Each row measures 1/4″ in width. Below the the last row of drawnwork a row of hemstitching to give a finishing touch.

This lovely work appears on both ends of the sheet. Included in one of the corners, a beautiful raised embroidered monogram of the letters G L. The monogram measures 2″ wide x 1-5/8″ high.

Overall size of each bed sheet is 98″ long x 66″ wide.

A spectacular pair to decorate a bedroom or gift giving.

A beautiful antique pillow sham dating to the late Victorian era, featuring extensive hand-worked tambour embroidery across a soft white cotton ground.

The design is particularly striking—a flowing wreath of stylized foliage encircling an open center, executed in delicate chain stitch with remarkable consistency and artistry. The tambour work covers a generous field (approximately 26″ x 20″), giving the piece a strong visual presence while maintaining the airy refinement so characteristic of fine whitework.

The sham is constructed in a traditional layover style and finished with a wide embroidered whitework edging measuring approximately 2 1/4 inches. This border, with its eyelet and cutwork elements, adds a lovely textural contrast to the more fluid tambour stitching.

**Fabric Note:**
The ground appears to be a fine, lightweight cotton—likely a softly woven domestic cloth typical of the late 19th century, with a smooth hand suitable for detailed needlework.

**Dimensions:**

* Overall: 28 1/2″ wide x 36″ long (including trim)
* Embroidered field: approximately 26″ x 20″
* Trim width: approximately 2 1/4″

**Condition:**
This piece remains clean and presents beautifully, though it has not been recently laundered or pressed. The tambour embroidery is in very good antique condition, with strong, continuous stitching.

There is visible wear to the whitework edging, including areas of damage and separation consistent with age and use. The cotton ground shows gentle toning and the soft character of time.

Overall, it remains a wonderful display piece and an excellent study example of Victorian tambour work.

## **Collector’s Note**

Tambour embroidery enjoyed great popularity in the 19th century for both garments and household linens, prized for its ability to create intricate, flowing designs with remarkable efficiency. Pieces such as this were often reserved for best beds or special display, making surviving examples with extensive handwork particularly desirable today.

A humble and heartfelt example of early American thrift, this antique pillow sham brings together a time-softened red plaid cotton front and a homespun linen backing—stitched by hand as one cohesive piece and shaped by necessity into something both useful and enduring.

There is a quiet honesty here—one that speaks not of luxury, but of care, resourcefulness, and the enduring rhythm of home life in the 19th century.

This antique pillow sham pairs a faded red plaid cotton front with a wonderfully textured homespun linen backing, the two originally joined entirely by hand. The stitching is simple and strong, and the overall construction reflects a time when textiles were made to serve, and to last.

Looking closely, the story deepens.

Both the cotton front and linen backing show faint evidence of earlier tape ties, suggesting that this piece was always intended as a unified textile—likely an early form of pillow covering or bedding sham. At a later date, in a thoughtful act of adaptation, button closures and hand-worked buttonholes were added, allowing the piece to continue in use as needs and household practices evolved.

This kind of practical refinement was common in early homes, where textiles were not discarded but adjusted and improved over time. What we see here is not a marriage of parts, but a continuity of purpose—a single textile shaped and reshaped through years of careful use.

The scale is generous, measuring approximately 33 inches long by 26 inches wide, consistent with the larger, softer pillows of the 19th century. Three large buttons fasten one side, with hand-worked buttonholes that remain intact.

Condition reflects its age and long life. There are areas of wear to the cotton plaid, including some thinning and small holes, as well as a corner tear in one area that could be mended if desired. The linen backing remains sturdy, with the kind of soft strength only time can create. Also some staining. Despite these signs of use, the piece displays beautifully and retains a strong visual presence.

Draped across a bed, folded over a bench, or layered among other early textiles, it offers both warmth and authenticity—an object that carries its past gracefully into the present.

## **Details**

* Antique pillow sham
* Likely mid to late 19th century
* Handstitched construction
* Red plaid cotton front (lightweight homespun or early woven cotton)
* Natural homespun linen backing
* Originally constructed as one piece; later adapted with button closure
* Hand-worked buttonholes and three buttons
* Approx. 33″ long x 26″ wide
* Evidence of earlier tape ties on both front and backing
* Condition: age-related wear including holes, fabric thinning, and a corner tear; structurally sound and display-ready

## **Collector’s Note**

Pieces like this are cherished not for perfection, but for what they represent—a way of life rooted in care, practicality, and quiet beauty. The added button closures are not alterations to be dismissed, but part of the textile’s history—evidence of its continued usefulness and the thoughtful hands that ensured it remained a valued part of the home.
.

This sweet antique baby pillow cover is fashioned in finely textured white piqué, a fabric long favored for its soft structure and subtle raised ribbing—both durable and beautifully refined. Across the front, a hand-embroidered wreath of petite blossoms and trailing stems forms a gentle oval frame, worked in soft white thread for a quiet, monochromatic elegance.

Likely dating from the 1920s through the 1940s, this piece would have been used in a baby buggy, carriage, or pram—adding both comfort and a touch of decorative charm to early outings. The simplicity of the design, paired with the careful handwork, reflects the era’s appreciation for understated beauty in nursery linens.

The cover is open along the bottom edge for inserting a small pillow form, making it both practical and easy to use. On one lower side are two neatly finished eyelet holes—possibly intended for threading a ribbon, allowing for a soft bow accent or a gentle closure detail.

The reverse is made of the same piqué fabric, maintaining a cohesive and pleasing texture throughout.

Today, it lends itself effortlessly to a variety of settings: tucked into a wicker pram, placed on a cottage bench or porch chair, or layered among linens in a nursery or guest room. It carries with it a sense of calm, history, and quiet domestic charm.

## **Fabric Note**

The cover is made of cotton piqué, a textured weave characterized by its raised corded pattern. This fabric was especially popular for infant garments and nursery items in the early 20th century due to its breathability, resilience, and softly structured hand.

* Measurements: 11 1/2″ x 15″
* Fabric: White cotton piqué (front and back)
* Hand embroidery: Floral wreath motif
* Closure: Open at bottom for pillow insertion
* Detail: Two small finished eyelets at lower side (possibly for ribbon)
* Era: Circa 1920s–1940s
* Condition: Clean and well-preserved with light, age-appropriate wear

## **Styling & Collector’s Note**

Pieces like this speak to a time when even the smallest nursery accessories were made with intention and care. Whether used functionally or displayed as part of a textile collection, it offers a lovely glimpse into early 20th-century domestic life.

A ribbon threaded through the eyelets would be a charming, historically sympathetic addition—perhaps in soft pink, blue, or ivory silk—to echo its original use.

This elegant pair of antique Italian layover pillow shams showcases the graceful artistry of traditional whitework embroidery. The central motif features two delicately stitched lovebirds perched among flowing vines, blossoms, and fruit — a classic symbol of devotion and domestic harmony often incorporated into wedding trousseau linens.

The raised embroidery creates a soft sculptural effect against the smooth linen ground, allowing the design to emerge beautifully in light and shadow. Beneath the birds rests a stylized fruit form surrounded by foliage, lending the composition a naturalistic charm typical of Italian household embroidery from this period.

A particularly attractive detail is the framing of the sham with two different styles of drawnwork borders, adding refined texture while maintaining the quiet elegance of white-on-white needlework. Drawn thread work such as this required careful removal and reweaving of threads by hand, a technique widely used in Italian domestic textiles at the turn of the century.

At each side of the sham, slender floral vines rise gracefully from small urn-like forms, completing the balanced decorative scheme and reinforcing the romantic garden imagery that frames the central lovebirds.

These generous layover shams were designed to drape beautifully over larger bed pillows, allowing the embroidered panel to be prominently displayed when a bed was made. Pieces of this size and quality were typically part of a carefully prepared household linen collection or bridal trousseau.

The linen itself has a pleasing weight and smooth hand, with a softly luminous surface that highlights the dimensional embroidery.

Not recently laundered but presenting nicely with the gentle character expected of antique linens.

A lovely and evocative example of early twentieth-century Italian decorative needlework, perfect for collectors of antique textiles or for display in a romantic or European-inspired bedroom.

**Details
Date: circa 1900
Material: Fine white linen with raised whitework embroidery and drawn thread work

Measurements:
• Overall size: 40 ½” x 27 ½”
• Center embroidered motif: 9″ x 10″

Condition:
Good antique condition. Not recently laundered. Light signs of age consistent with antique household linens. No significant issues noted.

Collector’s Note

Whitework linens of this scale were often created for Italian bridal trousseaux, where symbolic motifs such as birds, fruit, and flowering vines represented harmony, prosperity, and affection within the household. The combination of raised embroidery and drawnwork borders reflects the skilled hand techniques widely practiced in Italian domestic embroidery workshops at the turn of the twentieth century. This beautiful pair were purchased from a Buffalo, N.Y. estate.

### ✧ The Wedding Pillowcase — 1861

The centerpiece of the grouping is a finely hand-sewn white linen pillowcase, noted in period handwriting as a wedding gift dated 1861 and bearing the stamped name **Ellen L. Bruckett**, identified as the mother of Eldon P. Bacon.

Worked in exceptionally fine, soft linen, the case displays the tiniest, precise hand stitches and a delicately attached lace edging. The slender proportions suggest use as a bolster pillowcase. The linen has aged gracefully, with oxidation and gentle toning consistent with long storage.

**Measurements:**
• 41¾” long
• 18″ wide

**Condition:**
• Age-related oxidation and storage toning
• Structurally sound antique textile
• Please review photos carefully

### ✧ Hand-Made Lace Collar

A delicate pointed collar in fine cotton, hand gathered and embellished with lace. The accompanying note reads:

“Elise made for mother.”

A sweet and personal example of domestic needle artistry.

**Condition:**
• Fragile areas to lace
• Gentle age toning
• Displays beautifully

### ✧ Broderie Anglaise Fragments

Two lovely pieces of broderie anglaise, likely removed from a garment, accompanied by the note:

> “Mother’s work. Pretty fine needlework.”

These pieces nicely complete the family needlework story and are ideal for study, display, or careful reuse in heirloom projects.

**Condition:**
• Minor age spotting
• Soft antique wear

## **Historical & Collector’s Note**

Textiles with **documented family provenance** are increasingly sought after, particularly when tied to early California families. This grouping offers:

* Authentic mid-19th century dating
* Named family connection
* Original handwritten documentation
* Multiple related needlework examples

Whether preserved as a study collection, displayed in a primitive textile vignette, or cherished by a family history collector, this is a quietly powerful survivor of women’s domestic artistry.

Size of this primitive Americana set is 70-1/2″ long x 45-1/2 “wide. Pillowcase 29-1/2” square.

Condition: Very nice. It seems the pillow case hasn’t been used as much, although both pieces very nice Some loss of material of the white linen on the covered buttons.

All over length including the 5″ fringe on either end is 49″ long x 23-1/2″ wide.

Unused and very clean.

This antique redwork pillow sham dates to the turn of the 20th century, circa 1895–1910, and is worked in the beloved “turkey red” cotton thread so popular during the Victorian era.

At its center, a magnificent pair of stylized birds—resembling heraldic eagles or symbolic lovebirds—face one another beneath an arched leafy swag. Their mirrored forms and heart-like composition strongly suggest matrimonial symbolism, a common motif in wedding and friendship textiles of the period.

Encircling the central design are embroidered names, carefully stitched in graceful script. Such inscriptions were a cherished tradition, particularly in rural and Midwestern communities, where friends and family often presented a bride with a commemorative sham embroidered with their names as a lasting token of affection and support. Whether created as a wedding gift or friendship tribute, this piece clearly carries personal and communal meaning.

The border is finished with a delicate feather stitch in matching red thread, adding both refinement and structure. The ground fabric appears to be sturdy cotton, consistent with late Victorian domestic textiles. An older muslin backing was added at a later date to accommodate use with a pillow insert—an adaptation that speaks to the textile’s continued appreciation through generations.

**Size:**
Approximately 30” x 31”

**Condition:**
Typical signs of age and use, including light age toning and minor marks consistent with early 20th-century textiles. Structurally sound and well-preserved overall. The muslin backing is a later addition.

This is a wonderful example of American redwork at the height of its popularity—both decorative and deeply personal. Ideal for collectors of Victorian textiles, redwork embroidery, or meaningful wedding and friendship keepsakes.

**Collector’s Note:**
Turkey red embroidery enjoyed widespread popularity from the 1880s through the early 1900s. Presentation shams embroidered with names were often displayed prominently in the marital bedroom or best parlor, serving as both ornament and testament to community ties.