HUNTING AND GATHERING

 Just a normal amount of 'hunting and gathering' going on in the Salmagundi household.

When we went to Round Top, Texas last fall, my one goal was to come home with a dough bowl.  But, the lowest price I found was $95 -- I figured with patience, I could find one cheaper; so I came home without a dough bowl.  Sure enough, I recently found this one for under $30 at an antique show in Pueblo, Colorado.  It is heavy and has a nice patina, and just the size I was looking for!

This past week, we had to go to Denver to deliver one of my quilts to be photographed for a new book.  After a nice lunch with our son who was on spring break from teaching, we did what the three of us have always done -- go antiquing.  I vowed I wasn't going to buy any more brown transferware -- my goal was to find a plaid lunch box.  Of course, right away I found a piece of brown transferware in my under $20 price range.

 It's a 9" vegetable bowl in the 'Dado' pattern with a wonderful "cookie" of a sailing ship.

 It also has this wonderful border on the outside.

 So, I came home with a bowl, but no plaid lunch box.  The boxes I saw were $40, so that remains a quest for another day.

Speaking of plaid -- I recently completed these plaid pillows to go on the twin beds (see post here), and have been thinking and looking for months for something to hang over the beds to warm the space with all of the neutral bedding.

 I should always remember to shop at home first.  It finally dawned on me that I had this wonderful antique quilt in my quilt stash.  Yes, I have a very LARGE stash of both antique and contemporary quilts.

 In the 1990s I bought 81 Log Cabin blocks of all different sizes for $10 for the lot. They were made from glorious 19th century wools; but the sizes made it impossible to set them together in a quilt which is probably why they were still in block form.  After working on them for a month trying not to destroy the integrity of the time period, I set them together in the 'straight furrow' pattern of a traditional Log Cabin quilt.

 You can see all of the wonderful 19th century plaid fabrics in this quilt.

Last night, we hung the quilt and it was just what the room needed.


On the party circuit this week with the following blogs; please check them out for a plethora of inspiration.


My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday Treasures
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
White Ironstone Cottage for Treasure Chest Friday

A FAVORITE VIGNETTE

Alison at The Polohouse is having her monthly 'Favorites on the  First' party and the theme for March 1 is 'Our Favorite Vignette'.  I thought about this for awhile and realized that my favorite is really simple and meaningful.  

This is a fairly large toolbox that originally belonged to my grandfather, then my father.  It is full of dings and wonderful patina, so there is no problem putting our feet up on it!  We use it as a coffee table in the living room.  

I blogged here and here about this large brown transferware washbowl that came from my maternal great-grandparent's homestead.  The three candlesticks are really disc spacers from the farm equipment salvage yard - a reminder of growing up on a farm.

 During the various holidays, it is easy to add to this simple vignette.  Since Easter is coming up, I have added Victorian milk glass Easter eggs that belonged to my great-grandmother and an iron cross.

 Everything in this vignette is a reminder of those that came before me -- all pioneers on the prairies of Colorado.

I hope you check out The Polohouse for more favorite vignettes on Thursday, March l, plus I'll be joining these other great parties:
Very Merry Vintage Style for Share the Love Wednesday
No Minimalist Here for Thursday Open House
French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday

AESTHETIC BROWN TRANSFERWARE

My favorite collectible has to be brown transferware from the 19th century aesthetic period. Finding pieces in my budget over the last 15 years has been a journey, but I have managed to amass a nice little collection. To receive a piece as a gift is a real bonus! My friend, Jan, also collects brown transferware and on her travels found this pedestal plate. She knew how much I fell in love with it, so she gave it to me for my birthday.

It has an incised mark on the bottom, but I can't make it out. I'm guessing that it is about 1880.

I love the Asian influence in the pattern, but the piece was probably made in England.

If anyone out there in blogland has any info on this piece, I would appreciate hearing from you. (All pictures can be clicked on to enlarge for a better look at the pattern.)

Thanks, Jan, for a wonderful addition to my collection.

Next week I'm joining the following parties:

A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

These blogs are always so full of fun stuff - be sure to visit them for lots of inspiration.

STIMULATING THE ECONOMY WITH TRANSFERWARE!

You all know of my obsession with 19th century Aesthetic period brown transferware. Well, I've had my eye on this little tureen for way over two years at a local antique mall. I've visited it many, many times always thinking it was way too much money! During a period of about two months the tureen was missing, but then it magically reappeared.

I'm on Social Security so was eligible to receive the government's gift (?) of $250 stimulus money. I decided that when the check arrived, I would do my part to stimulate the economy by buying the tureen! Isn't it a beauty?

Most of my stimulus money is still unspent. Guess I had better save it for my grandchildren - they will need it when they inherit our national debt!!!!!

Thanks for stopping by,
Sally

A LITTLE SHOPPING EXCURSION

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Colorado, so we decided to go to the Antique Show & Sale at the Colorado State Fairgrounds. They have this show four times a year, and there is always a wide variety of items and a wide variety of prices! We have been antiquing out and about for about 45 years, and don't purchase too much any more. But I'm always on the lookout for brown transferware from the 19th Century especially at a good price.

I bought this gravy boat yesterday for $14. It is in perfect condition; and I figured at that price for something with an 1800s registry mark, I couldn't go wrong!

Just look at the aesthetic period decoration on the handle.

It's a real charmer.

We had lunch out; and with this treasure to bring home to enjoy, it was a great day.

Thanks for stopping by,
Sally

TABLESCAPE TUESDAY

It is Tablescape Tuesday once again hosted by Susan at Between Naps on the Porch.

In the winter, we eat a lot of soups and stews for our main dish. So, today, I have set the table for two using some of my brown transferware.

The soup bowl is from the 19th century aesthetic period manufactured by W. H. Grindley and Co., England. I have several pieces of this pattern with its charming birds and asymmetrical Oriental banding. The 'manly' soup spoon and butter knife are from my great-grandmother's monogrammed silver. The bread plate at this setting is 19th Century, 'Stag' pattern from C.S. & Sons, England.

For an under plate, I have used a pair of 20th century brown transferware plates in the Tonquin pattern by Alfred Meakin, England.


The glassware is Fostoria, and the bread plate in the foreground is 19th century, in the 'Perak' pattern.


The two larger candle holders were made by Bob's grandfather from apple wood from his backyard. The smaller holder was made by my father from one of the original walnut trees planted by pioneers in the small town we grew up in.

Thanks for stopping by, and now head over to Susan's to check out all of the other great tablescapes!!!

Sally