PLAID ON PARADE

It's a fun week at the following blogs:  The Polohouse, Vignette Design,  Upstairs Downstairs, and Hyacinths for the Soul.         They are having a Tartan Day celebration to give us a chance to show off our plaids.  Be sure to stop by these wonderful blogs for a visit.  

A year or so ago, I did a post on my infatuation with plaid over the years -- you may view it by clicking here.

 When I go junk hunting, I look for wool plaid skirts in good condition which I can make into pillows. Most new Pendleton wools sell for about $40 per yard, but I have found skirts for under $10 that contain almost two yards of fabric.  My latest find was an authentic Royal Stewart Tartan according to the tag from Pendleton.

My method of operation is to completely deconstruct the skirt which sometimes takes longer than to actually make the pillow, which is O.K. as I have more time than money!  Once I have it in pieces of fabric, I wash them in Woolite, hang to dry, then steam out the wrinkles and/or pleat marks.

I was able to get two 12"x22" pillows from this skirt.  There wasn't enough fabric, however, to make a cording.  So I just made some using black twill, which frames the pillow well.

When out and about I also look for wool plaid travel blankets, but they are getting hard to find at a decent price.

Here are three more of the pillows I have made.  This is a pillow out of a piece of embroidery and a green plaid pleated Pendleton skirt.

Not a plaid, but a great check pillow made out of a Ralph Lauren wool skirt.

This red plaid was from a Ralph Lauren pleated skirt that had these great leather fasteners on it.

 

I enjoy making these pillows as it is sometimes a challenge to figure out how to match the plaids and make the size pillow I want from a finite piece of fabric.  Besides that quality wool just feels SO good!

OPINIONS, OBSERVATIONS, AND A NEW BATHROOM VALANCE

I normally don't have a hard time focusing, but today is a different story.  I know I should just go take a nap, and give the brain a rest for an hour or so.  But, I've decided to do a blog post instead.  DISCLAIMER:  The opinions are strictly my own, and are just the observations of someone that has observed six generations of lifestyles.  My intent is not to offend anyone; I'm a realist and understand that this is just the way things are now. Fasten your seat belts!  I'm all over the place.

There's not much I want to watch on HGTV any more, but I must admit that I'm still addicted to "House Hunters".  I really enjoy "House Hunters International" -- I love seeing the homes in the European countries that I have visited.  But, I always come away from the regular U.S. "House Hunters" irritated.  It appears that a lot of the 20-50 age group want what they want when they want it (like right now); and it is often more than they will ever NEED.  My very own children fall into this group.  I think of them as the entitlement generation.  They are missing the joy of accomplishment that comes after waiting and waiting and planning for something; OR THE SENSE OF ACHIEVEMENT YOU FEEL WHEN YOU DISCOVER YOU DON'T NEED WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOU DESIRED.   


What could my generation (me included) have done better to raise a non-entitlement generation?  After 44 years of mothering, I now have some ideas; but that's another post.     

MY MASTER BATHROOM

Sometimes when I walk into my master bathroom, I think about what those younger people on "House Hunters" would say if they were looking at my house to buy.  "Oh, that master bathroom is just way too small; I couldn't live like that."  OR: "No granite or tile - I don't even want to go in there." OR THE WORST TRANSGRESSION: "Only one sink!  No Way!"  I can kind of understand why an unmarried couple needs two sinks - trust me - it really does take the commitment of marriage to share a bathroom sink with someone for 50-plus years!  But, why does a single person need two sinks? 

I think about my best friend from childhood who raised her five kids in a one-bathroom house.  Years ago, I asked her how she did it.  (At the time, I had two bathrooms and two kids.)  She said that it was no problem.  You just didn't do anything in the bathroom that you could do someplace else -- for example:  reading, messing with your hair or fingernails, etc.  So, seven people can share one bathroom.  I need to ask her, though, if her now- grown children feel entitled to superfluous bathrooms.   When I was a young child, my parents didn't even have a bathroom or indoor plumbing.  I had a potty chair in the kitchen; then when I turned two, there was the outhouse.  But, it didn't take me long to figure out that if I ran past the outhouse down the path a few yards further to Grandma's I could use her indoor bathroom plus get a cookie for my efforts. And Grandma was always so happy to see me.  So much for potty training 70 years ago.  But, I digress----

Back to my tiny, one-sink master bathroom.  It does have some advantages.  I'm thankful that it is 'en suite'; and that when we moved in 14 years ago, we removed the tub ("HH" says, "That's a no-no.") and replaced it with a large walk-in shower.  The shower does have cultured marble, which the "House Hunter" youngsters scorn; but it sure is easy to clean and maintain. 

THE DREADED CULTURAL MARBLE

It also has a textured-glass enclosure which I'm sure (according to "HH") makes the room look smaller; but here again, maintenance is easy.  I haven't missed a bathtub at all.  I suppose if I needed a tub bath, I could walk the ten steps to the hall bathroom. And, there is only one sink in here to clean!!


And to remind me how far I've come, we replaced the huge plate glass mirror with a mirror that hung in my grandparent's home.

To solve the small bathroom storage problem, we found an old large medicine cabinet to use over the stool. 

Plus, we use my grandmother's bedroom dressing-table stool to hold towels.  

It is very functional and all that we NEED.  And the best thing is that this bathroom (and the house and land attached) is paid for, as in no mortgage -- nada.  That's a wonderful feeling in its self.

And, FINALLY, that brings me to the reason for today's post -- to show you my new valance in the master bathroom.  I thought some pattern and softness was needed to counter all the hard edges. 

 I know the "House Hunter" young things would probably say, "It feels like my grandma's bathroom."  That's O.K. -- I'm a grandmother.

I'm not going to join any blog parties this week.  Some posts just should not be on the party circuit.  This is one.

Well, I've tackled HGTV, the entitlement generation, wants versus needs, parenting, marriage commitment, potty training, small bathroom advantages, the mortgage crisis, and blog parties.  Guess I better go take that nap.
  
After my nap, I will be taking a blog break for a little while to solve the world's problems; but I'll be back at some future time to report how THAT went.

TO OUR SON, MIKE

After all of those long winter months in Montana when we could hardly get out of our snowy driveway-----

who would have thought you would become a world traveler?

Happy Birthday, Dr. S.; and may you have many more wonderful experiences!

A TOUCH OF SPRING

I'm so not through with Winter yet; but for those who are anxiously awaiting Spring here is a touch of the Spring/Easter season at our house!

 The bunny is a vintage Easter candy container, and the small tin basket is also vintage.  The old postcard signifies the meaning of Easter.

 To view the full table-top quilt, check out my quilting blog here.

I'm fortunate to live in Colorado, so I know we will have another month (or two) of occasional winter.  Bring it on, I say; but for the rest of my family here is a touch of Spring!

I'll be joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for her Spring Cloche party on Tuesday, March 13.

SEWING/PROJECT ROOM

  In 1961 when we first got out of college and had real jobs, I took part of my paycheck each month for a year and bought Ethan Allen furniture.  This was a great investment for our home -- over the years this modular furniture has been used in the living room, den, and while our son was growing up used in his bedroom.  When he left home 25 years ago, I claimed it as mine for my sewing/project room.  I've been fortunate that for most of my 53 years of marriage I have had a dedicated sewing/project room of my own.  Sometimes it has been as small as a closet, but for the last 32 years I've had a nice-sized bedroom to call the sewing room.

I thought that today we would take a tour of my sewing/project room to see what it looks like now and how it functions just for ME.

As you walk in the door, the first thing is my great-grandmother's desk.  I use it mostly for storage now, but the front folds down to use for extra table space when needed.

 As we move around the room, you start to see the Ethan Allen furniture.  It fills one full wall and wraps around the two adjoining walls -- bookcases and storage galore!  There are eight separate pieces bought one piece at a time.

 Continuing on around, the units wrap around to the third wall.  Over the years, I've added baskets to multiply the storage capacity.  That green mat is my rotary cutting area.

 Then, as we move around to the fourth wall you see my sewing machine corner.  I know it isn't a very big table, but I've sewn a million miles and made many, many quilts there.  I even wrote two quilting books by hand on it (before I  rewrote them on the computer).  The little red table beside my table was used by my grandchildren for their projects while I was busy sewing.  My 15-year-old granddaughter still likes to sit there to draw and talk to me.

 And yes, it always looks this picked up.  After every little project I clean it up, and put everything back in its place.  I've always worked best in this manner.  That is why storage is such an important part of my room.  Not all is neat and organized, however -- this is a basket full of trims.

 The drawers are organized, however.

 This bookcase holds my quilting books and some of my decorating books. The three little suitcases on top are from my childhood, and still hold my doll clothes.

 This bookcase is mostly full of cookbooks.  I don't like to cook and I'm not a creative cook -- I need all the help I can get!

 And, finally the closet -- this is where I store my quilting scraps and my notebooks and slides for all of the quilt classes I used to teach.  Someday, I need to get rid of a lot of this; but not yet.  Just hanging on to the past plus every once in awhile, I need a scrap of quilting fabric for a project!

I've always loved having a space of my own.  I realized recently how much -- the room was torn up for Bob to give it a new coat of paint and to add crown molding.  But, it's all back together now --  clean and ready for another project!


I'll be joining the following parties this week.  Check them out for a bunch of inspiration.
Northern Cottage for Partytime Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
No Minimalist Here for Thursday Open House
Miss Mustard Seed for Furniture Feature Friday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home 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

MORE A.M. BROWN TRANSFERWARE

Last week, I posted about my love affair with Aesthetic Movement brown transferware.  That post may be viewed here, if desired.  Continuing on with some more of my collection----
Below is a collage of a couple of pieces of Copeland transferware.  The piece on the upper left is a pedestal dish, and the one on the right is a soup bowl.  They have the same intricate border, but the inner transfers are different.  Just this past weekend at an antique mall in Denver, I saw another piece in this pattern with yet a third inner decoration.  It was $23 for a 5" plate, which is more than I like to pay for a little plate, so I walked away.   Regrets????  Maybe a little!!!

I've included this little bowl to show you one of the different shades of brown that was manufactured.

I would love to find more of this pattern called 'Stag' - it has it all:  Nature, 'Cookies', and great geometric patterns.  If you look at the top image of the collage, you will see the imperfection during the application of the transfer.

This cute little tureen must have been made for sauces, as it is only about 6" in size - pretty florals and details on the three handles.

It is really the details of the Aesthetic Movement that hold my attention.  Check out the pictures below for some of that amazing detail.

And, where do I keep all of this yummy deliciousness.  I have two plate racks.  This one is in the living room.

And, this one is in the dining room.

Plus, I have some bowls sitting around to just enjoy.  The rest of my collection is hidden away waiting for their time to come out and shine.  When they do, I'll continue this series. 

I'll be joining the following parties.  Please check these blogs out for lots of inspiration and to thank them for hosting.
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Very Merry Vintage Style for Share the Love Wednesday
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
White Ironstone Cottage for Treasure Chest Friday
2805 for Potpourri Friday

AESTHETIC MOVEMENT BROWN TRANSFERWARE

Yesterday I received an email from Debra at Common Ground. You all probably know Debra for her successful Friday vintage inspiration party and her wonderful blog.  She was wondering if I could come up with a post today about my collection of Aesthetic Movement brown transferware.  Over the years I've posted snippets of my collection as I've found pieces, but she thought a comprehensive look was in order.  

I thought I would start with my absolute favorite piece in my collection.  It is a favorite on so many levels.  First, it is just a wonderful example of the aesthetic movement (1870-1900).  It has Asian-influenced scenes with asymmetric geometric patterns plus a plethora of nature designs.  Second, this wash bowl is huge at 15" in diameter and makes quite a statement.  But, thirdly, this is a family piece that I waited through two, cold days to bid on when my great-grandparent's homestead was at auction.  I remember their farmhouse without indoor plumbing; so I know this wash bowl was used again and again.  The fact that it survived for me to bid on was special enough!!

  Below, is a collage of the details and the mark on the bottom of this wash bowl.

 My collection has been amassed over a period of 15 years, and most of the pieces were at bargain prices.  Among one of my first purchases was this Beatrice platter.  It is always fun to find a piece with the kite mark that you see in the upper right corner because it contains the date of manufacture in code.  

 Most of the pieces I have that I'm able to date are from the 1870s and 1880s and come from a variety of manufacturers.  The little scenes that are pictured with borders are sometimes referred to as 'cookies'.

 This pitcher is about 14" tall and I also bought this at my family's homestead auction.

 I love the eagle on this big platter.

 A covered tureen purchased in Texas.

 I have eight pieces of this pattern that I got in Albuquerque, New Mexico several years ago -- it was a good day at $30 for ALL eight pieces.

A soup bowl in the Formosa pattern. 

 Peacocks were often a symbol of the Aesthetic Movement.  This soup bowl has both a kite and an incised mark.

The Perak pattern is popular, and has great 'cookies' on it. 

 I saw this platter the same day that I bought the eight pieces in Albuquerque; but I had already spent my wad, so had to leave it there.  I went back one year later, and it was still there; so I bought it that time.

 I have several jugs - this large one was purchased in Colorado.

 And, the smaller one just like it was bought in Maine a couple of years later.

 This jug was purchased at Round Top, Texas in 2006.

 My collection includes everything from chamber pots to butter pats.

And gravy boats with scenes of nature.

That's PART of my collection.  I'll save the rest for another day.  Thanks to Debra for interest in my addiction.  Be sure to stop by her blog and enjoy Vintage Inspiration Friday.