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For hundreds of years sheets were made from a combination of threads; cotton, hemp, nettle and linen to name but a few. The fabrics would be made in different weights and the colours would vary from snowy white, to dove white, to a light golden colour. Finally the looms upon which the fabrics were made also changed. Most markedly was that by the 1900's the looms doubled in size. Prior to the1900's to make a sheet for a double bed meant the expert seamstresses of the time hand sewing two pieces of fabric together with a very strong linen thread. After the 1900's the looms were wide enough to make one cloth to fit a double bed. All of these factors contribute the beauty and charm of each individual piece.

Monograms were added to reflect either the initials of the husband or that of the lady of the house. These were embroidered as part of a dowry - a legacy of linens passed down from family to family or newly created to mark a marriage in the offing. The monograms may well have been embroidered by the betrothed lady herself or have been ordered from an "embroidery house" where they would be commissioned for the family or an occasion. Bed linens would often have corn or grapes within the designs to evoke traditional emblems of fertility and prosperity and hope.

Take a look at the other pages of this web site to find Monogrammed Pillowcases, Napkins and Tablecloths.