Old embroidered dresser scarf
 

I have a dresser scarf that my mother embroidered many years ago and I want to use part of it for a picture or wall hanging.
The fabric is a white thin linen which I have starched quite heavily. I plan to use some batik as a sashing or border. I would like some helpful hints as to how to handle this linen. Do I use interfacing and what kind? Also what batting and backing? Any ideas will be appreciated.

I would go with the theme of the embroidery; ladies in the park, flowers and vines, any wording. Colors of the thread would make my decision for sashing or border.

that's a great idea using it for a wall hanging...I hadn't thought of that because their long length would make it awkward to work with & i don't do starch! but if it's a family item i would make an exception--
my question is are you going to frame it or put it under glass or not? i think that would make a big difference in how you are going to handle that project...can't wait to see that!

i've never heard of it called "scarf"

In the olden day they were always called a dresser scarf.

scarf sounded to me like a southern term...thanks, i missed that somehow!

We always called them "dresser scarves" when I was growing up!

Olden Day LOL They are still dresser scarfs in my world.

In my world, too. There are also piano scarves, table scarves, sewing machine cabinet scarves...and on and on. froggyintexas

Dresser scarves in my world too! Interesting idea though...I have some....please post pics when done! Love to hear/see any ideas!

Because the linen is so thin and the embroidery is so old, I would use a backing of some kind (lightweight interfacing or a lightweight muslin, just make sure the stretch is going in the other direction from the scarf and stay away from any cut work or lace edges). You can leave it at that and put into a frame with glass over it, just make sure it's on acid free backing and mating and out of the direct sun). Or you if you have any other family items (ie: hankies, christening gowns, etc...), you could applaca them to quilt and then you it on a guest bed or as a wall hanging (using a pattern that might have been popular around your moms time or in colors she liked). Good luck and post pictures after your finished. Please

Same here I've never really heard them called anything else but scarves, at least not that I know of, if they were called something else, perhaps I didn't know what the person was talking about or just missed it.

It doesn't matter if you use anything behind it, that's a personal decision. Do not let glass touch or hang where sun hits it. A really big DON'T use starch because it will dry rot. Never store anything with starch in it.

You could just frame it into a picture. Having it professionally done would help to preserve it for years.

A wall hanging would be perfect for a dresser scarf. I have seen some beautiful linens appliqued by hand onto a quilted whole cloth background. Great idea!

That was my thought as well.

I would not use starch. Silverfish love starch and if they can get to it they will eat the fabric to get the starch. I would applique it onto a simple light colored (white or cream maybe) backing and do some nice quilting around the outside. Muy daughter used one end of a scarf like that and used old beads sewn one at a time for the quilting in the scarf part with lots of beautiful machine quilting around the outside of the scarf and a simple narrow binding to match the blue of the ladies dress. It is beautiful.

For those who don't call it a scarf, curious...what do you call it? The only term I ever heard was "dresser scarf" but I'm not from the south.

The only thing I can add to this great advice is maybe use glue (school glue only!) basting after the fusible is on to hold it perfectly in place for the applique, since you wouldnt want to chance having to remove stitches or stitch holes on a family heirloom.

"Dresser scarf" to this southern gal too. I made my SIL a quilt using cut outs of the embroidery pictures from several different items (she had a box full !!!! that she sent to me to use to make her a quilt); it turned out beautiful--I did it by hand and it took me nearly three years to do it--but I can't show it off because her daughter saw it on her bed during her next visit and claimed it for herself. I think it is on special display in her ultra-modern apt in Virginia now. Sorry, no picture--but it is still uppermost in my bank of memories of quilts I have made.

back in the day they were dresser scarves so the top of the dresser didn't get scratched up from family photos etc.

Scarf is singular, scarves is plural.
Singular: My mother gave me a dresser scarf made by my grandmother.
Plural: My grandmother made many dresser scarves for my mother.

Sounds like a great idea for a wall hanging. I have a cedar chest full of linens made by my mother, aunts and even me when I was very young. I have been thinking of making them into a wall hanging so I am anxious to see the comments of others.

I am from Texas, and we always called them dresser scarves.

Please please investigate the gorgeous work that Cindy Needham does with old linens! Here is just 1 of her videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD-4au8tZ_A
I watched her on The Quilt Show recently & have become fascinated with her quilts.

Any piece of lacey or embroidered linen or cotton placed on the top of a shelf or mantle or coffee table, dresser. Always still called a dresser scarf. We had a lot of them and they were carefully washed and pressed. Any embroidery or lace attached, I used an old white handkerchief of my dad's as a pressing cloth. Mom liked how I did the lacey edged ones because I would use straight pins to hold the edges down from curling up. I have about 8-9 but don't use them. Thinking of using them in crazy quilt (Victorian style).

Would you consider a Crazy Quilt theme ? Using some of the colors in the scarf, then frame it , it would be nice depending on design if you could make a sq. rectangle, or center with your moms' picture . I have used plenty of old embroidery scarfs, napkins that I have bought in Crazy quilting as the main focus of the wall quilt.

That's what we always called them too. I have a few. Wall hanging is a good idea.

If it were me, I'd carefully rinse all the starch out of it; roll it in a towel; dry it on a dry towel; steam iron it from behind on a dry towel. Starch can attract bugs! I never use it.

Then I'd take a section of that scarf, cut it carefully with enough background and have it framed, under glass. If it's so dear to you, it's worth the extra money to have it done correctly.
Good luck with your project.
How lucky you are to have a remembrance of the past.


BTW: I'm from the east coast - NY - and we called them dresser scarves, too.

You might want to check out Cindy Needham. She uses vintage linens to create whole cloth quilts.

I'm from CA and always have heard them called "dresser Scarves"....My Grandmother made a lot so we always covered whatever with one of them. I used to turn a lot of them into pillow covers, then I put them on the bed to show the work off. I have no idea what one would do with them today. But if it's for you as a memory, I would get creative and if it is thin, yes, I would back it with some muslin...good quality.......

Speaking of old embroidered dresser scarves, I used to collect vintage items like this and made a valance for my guest room in a crazy quilt fashion for the double windows. I like the way it turned out.

I am no expert on restoration of precious or antique items. I did have to mend a quilt for a friend recently. A block was seriously damaged and worn. The fabric that had disintegrated was a very soft almost tissue like fabric. I back it with a very light weight interfacing just to give it more body while I stitched the heavier cotton fabrics. I thik so much depends upon how you plan on displaying this, what other fabrics you are going to use etc. Will the light weight linen sag? Can it "hold it's own" with a batik? A couple of years ago I made a simple white dll using an old pillowcase that my Grandmother had embroidered. The embroidery was the doll's skirt and the crochet lace trim was the doll's bonnet. It was the most sentimental precious thing I've ever made!

I would back it with a very light interfacing. The fabric you add to it could possibly pull or tear your old fabric. If you were going to add embroidery, use a stabilizer.