Friday, December 28, 2007

Mystery of the Well Worn Collar


Kelli at "There's No Place Like Home" is hosting a Show and Tell Friday, that I thought would be fun to participate in.

I came across this old lace collar at an estate sale, about 4 years ago. It was mixed in with some new "old" pieces of lace collars, fancy cuffs and long pieces of lace - some with the original price tag still pinned on. Some of those pieces I sold or got rid of, some of them I kept.

This one that I kept was not the most beautiful. It wasn't new and "showy" and yet it was the piece that seemed to be the most interesting. I know nothing about the person who made it or wore it. Or do I?

You need to click on the picture to enlarge it b/c when you do, in the bottom right hand side you will see a delicate patch job and some darning. There are quite a few other areas that you can barely see that have also been darned. The collar is cotton and very thin.

It makes me wonder about the woman who wore this collar? Did she make it herself? Did it perk up her "one good dress" or was it worn on her "everyday dress".

The stitches are so fine, the patch job barely noticeable from the front.

Why didn't this woman throw away this old collar when it first showed signs of wear? And was the woman who saved this piece along with other "new" pieces, the woman who once wore it? And if not - what was the value in saving this old "rag"?

I'd love to meet the woman who fixed up this old collar and continued to wear it, despite the condition it was in. Did she live during the Depression? Did she live 100 years ago?

Why am I keeping this piece? I don't know. It doesn't hold the same kind of meaning as it would if it belonged to my grandma or great-grandma. But all the same it is precious. It hearkens back to a time when society didn't just throw things away, they lived by the proverb:

Use it up
Wear it out
Make it do
Or do without.

9 comments:

Reviekat said...

Wow an interesting collar! You are right, the patch job is very, very good. It would nice to know a bit about the owner. :)

Barbara H. said...

It is interesting to wonder about the lives of people who had pieces like this. We've become such a throw-away society -- I think it's neat when people repair or remake things to keep in use.

Barbara H. @ Stray Thoughts

Susan said...

It is interesting to wonder about the "life" of the collar and the woman who wore it!! We all have a history.
Susan

nancy said...

This is so great. I can't imagine how it got so MUCH wear. It really is a mystery, isn't it. This is a really good "show and tell". Thank you.
Nancy

Anita said...

I like that old vintage lace, too! What a very prett handiwork! What a pity that all your questions will never be answered! I am wondering as well how old it is. Do you have any clue?

Best wishes from Germany and Happy New Year!

Anita

Amanda said...

I think it's kind of fun to imagine what people were like when I find things they owned. I wonder what her story was...

Edi said...

I don't have a clue to how old this collar is...would you think sometime around the 30s at the latest? I don't know enough about women's fashions of yester-year to determine any closer.

I can't imagine a woman in the 40s wearing a patched up collar like that...

Martha said...

I love old things. I love to do what you have done here - sit and think about what life was like when the people who had it were living.

Thanks for sharing,
~Martie

Kelli said...

Welcome to show and tell! What a wonderful treasure, I'm so glad you have kept it! I would love to know the answers to all of those questions too!
Kelli