborers. This book was an inspiration. For me, it articulated the love I had for linens and so much more.

“The Kitchen Linens Book” is an invitation into the daily lives of the women who ran the household, managed the expenses and looked wonderful doing it. In the first chapter the reader is introduced to Geisel’s feelings and philosophy of linens. “Maybe because they have borne witness to so much family life, however, kitchen linens hold a special place in our hearts”. …..”One look at a crocheted hot pad or an embroidered apron unlocked years of happy memories as mistress of the household”. I can’t help but feel the same about my own collection of linens. We continue to explore kitchen linens through excerpts by her friends and their sharing of memories and their own collections.

While EllynAnne shares fond memories, she also includes a lot of history and knowledge. We learn about the best weaves to maximize a towel’s absorbency. Everything from waffle weaves and damask to bird’s eye. She encourages us to “know your fabrics” and shares with us the differences between cotton, flax, ramie, rayon, etc, etc. I found that a lot of this knowledge to be very useful while hunting for other vintage items of textile nature. In addition, we learn about different decorative techniques. The beautiful pictures in this book include lush examples of these techniques. Cutwork, cross stitch, crocheted lace and (my favorite) embroidery can be found in abundance. As we continue through the chapters in this book we are treated to many different tips and tricks. We revel in the knowledge of how to remove candle wax from our linens (it really works!) Everything from fabric care and stain removal to storage of vintage linens and ways to rejuvenate and repurpose damaged textiles.

This book combines knowledge, history, love and humor. It then presents it to us in an easy to read manner. A traditional “Chocolate Mousse” recipe is paired with a witty tutorial on “How to Brew a Proper Pot of Tea” invoking a sense of nostalgia that made me wish I lived back in the time of ladies luncheons and sewing circles. With all the fun recipes, stunning photography, touching tales, how-to’s and bonus vintage Butterick iron-on transfers this book is perfect for coffee table or as a resource. “Like vintage aprons, these old pieces of linen celebrate the tireless industry, familial devotion and enduring spirit of mothers and grandmothers the world over”.