I also got a wildly, wildly gypsy tablecloth that I bought. Minnie sniffed it for five minutes and was appalled, so I took it straight to wash (she checks everything that comes into the house). It turned out to be FILTHY - basin after basin of brown water was flushed away before I got it clean. I then drenched it in aroma fabric conditioner and hung it outside. After which it will be fit to use. It's falling to pieces really, but it looks like something from a Victorian circus and I love it. Once it's dried and ironed I'll photograph it.
For now though, some of the red-on-white embroidery that I love so much here. This is very faded and on an unusually thick linen (only a strip left, it's been cut just an inch from the embroidery) - I suspect it's a good 100 years old. We will scan it all and store it for use as a graphic later. Then maybe I will think seriously about sewing it on to one of my thick old french sheets, if it's wide enough. Any other ideas? I would really like to use it for real as well as using it as a graphics source.
