This amazing early valance is Crewel Embroidered with vegetable dyed woolen yarn on natural color homespun woolen fabric. One edge is selvedge while the top edge is turned over and hemmed with a running stitch. There are various shades of blue...some being Indigo..all are vegetable dyed that are used for the Crewel embroidery. There are some ancient moth holes and ancient patches that you can see from the back. This beautiful and rare 18th century or earlier valance can still be used today or framed as an example of, believed to be Jacobean woman's handwork. There is something very special about it...!

I purchased this piece over 20 years ago and am now ready to have this textile find another home.

Do you remember when "Dickies" were in style? I do 😄 However this one pre-dates when I wore them by well over half a century. This is an example of women being proud to be Jewish, but hiding the fact. Personally, I have never seen buttons with a Star of David on them. These are very complicated brass buttons with a raised Star and a circumference of shiny stones...Each of the 14 buttons measure 1/2" in diameter.

The entire piece looks hand made and never used. The 1-1/2" very elaborate fringe is a darker shade, in the same hue as the fabric.

What a rare collectors piece of Jewish memorabilia in complete original condition.

This "Dickie" may be sent for your approval, with free shipping.

This exquisite very elaborate woolen woven chenille trim would make an amazing addition to a Crazy Quilt, table runner or just to collect.

The colors of the yarn are brick red, gold and burnt umber. A very sophisticated color palate.

There is one piece measuring 3" X 50". I believe this piece is machine woven although it looks as if it was executed by hand.

Woven coat trim in Ecru, Turkey Red and Khaki.

Every strip is turned under on each end, with a hand finished buttonhole on one end of each piece. These strips are unused, never making it to the desired apparel. Trim only wealthy could afford.

Two buttons on one shoulder when undone would help to put on this woolen men's Flapper Era bathing Suit.

The gray color makes it perfect to frame with today's decor. The suit measures 18" at widest point by 31" in length.

We have organically hand washed this wonderful find. Please request to have it sent, with free shipping, for your approval.

What an opportunity to acquire a very early center medallion from a Broderie Perse quilt and in perfect condition!
This piece is the center of an actual Broderie Perse quilt created between 1780-1810. The Broderie Perse technique was developed for the Anglo-American quilter during the late 18th century. Fabric for the design came from India where some of the best fabrics in the world were woven, designed and printed. From a printed fabric quilters would cut out various ententies..animals, birds, flowers, etc. then applique these onto the body of the quilt. These pieces are sometimes stuffed and as on this very sophiticated piece painstakingly embellished around each piece.
This Center Medallion contains a large center block of an early block print taupe floral glazed chintz set on point. This block is surrounded by chintz birds and butterflies meticulously cut out and appliqued onto off-white homespun linen.
The hand appliqué stitching is phenomenally dense, and the entire piece has been hand quilted in chevrons set 1 inch apart. The same chintz used in the center block was used for the 1/4 inch separately applied binding, and the backing is the same off-white homespun linen as was used on the front. This Center Medallion of a Broderie Perse quilt is as I found it.
What a find in a perfect size for wall art! A true collectors piece and ready to be sent, with free shipping, for your in-home approval.

Red, white, and blue are the colors used in the construction of this pleasingly graphic western motif spread. A few of the machine woven designs seen here are the rising sun, flying birds and numerous cattle brands. Each ranch has their own individulisic design for a branding iron. When cattle roamed the open range the brand was the only way to tell which cattle belonged to whom.

This spread can be used for its original intent as a bed spread or for delightful pillows...or both with a twin bed. Another idea is this artistic spread folded over a bar would make a fun piece of art on your wall either full size or folded in halves, thirds or quarters.

This lower price reflects some shading on the spread.

Organically hand washed and ready to be sent for your at home approval.

Created on a 35" loom; finely woven with thick black and red woolen threads. Odd Fellows symbols are the format for the design of this creation. I enjoyed using "Google" to read about the deeper meanings of the many Odd Fellows symbols. An over simplified version of these symbols is the importance in life of love, industriousness, truth, and acceptance of one another.

This c.1890 amazingly graphic piece of art was actually carpet for the floor of a 19th century home or possibly the actual Odd Fellows Lodge. Strips of 35" wide carpet were sewn together to create the needed room size. This carpet, a perfect piece of art for your wall, is not quite two full widths: one full and one apx. 3/4 width, hand sewn together. Please look at the closeup sections by clicking the above photo. Where have you ever seen 19th century art in red and black...a sought after and hard to find color combination.

Betsey has organically washed this carpet so it is clean for your perfect wall space. We can also apply "sleeves" so the "carpet" is ready to easily hang. Please call for more details.

Created from wide strips of silk and or ribbons, this center medallion Crazy Quilt pillow cover appears to be much larger due to the design. The center motif is a wonderfully embroidered bouquet of flowers tied with a ribbon. All embroidery stitching is executed with perfection. With meticulously stitched embroidery work this very talented woman created a double row border. The wide cotton sateen ruffle was created to take regular use. The backing is created to insert a pillow.....or this perfect condition piece of art could adorn your wall...
Always sent for your approval at my expense.

This adorable little apron was never used. Created from a c. 1940's conversation print, this apron has two long ties... long enough to make a bow in back.
Perfect as a gift to be used or framed..

Created from antique quilts and finished with antique lace or trim.... I only have a few...mostly from 19th century quilts, and they measure apx. 16 inches top to bottom....
organically washed and ready to be viewed at home...

A beautiful and rare piece of Amish textile art that would be a perfect wall hanging or folk art center piece for a table. Wool stumpwork tulips are arranged in a wreath-like formation in perfect Christmas colors. Executed on linen, maybe home-woven. A delicate 1/4" crocheted cotton lace edge frames the whole and is a lovely finishing touch. It appears to be hardly used with one slightly shaded area in the center which can be seen in the photograph. Colorful, dimensional and funky this is a fabulous piece of folk art for your home.

In complete original condition, this creatively embroidered table embellishment is comprised of 24 7” blocks with wool embroidered motifs on black wool. We have a swan, which to me represents a relationship lasting a lifetime, flowers and leaves representing spring, summer and happiness. There’s a bird with “AM” embroidered on its wing. Created in the 1890s, it appears that the maker was incredibly creative and probably came from a less affluent family. The backing of each block is a much earlier homewoven fabric. There are sleeves or what are called pockets sewn on the back making it ready for hanging. Equally beautiful would be as a center focal point of your dining room table...Ready to be sent for your viewing and approval.

I call feedsacks the original baseball cards. The reason I say this is because in the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s people would try to buy more of a specific print or solid to finish their project...either clothing or a quilt. A consumer would purchase a brand in order to have the fabric. Some of the ones shown here are collected more for the brands than to use..I have dozens of calico feedsacks for sale. These sacks are very collectable. We do have in the shop some duplicates, both of the ones shown and calicos or conversation prints. The term feedsack is a misnomer as it covers many sack uses of these bags from grains, flour, corn, sugar, salt, animal feed and others. Prices vary. Call or email for more information

An affluent woman's sewing table from the mod 19th century. At that time most hand work of ladies of stature was done on their laps using a wooden hoop. This table would hold all their thread, pins, needles and other sewing tools of that era. Today this becomes a beautiful accent table with history.

This home spun linen coverlet is an extraordinarily rare piece. To find one such coverlet in this condition is amazing! There are three strips of homespun linen measuring 30” selvedge to selvedge stitched together to create the size needed. The width of each piece was dictated by the width of the loom used to weave the linen fabric. The embroidery work has been executed in cotton thread on linen and is very sophisticated in nature and incredibly time consuming. A woman's mark of excellence was her "hand work". A wonderful cover for any double or queen size bed in summer or over a comforter in winter. I know to date the finished creation to 1860 because the top edge has been turned over and stitched down by machine. The linen may have been woven at an earlier date. The finishing detail seems strange to me because of all the intricate embroidery and hand made fringe....or did another woman embroider a much earlier piece as indicated by the cotton embroidery thread and not the use of linen embroidery thread.

This was originally a bigger quilt. This Variable or LeMoyne Star wall hanging came to me in exactly this shape and condition. The body of the quilt is apx c.1845. Somewhere around 1860 someone took a piece of the original quilt and made a pillow cover out of it using a heavy duty striped cotton ticking as the back. It has never been finished or used as a pillow. What we have here is a wonderfully graphic wall hanging. Looking inside you can see the amazing fabric that was the backing of the original quilt. The blocks measure apx 7 x 7-1/2”, the center squares measure 4” and the triangles are 2 x 2-1/2 x 1-3/4. One edge of this little piece has been turned over 1/8” fo a binding and finished. This entire piece was created by hand before the sewing machine was invented. Even though this is in the size and shape of a bassinet quilt, by doing some detective work, we know how and what it was made for.

The sophisticated art of needlepoint has been executed for hundreds of years. The women who participated in this art form had to have had an unbelievable amount of patience. I can’t imagine how long each seat cushion took to make.... certainly months. We have birds, flowers, vines, leaves and more all perfectly executed. There are 6 needlepoint cushions, 5 in perfect condition and 1 with an area with color missing. Today they could again be used as seat cushions or backs and seats for small chairs or as the most sophisticated and exquisite pillows. The sizes are apx 24-1/2 x 28-1/2" plus 1/4” edge turned under, 18" x 29” could be easily cut or 19 x 24” completely clear. If interested please call ....these can be sent on approval.

The stars are free hand placed on the indigo blue background. When one looks at the stars they appear to be dancing and whimsical. The stars are linen and the indigo blue and red and white stripes are wool. Yes, there are moth holes. I always tell people to be careful when buying a wool piece without moth holes. The moth holes are a sign of authenticity. A wool antique without moth holes would be suspicious. The indigo background measures 41" x 33”, the stripes are 4-1/4“ wide and the stars measure 3” tip to tip.

UF258A Woolen 48 Star American Flag
c.1945 or earlier
95 x 176 inches (apx. 8 x 14 feet)
New England
$Ask for price

This flag is too large to photograph. I believe this one is a WWII vintage flag. The stripes are 7-1/4“ wide and the stars measure 4-3/8” tip to tip.

Thousands and thousands of Victorian glass beads hand strung to create embellishments. These were removed from an 1880’s Victorian evening gown. There are some embellished pieces that are ready to be applied to whatever you wish. They can be applied to clothing, pins and hats. There are at least two pounds of Victorian glass beads in total.

Hand quilted, hand embroidered and all ready to be filled with a little pillow. Original unused condition and professionally hand washed by Betsey. Is this Winnie-the-Pooh holding on to a branch attempting to get some fruit from the tree?

During the Victorian era when we would have finished embellishing, it appears that they just started. This cotton chenille drapery panel, is c.1890. The embellishment along the top, bottom and sides is all raised chenille. It’s just beautiful. The photograph does not do it justice. Some of the tassels are not in perfect condition, and there is some wear on this piece. However, the fabric is amazing and could be used to make pillows, to upholster a chair, or as a throw on a couch.

I do not know what this was originally used for. Possibly yardage for drapery fabric. Today it can be used as a tablecloth, pillows, drapery fabric or anything you wish.

Because the word war is stamped on the side, is it possible that this was meant to be used during WWII? In barely used condition, with black eagle and lettering and blue and brown stripes. There are some very faint stains.

Cotton balls were picked by hand and put into this sack. A strap was fastened on the sack and around the picker’s shoulders. This sack has never been used. If the seam was undone and the sack opened it would measure the full width of a homespun piece which would be 36” selvedge to selvedge.

I was told these came from a gambling hall in Colorado in the 19th century. Hand carved, hand painted and believed to be mostly original paint.

The crochet is 9 inches long from the shoulder front and back. The sleeves have 1 inch of crocheted trim.

This bag is 22 inches selvedge to selvedge on a piece of fabric that runs 34 inches long. Natural homespun linen was a New England fabric. It would take two years to make this, starting with planting the seed needed to make the flax for the linen. There are many gauges of linen thread. The finer gauge would be used for sheets and table cloths. The heavier gauges were used for bags, such as this one, or weaving with wool to make a Linsey Woolsey quilt.

During the 19th century women wore shawls not only for fashion but for warmth. These were our 19th century coats. Women would wrap the shawl around and around and drape it nicely. The black center of this paisley shawl is a beautiful 19th century black wool challis, which does not photograph well. (It’s a much richer black than shown in the photo). When you are not using this shawl as a drape on the way to the theater, it could be used as a banquet tablecloth in your dining room.

During the 19th century women wore shawls not only for fashion but for warmth. These were our 19th century coats. Women would wrap the shawl around and around and drape it nicely. This is exceptionally long, measuring 137 inches. Because of the large size of this shawl, it could also be used as a banquet size tablecloth. Muted moss green, beige and red, the overall look is sophisticated. Fabulous condition.

The crochet embellishment is beyond gorgeous. In perfect condition. For whatever reason, this has never been used.

This 100% cotton feed sack was used as packaging for an extra pair of suit pants.

The bottom 9 inches are comprised of 3 1/2 inches of exquisite crochet work and 2 inches of percale. 30 inch waist. Appears to be executed with a 0 size needle.

The bottom 15 inches of this “skirt" has wonderful layers of lace and trim. 30 inch waist.

Yes, we know this piece only dates back to the early 1960’s, which is new in Betsey’s world, but isn’t it wonderful? The Bambino Bean company used these 100 pound burlap bags to package pinto beans until Babe Ruth’s estate stopped the use of the Babe’s image. Betsey bought these five bags on one of her trips across the country over 10 years ago, and then forgot about them until she was up above the barn rummaging for treasures. So, whether you are a Red Sox fan, a Yankee fan, or just a fan of the game…one or more of these pieces would be perfect to add to your collection, and would look great on the wall as you cheer on your teams!

Betsey found this fantastic piece in New Hampshire. It showcases an exuberant confetti-like arrangement of wool and cotton fabrics. This beautiful textural and very graphic piece is perfect for that special place on your wall. It was purchased already mounted and ready to hang as a very unique piece of textile art.

Embellished with embroidered cross stitching. The edges are finished with a blue button hole stitch. There is a running chain stitch all around the tablecloth 3 inches from the edge creating a border.

Can be worn as a summer skirt. Draw string waist. Max width 38 inches.

This wonderful wool penny rug consists of 3 ¼ inch diameter circles of felted wool each with hand appliqued felted wool flowers accented with fine wool hand embroidery. The 4 inch long scallops, or tongues, along the entire edge also contain felted wool appliques, embroidery and a crocheted edging.

Professionally mounted on a wood frame covered in black cotton and ready for hanging. We show it vertically here, however it hangs as a horizontal work of art in Betsey's large kitchen.

This stars and stripes bunting is from either WWI or WWII, I am not sure which. I found this piece in Maine. Prior to the advent of paper decorations, we would use bunting to decorate for elections, presidential birthdays, and other political celebrations.

Child’s 1950s Cotton Poodle Skirt embellished with “Love me…” Buttons in the back. Appears to be sized for a ten year old.