--William Wordsworth (1770–1850)

Several years ago, my great aunt Earlyne visited me from East Texas.  To complement her South Shore sojourn, we took a June-day drive through the Annapolis Valley.  We went in search of the unexpected and found our treasure in Bridgetown.  A spry older woman, already into her purple years, was selling her old linens.  Some she had made when she was girl, and some had been made by her mother.  Earlyne was ecstatic; we left with two armloads.  The linens had sparked memories for my aunt and her family cottage days.  As we continued our drive, I was regaled with those wonderful homespun stories. 

Always in search of that feeling of home, I have collected my own linens over the years.  Some linens are favourite travel souvenirs, like the Hawaiian quilt stitched with a pineapple plant silhouette pattern (see www.hawaiian-quilts.com).  Some linens are family heirlooms like the patchwork quilt my grandmother made when she was 13.  And some new linens will be future heirlooms to my children, who will associate their own memories to the family linens closet.     

Now where do you begin when you live on the South Shore?  Let’s start with the basic bed linens.  My preference for bed linens is white, cream, or natural.  These colours elude fashion and everyone looks good against them.  Use blankets to add seasonal colour.  Layer with cotton quilts.  I also like to use ticking, especially antique ticking, for cushions, pillows, and even tablecloths.  My primary source for fine bed linens is an internet company:  www.garnethill.com.  Garnet Hill is a New Hampshire-based resource that carries fine English flannel, bed sheets, quilts, and the best cotton blankets.  The noteworthy blankets are from the Brahms-Mount company in Maine (www.brahmsmount.com).  They are breathable, heavy for a comfortable sleep, and stylish.  My first one is 15 years old and it just gets better.  Our son has quilted ticking comforters and shams from Garnet Hill.  The ticking holds up to daily life and it just looks so darn cool on his old rope bed (other ticking pillows available at www.cottageclassics.net).  We have more items collected over the years, and they all add to the character and warmth of the home. 

There are also South Shore sources for the comfort of quilted cotton.  Of course there is Suttles and Seawinds in Mahone Bay with their quilts looking as good on the wall as on the bed.  New to Main Street is Mahone Bay Quilts.  Their quilts and pillows are made and designed in Thailand.  The silk pillows are a steal.  I have two so far.  Take a look at the red Canadian maple leaf quilt.  It’s on the sign and in the store.  In Lunenburg, there is the venerable Quilts by the Sea, where the local craftsmanship is dear.  And for the starter set, stop by the Teazer for their patchwork quilts.  Earlyne would have loved them all.