opinions, please
 

I have a "collection" of linen tablecloths from my mother's generation. They are just sitting there since those aren't in vogue any more and require more care than today's standards dictate. So I'm considering what to do with them. What do you think of using them as whole cloth bed runners? Would you simply fold them in half so they are reversible? --or use other fabric for backing? Would you put any kind of batting in those? I have a long-haired cat who likes to sleep at the foot of the bed and it would be so much better to clean up a bed runner than the entire quilt! Your thoughts, please.

PS, I have linen napkins, too.

How about folding in half, closing up the open edges and doing a little (or a lot) of quilting and using it that way for your cat?

I think you answered your own question when you said that linen requires more care. Lovely linen tablecloths never really go out of style if you enjoy using them. I wouldn't have the heart to cut up vintage linens.

Especially if they have handwork. I have many doilies that my dear grandma crocheted. I don't use them but can't bear to part with them.

Look up Cindy Needham on Pinterest. She has lots of ideas. I use old battenburg lace shower curtain on my bed in summer, works fine.
I like your ideas for bed runners to. I hope you find a nice use for them.

I use my linen tableclothes, but I have made clothing out of them in the past. I made beautiful blouses out of damask tableclothes from the resale store when I was young and poor. I also made a jacket from a vintage tablecloth a few years ago. It was a challenge but came out really nice.

For me it would depend on what size they were and what design. If it was one I particularly liked, I probably wouldn't cut it up because I don't mind ironing them. If they are large, I just send them out. They're worth the effort.

ps: You can find them on eBay for a reasonable price.

also check out Kelly Cline's work using vintage linens

I have a very pretty older tablecloth that I'm thinking of using for café curtains in our bathroom. If you do use them for bed runners, make sure you quilt thoroughly so you never have to iron!

I had been "gifted" with a single linen napkin/handkerchief with a lovely little hand-embroidered leaf/flower. Napkin was stained, given with a laughing scornful "Here, maybe you can do something with this!" The embroidery ended up appliqued to a crazy quilt block and seems to be one of the things that people look at first.

I have some of my grandmother's doilies also. I have glass on some of my furniture so instead of those little clear, plastic rounds, I use the doilies underneath the glass. It gives it the space that the rounds would, and I get to use and see the antique doilies. Because of being under glass, I very rarely have to clean. I think not cleaning often, preserves them.

If you mean the kind that have printed designs, such as large irises, and are usually in squares that would fit a bridge table, I have seen cute quilts made from them at a quilt show, and to my way of thinking, it's a wonderful way of getting them out of storage and out where they can be enjoyed. If you're not sure of the value of your tablecloth, you might be able to see something similar on eBay and check what the final bids have been on recent auctions (Asking price says nothing!). That would tell you whether you have a rarer one that probably should be preserved as is, but in any case, it's yours to do with whatever you want. I am using one as a window topper, but I folded it in half on the diagonal and draped it through scarf holders so that I didn't have to cut it. It has no particular sentimental value for me, however (bought at an "antiques and collectibles" store), so I would not hesitate to cut it if I wanted to make a bed runner. In fact you could cut one on the diagonal and use a compatible fabric to make alternating triangles that would go with it to make a longer runner to drape on each side of the bed. That way the whole tablecloth would show up. Use whatever fabric you like on the back and quilt it with a thin batting. Or you could quilt it to a layer of fleece with no batting, and the result would be a throw that drapes more softly.

I'm another of those who still uses tablecloths, but I don't presently have a cat! I like the idea of just folding one plain tablecloth over a layer of leftover batting, stitching it closed, adding enough quilting to keep batting in place, and giving it to the cat!