i will survive!

It's been a long time since I last blogged. My family has moved and my daughter started kindergarten. Throw in a crazy lil' four year old boy, a "real day job," opening a space at our city's premiere antique mall and, well, I find myself here on December 8th, 201o feeling a bit chewed up! 

I have managed to add a bunch of wonderful new items to my Etsy shop. One-of-a-kind Christmas stockings made from antique grain sacks and vintage french ticking. What I have named our "Oh-So-Useful Clothespin Bags," created from vintage 1940's clothespin bag wire hardware and newly made vintage french ticking bags. They hang anywhere to hold anything and look lovely doing it. Oh, I almost forgot! The aprons! Wonderful aprons made from grain sacks and another textile favorite of mine–german mangle cloth!

If I don't make it back to my blog before the holidays, to all those who support, love and believe in me: Happy Holidays!

Spread the Etta Bloom love...

Jeff

on the mend...

Ahhh! Patches! Those sweet little make-do, fix-up, get-by mends are getting their just do! I have been dealing in textiles for about 15 years and have always adored sweet hand stitched mends on quilts and linens, but I have seen customers turn their nose up at a perfectly lovely mend on a perfectly lovely textile. This I could never understand! To me it always made the item more special, showing such a personal sign of care (and an early understanding of re-use and frugality).

I just read a recent posting at dcbydignblog.com and was so pleased to see my favorite design textile, the humble grain sack, still holding strong as a favored upholstery covering. I guess a new trend surfacing is is using old commercial tarps as furniture covering! I have to say, I like it! Perfect for a cozy beach cottage! The above photo is a detail of a tarp covered couch that is part of a line that Designer Thomas Bin  created for Four Hands, an Austin, Texas based importer of "Lifestyle Home Furnishings."

http://dcbydesignblog.com/2010/09/from-grain-sacks-to-truck-tarps/

Bloom...

I was just online and checking out Remodelista. Francesca had just posted an article on "Bloom", a lovely store located in Sag Harbor. I am a die hard fan of spare primitive decorating–early painted cupboards, baskets and hand woven textiles, but done with a minimal flare. This shop looks amazing! It looks like the interior of someone's home. What a great way to merchandise! For more about Bloom (and more wonderful photos), read more at:

http://remodelista.com/posts/shoppers-diary-bloom-in-sag-harbor#comments

Paper Whimsies...

I really enjoy looking through the pages of etsy and am amazed at how many artisans there are out there, making their humble crafts and contemporary folk art. I see a lot of products that lack individuality and pure creative spirit and am always so excited to see something I have never seen before or find truly inspired.

So tonight I happened upon SimpleJoysPaperie's shop. They are out of Tennessee and produce what they refer to as "Paper Whimsies." The most interesting are wrist cuffs made from vintage book spines. I love books and typography so that is probably why they caught my eye. I also love the use of 18th century paper art elements in such items as paper weights, wreathes and note cards.

Farm Chicks...

I have been hearing a lot locally about the Farm Chicks for several years now. The Farm Chicks are promoters of antique shows that usually occur on Eastern Washington. Living in Seattle and raising two kids, I never seem to make it. Supposedly they are a good time and lots to be found.

I happened to google them recently and didn't expect to find much, but "POW" was I wrong! The website is so lovely to look at at and so well put together. I've decided the vibe is very "Mayberry," if Andy, Opie and good 'ol Aunt Bea had lived in a technicolor world of luscious red cherry pies, instead of a grainy gray one.

From the site: "What is a Farm Chick? A Farm Chick is a girl who sees the world through rose-colored glasses. She loves her family. She laughs a lot. She's farmgirl meets Fifth Avenue and with a little style, she'll change the world". I'll have to forgive the Farm Chicks for thinking "chicks" are only of the female gender on the farm. Maybe, as a guy, I'm just a little envious of all the peach pickin' good time the chicks seem to have!

Check out the site and Serena's blog. Immerse yourself in all the pie-cooling-on-the-window-sill-goodness of it all.

Photo:
http://www.thefarmchicks.com

Primitive, pretty, purposeful...

One seller on Ebay that I like, and always seems to share a sensibility similar to my own, is wormeatingdragon. She makes lovely pillows (ah! my competition!) from old german grain sacks and also pillows she has stenciled herself. She recently crafted an amazing tote from a earthy tone early german grain sack, with worn stenciling and lined it with bold, antique french ticking. Although seemingly humble by it's primitive mixture of textiles, I could easily see this tote worn by the trendiest on the streets of New York City. She hit a home run with this one...

http://myworld.ebay.com/wormeatingdragon

The Saint Freres Grain Sack...

I saw this reupholstered chair last year online and just fell in love with this grain sack motif! The style of the edwardian sitting chair is just a little too stark for my taste, but the reupholstery is still inspiring to me! I found some of these wonderful vintage grain sacks and just had to make a huge pillow!

Chair image from: http://www.poetichome.com