Lucy Ricardo’s Lace Tablecloth

Lace Tablecloth in Episode "Fred and Ethel Fight"
Lace Tablecloth in Episode “Fred and Ethel Fight”

In the episode of I Love Lucy entitled Fred And Ethel Fight
Lucy and Ricky try to patch up the Mertzes’ quarrel by inviting each to dinner without the others knowledge. On the dinner table we see a fancy lace tablecloth of a type that was very popular in the 1950s. This is a Quaker Lace tablecloth model no 4161. It has a pretty floral design with baskets of daffodils around the edge and a distintive oval motif in the center. It is a cotton machine lace tablecloth measuring 65″ by 80″.

You can find vintage  Quaker Lace tablecloths on eBay and Etsy,  I located one like Lucy’s on eBay this week   – photo below – at http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lovely-Quaker-Cotton-Floral-Lace-Tablecloth-Daffodils-Looped-Hem-Label-65×80-/390948616851

Quaker Lace Tablecloth like the one on I Love Lucy - seen on eBay
Quaker Lace Tablecloth like the one on I Love Lucy – seen on eBay
Model Number of Tablecloth
Model Number of Tablecloth

Usually you can remove stains from vintage Quaker Lace tablecloths using Oxyclean, the one I wanted had several stains and I had to use a whole box of Oxyclean, and spot clean the worst spots with scoops of Oxyclean and hot water. but the result was well worth it.
Important: never use chlorine bleach on vintage Quaker Lace.