Embroidered Tablecloth Guest Book

I'll bet someone in every family has a drawerful of old embroidered tablecloths made by an aunt, a great-aunt or a grandmother. Like me - I have my mother's "bridge cloths" from the 40s and 50s, when ladies lunched and played bridge, and her flowery "tea cloths," which I guess were for occasions when only the ladies were invited. They are somewhat useless, but impossible to throw away.

I saw an idea where a family had every guest who came to their home over the holidays sign a tablecloth, their "Christmas cloth." The names were then covered with embroidery, and eventually the cloth was filled with the names of friends and relatives.

So, could one of these packed-away embroidered cloths come out of a drawer and become guest book for a wedding? Guests could write their names on the cloth (be sure to use a pen made for writing on fabric) and then you have the option of whether to later embroider over the names. Bring the cloth out in your home for special occasions and have new friends and family add their names to it and the cloth will become a sentimental keepsake for your family.

If you like the idea, but don't have family heirlooms, check out eBay - there were 1800 vintage embroidered cloths listed when I checked!