Found among my (long-deceased) grandmother’s linens. It’s sort of like a pillowcase, but is too big (we didn’t measure, but judging from the person holding it up, it’s roughly four by three feet). The hexagonal opening is the only one. There is fairly detailed embroidery around the opening on this side; the other side is plain. Grandma was a seamstress, so it’s entirely possible this is hand-made, but we cannot work out what it might have been for.
Popular, but unsatisfying, theories were: - Christmas tree cover? (But why have a bottom at all?) - Tablecloth, with the hole for the table’s support pillar? (But why decorate the bottom?)
So, Reddit… what is it?!
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This is for blanket.
Basically, you put wool/other material blanket inside so you dont touch the abraisive but warm fabric of actual blanket.
This makes sense! I’m used to ones with the opening on the ends but I guess this was another option. It’s a good size for a baby or toddler blanket in a crib, too.
solved!
Was your grandmother Eastern European by any chance? My mother-in-law has similar linens and she is from the Soviet Union. I cannot spell what she calls it for the life of me but it's a duvet/blanket cover!
A lot of people have suggested this is Eastern European! Grandma grew up in Sicily, and moved to the States at 16 or so. No Eastern Europe/Slavic connections that we know of.
Very interesting!! This honestly may help in my search to find a pattern for one if I can expand the region I'm searching, haha! Thank you!
Pododeyalnik?
YES THAT'S IT!!! I do not know the cyrillic and my phonetic spelling would be atrocious. Yes. Pododeyalnik!
Do not put blankets in a baby’s crib.
For sure! This thing is at least 70 years old though, and people had different advice then.
That’s the current advice, yes. It’s an antique, though.
Other countries have safe sleep standards that teach how to safely use blankets in cribs.
There are no safe ways to use blankets in cribs. Just because other countries issue guidance, it doesn’t make that guidance correct. I don’t know why people advocate for dangerous practices in any way. Is it really worth a child dying to suffocation because you typed on the internet that it’s ok to have a blanket?
Well considering most, if not all, of those European countries that offer guidelines for safely using blankets in cribs have significantly lower rates of SIDS than the USA, maybe the problem isn’t the blankets. Maybe the problem is that parents aren’t taught how to safely use blankets in the USA.
Good point. Not to mention that many of these countries have geographical areas that get colder than anyone in the US, or in a country having a similar climate, would ever experience.
I am an American and "banning" instead of "teaching correctly," is a very American thing.
Except the internet is full of “it’s ok to use blankets, ignore guidelines” and so people do. O am being downvoted for providing the safest way to handle sleeping. You’re being upvoted for advocating for blankets. So that’s pretty telling. And there are significant reporting inconsistencies and classifications.
You’re getting downvoted because, whether or not you’re American, you’re doing the stereotypical American thing of “this is how it’s done in America, so it’s right”.
She’s being downloaded because she’s being rude and overbearing, which has nothing to do with being an American. They come in all countries.
As an American myself, that's exactly why they're being down-voted. This is an antique, made during a time when it was ok to drink while pregnant and to ride in a car with a baby in a hammock, and they're making an argument on current American standards in a haughty and rude way.
Yup! And here in America, at least in the majority of country geographically , we are less likely to experience the kind of cold than they do in, say, the Nordic countries or the northern areas of eastern europe/ Eurasia.
I am from Eastern Europe. lol. You guys.
I am actually not from America, although I live here now. My attitude is - the safest recommendation that I can follow to prevent a baby’s death is the best one. And that’s the safest.
Although truly, please cover your baby with all the blankets you want. It’s a free world.
You express yourself with the heavy undertones of a religious fanatic. You're rigid and pushy and trying to end a conversation instead of start one. Idk about others but that's why I downvoted you.
There's more than one way to be safe, just like there's more than one way to be happy, angry, healthy, sick, smart, stupid. They're all words that vary in type and degree. I mean technically, banning blankets is stupid because the only way they're dangerous is if you leave them unsupervised and the safest way to handle sleeping is to make sure your child is warm and comfortable and always has someone awake and watching over them. I wouldn't suggest that people are stupid or bad parents because they don't have nannies taking shifts to watch their babies sleep though because that would just make me a rude bitch.
Do you really lack this much self-awareness? That's pretty telling.
People find what you are saying preachy and condescending. Your little speech is this the epitome of self-righteousness.
People who follow up to complain about their downvotes are obnoxious. You do know that reddit karma doesn't translate to anything in the real world???
What self-awareness do I lack?
FWIW, I have yet to downvote you. I only added that tidbit to acknowledge the users who may not be American. Nobody likes being told they do things ass backwards, warranted or not.
funny how the whole planet survived quite happily using blankets for thousands of years before the USA was invented and then started telling us we're doing it all wrong! the arrogance is astonishing.
The whole planet also survived dumping their sewage into the same river that supplied their drinking water and treating diseases with mercury and antimony, so I really wouldn’t use that argument. A species’s habits don’t have to be ideal for it to survive - your reproductive rate just has to match or outpace your death rate overall.
That said, I don’t think the US is like the global authority on infant wellbeing - if we wanted to be, we’d do things like provide universal healthcare, paid maternity leave and paid paternity leave, subsidize high-quality childcare, provide better support for pregnant women struggling with addiction, etc. But the ABCs of sleep with the use of sleep sacks are objectively safer than things like cosleeping and using blankets if all other things are equal - we just have a lot stacked against us as Americans that isn’t necessarily a problem in other countries. That, and reporting and classification of SIDS and SUID cases varies by country, making direct comparisons very difficult.
If you know a baby was strangled by a blanket, that is not ever going to be SIDS anyway. SIDS is unexplainable even after autopsy.
A lot of babies died. Babies still die. That’s a ridiculous comment.
There is absolutely a safe way to use blankets in the crib. I assume you are from the US (which has one of the highest suffocation mortality rates, regardless of sleep guidelines. Places like the Netherlands have one of the lowest mortality rates, and they use blankets in cribs, just with better guidelines.
And a big part of the problem is that folks who work with families here in the USA recognize folks are going to use blankets anyway- either due to tradition or to make up for poor heating, but can’t actually teach them how to minimize the risks. They are obligated to drill in no blankets, ever. Thus doing more harm than good.
“People are so poor and dumb that their babies should die” is a hell of a take and it isn’t true. There are so many orgs in the US who hand out wearable blankets and warm clothes and provide education.
Sometimes it’s best to meet people where they are- there are cultural reasons why different families do things differently. Tell them the safest way to do things- in a crib, wearable blankets, etc., but also it is good for them to know ways to minimize risk while doing what they’re going to, anyway.
I know these families. They’re in my social circle and family. Multiple generations in single wides, young family with twins in a 17’ travel trailer. Safe sleep guidelines are great when cribs or heaters are options, but sadly they aren’t always. I know a family who lost a child sleeping on a beanbag chair, and then years later had to nag another not to use one for their infant. Repeatedly.
So many charity organizations! Oh wow we definitely don't have anyone experiencing poverty then!
Go touch grass.
You obviously have no lived experience with poverty so your condescending remarks are less than helpful.
Also, “less than helpful” to whom? So should poor people not to be told their babies are safer without blankets in cribs? Only the rich should get safety recommendations? Take a moment to examine your moral outrage over a reddit comment about child safety and figure out what’s wrong in your life that causes you to react like that. Then address it - it’s unhealthy.
I didn’t say charities, I said orgs. Your assumption is 100% wrong but I guess in your magical world suffocating blankets are free and wearable sleepers are ten million dollars. So many people arguing that babies should die is insane to me.
I’m an American who still used blankets with their babies 20 years ago. What are the European safety guidelines for blankets in cribs? I’d love to know in case of any future grandkids.
Basically feet to the foot of the crib, blanket up to the chest, then tucked at the foot of the bed(and possibly the sides, I don’t recall at the moment). It’s so the blanket cannot scoot up over the face and the baby can’t scoot further down under the blanket.
People don’t follow sleep guidelines in the US, as because people like you tell them it’s ok to not.
Also, other countries underreport suffocation deaths or classify them differently.
I’d love to see your sources or whatever you have that backs your claim that other countries (specifically the countries being spoken of in this thread who teach safe blanket use) underreport suffocation deaths or classify them differently. That’s a hell of a claim to make against another county without providing evidence.
Coming from a country where babies sleep in a cardbord box, which families get from the social security officials, and it comes with blanket, ment to be used in the box for the baby to sleep comfortably. In 2021 (according to UN) just over 6 children per 1000 living born children die (so, about 0,6%) yearly. In Finland that same number is just over 2 children per 1000 living born children die (0,2%), despite sleeping under a blanket. The latest report on children's suffocation deaths includes 12 cases (ages 0-17). The only time baby died sleeping related suffocation was a case where parent slept in the same bed and had rolled over the baby. It is not recomended to have the baby to sleep in the same bed than adults, but there are no recomendations against blankets.
You’re right. The no-blanket recommendation must just be because of the big anti-blanket propaganda in the US.
If you have to be taught how to use a blanket, you shouldn't be breeding
Horrible way to phrase your opinion
I picture a baby chewing and drooling on the edges, so I like the opening in the middle
Would be a lot easier to straighten the corners with the opening in the center.
Oh in that case i would honestly say bedpad cover for a kid
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Can confirm. I've been staying in hotels recently, and they have versions of this. The ones I've seen have the openings on the ends, but it's the same idea.
Haha people here are so limited.
Well, so are you if you think that’s so funny, I mean, aren’t you?
Smells like pee
Tiny blankets ftw
Kind of like a duvet cover? Interesting. It reminds me of some linens my grandmother had!
Duvet
Duvet cover for toddler bed sized quilts
While you have the correct answer i just wanted to say that the embroidery is for reinforcing the hole so it doesnt tear. Like how buttonholes are.
I thought you said buttholes are reinforced with some form of stitching
I mean I guess after some violent child-birthing, some are
Can confirm
Or moderate difficulty births if you’re in the states. We love to do everything we can to increase tearing here..
Why did i immediately guess something from a Mormon household? And the comments humbled me 😅
You’re not alone. I went directly to some sort of modesty sexing linens.
It reminded me of a particular scene in Handmaid's Tale for sure
Curb Your Enthusiasm for me.
This is where my head went
Hey, no peeking.
That's a total myth. Neither Mormons nor Jews do this, even though it's a myth that has gone around forever
Yeah, I was thinking "Magic Underwear" or "Wedding Night Low Contact Sex Blanket."
I was going to say 'I'd toss that out if I were you' but now instead I'm trying really hard to remember the last time I went to church. I literally went straight to the gutter.
I thought I was on r/unexpectedletterkenny for a drill-bit
ALLEGEDLY
My mind went straight to Handmaid’s Tale, so you’re not alone. 😂
My first thought was Amish, according to the son in law of an old coworker, some Amish communities will pay good for the chance to introduce new blood to the community, but the conditions of the act is so stiff, and regulated that it’s actually more work than it’s worth… still not convinced he actually did, but I’ve believed taller tales before.
I can confirm this happens with Amish in my area but it’s usually just when they are on their deciding time (can’t remember the name for it ) the girl goes away and back to her life and never seen again
Rumspringa
Yes. When I was in high school I encountered several girls during this.
Lucky you 😂
Wasn’t as good as one might think.
This was my first thought and now I feel dirty.
This is what I thought 😂
My brain also went to ultra religious sex garb so glad I’m not alone
I was like dang that hole is bigger than I imagined it would be 🤣
I thought the same!
Same
My first thought was a nun’s habit.
Is it OK to French kiss a nun?
Provided you don't get in the habit.
Yuuup me too
sex hole sheets
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Extra large full body underwear.
Me,too! Now I feel kinda silly and dirty xD
!! My first reaction!
Different tribe, same punchline.
It a cover for a kids blanket.
Put wool blanket in.
Only wash the cover.
That’s an old school soviet blanket cover, we used these in my childhood a lot ☺️
Fellow Soviet kid here and that’s exactly what this is!
I thought it was going to be one of those things religious freaks used to have sex so there was as little touching as possible.
Not sure which ones do it but I remember hearing about it.
Just a friendly FYI to say this is a popular antisemitic trope, and not actually a real thing anyone does. It was based on a complete misunderstanding of what a tallit katan is, an object of ritual clothing worn by many Orthodox Jews (and a much smaller number of non-orthodox Jews).
Edit: the direct link doesn’t want to work for some reason, but if you scroll down to the drop down menu item “types of tallitot,” it talks about what a tallit katan is.
Thank you for this info. I wouldn't have thought "Jewish" i would have thought some other Christian religion, but being accidentally antisemitic isnt cool either :)
Which other Christian religion? This has never described anywhere in Christianity and most certainly has been associated with the Orthodox Jewish religion. The Torah commands that any four-cornered garment have ritual fringes attached, but since we don’t commonly wear such garments any longer, the custom emerged of wearing a tallit katan — or “little tallit” — under one’s shirt in order to fulfill this commitment. Also- this is not “antisemitism” or “accidental antisemitism”. Semites are from the Middle East or Horn of Africa- many Orthodox Jews are Russian, Slavic and European - having very little ancestry to the Middle East.
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Oh awesome! Thanks for letting me know. I’ll look it up myself and get informed.
Of course! Thanks for being open to learning!
i just love that you shared your knowledge in a kind and respectful way and didn’t try to shame someone and others (including me!) got to learn something. thanks to you both!
EXACTLY! Well said.
That’s what I thought too 😝
That's actually an urban myth.
I’m educating myself about it. You seem to be correct. I was never really too interested beyond a “oh wow, that’s crazy” when I heard it as a teenager 45 years ago.
But I’m reading up on it now.
That's slavic AF duvet cover, the actual duvet had a colour and pattern on them too to make it show through the cut.
Source: I R Slavic
A duvet cover.
That’s a solid guess! Could definitely see it being a unique duvet cover or maybe even a decorative throw.
Russian blanket duvet.Kind of old style. I don't think they do them like that anymore. I bet made out of very good cotton or linen
It’s the washable duvet/quilt/blanket cover.
It an old fashion duvet cover - it was made for whatever size they made the blanket to go in it . There were no standard sizes then .
When I grew up, this was the only kind of blanket covers we had. That was very common
I know I’m late to solving this, but for once I know the answer! It’s a duvet cover! My grandma had one. You stuff the duvet through the hole. The duvet color makes a nice pattern through the opening.
My internet addled brain immediately saw the hole and thought it was a “soaking” thing. Definitely happy to be very off base with my notion lol
It’s for an Immaculate Conception.
👻
You can do anything through the hole in the sheet.
It looks like a linen I’ve used in hospital or nursing homes. You place it under your patient to move them up in bed because lifting a bed bound patient by arms or legs is injurious. Where as rolling over your patient from side to side carefully to get the, I forget the name, under so you can use the linen to position the patient up or down in bed safely.
Kinda looks like it could be a duvet cover or comforter cover that’s missing the closure. The single opening with the fancy embroidery feels like it was meant to face outward and the rest would be filled and fluffed up. Given she was a seamstress, I’d bet it was either an unfinished cover or a custom one for a specific blanket or featherbed.
Usbekistani wedding blanket
I wondered if maybe it was blanket or “covers” of some kind that were special to her, and she cut out part of it to sew into something else. The interior of a special dress, maybe, or to add to a quilt made up of various pieces of cloth equally special. But the not-duvet cover idea seems most logical.
It is a small blanket cover, this variation kind of popular on cis regions hole in center is needed for pulling blanket in.
It's a duvet cover. Very common amongst grandmothers in the Balkans. Your grandma was from that region perhaps? The hole would show the pattern on the duvet, and I guess made it easier to put inside.
It resembles the sheets some religions use on their wedding night and I believe the mother in law (or someone) keeps the sheet as “proof” the bride was a virgin 😬
Blanket cover. Then I was a little, I always climbed into this hole and it was like a tent... if I couldn't build a fort out of pillows and blankets
A down quilt with a elaborate quilted area in the middle of the quilt. Had them growing up from my german grandmother.
Thanks for posting this, I actually just got one of these at the thrift store because the fabric was cool!
Instantly reminded me of Upright Citizen's Brigade https://youtu.be/qRNlxBuB9jM?si=qrw4Db8OmcHSB6cN
Maybe a table cover for a rectangular table with a central leg, rather than 4 corner legs?
In Europe it’s a duvet cover. Judging by the size either for a crib or toddler bed.
It’s definitely a “blessed be the fruit” blanket/sheet
Nah, old fashioned duvet covers all looked like this. It's not that deep. It was easier to make and easier to put the blanket in. Having the opening on the end and buttons on covers are a modern thing.
It was a joke
Seems like it could be a cover for the stand of a Christmas tree.
Maybe she made it to store valuable linens or wedding dress in.
The classic loophole of having sex through a hole in the sheet.
it’s a vintage duvet cover
https://preview.redd.it/ofsembbg347g1.jpeg?width=267&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b525f0b55c24d1d14f81fcfe7950552f4d6a608f
Oh, yeah that's for the glory hole.
is that a sears poncho?✌️
Looks like an infant duvet.
The smallest duvet cover?
Biiiiiiiiig chef hat
Wear it on your bridal night. Legs sticking out of the hole obs
Glory hole sheet
Nightgown pancho
The Internet says it's a first communion keepsake and an Italian thing, that the whole is for the child to wear it over their head or place something inside if it.
I'd still go with duvet, but that's what Google image search says, and it says that if it's intricate, they are sought after... Who knows.
AI is always just guessing. Google image search told me my Great Pyrenees mix was a West Highland Terrier.
Duvet cover
Was her husband an Orthodox Jew? Could be his tzi-tzit. And no, despite the myth, one doesn’t have sex through a hole in a sheet.
Couldn’t be tzitzit (tallit katan) without any tzitzit (fringes) on the corners. This also has a second piece of fabric attached that doesn’t have a hole in it for a person’s head to go through.
Orthodox sex linen?
Maybe a dust cover for a chandelier or something like it
I’m thinking a laundry or large lingerie bag. Women kept stockings, step ins, etc in lingerie bags. Helped protect the items and kept them discreet. .
It looks like the cover you put on massage tables where you nestle your head in
Why does it feel …. Jewish
Maybe because it’s an item made from fabric like a Jewish wedding canopy or prayer cloth
That’s a cum rag
yizz rag?
HEY!!!! we’re talking about grandma
WHAT IS IT?