A Three Flower Bell Pull

Last night I finally put the finishing touches on the first monthly project of the Fellowship Of Flowers.    I am pleased since last night was the last night of January.  I wonder if I will be so good in February.  I am already behind a tiny bit on making the flowers.  But I PLAN to catch up this coming weekend.

Here is my first project.  When Michelle showed us the firtst project I knew right off I would have to do mine a bit different than hers.  But I loved the idea of a bell pull......   (She used Downton Abbey as her inspiration.)     So here is mine.  If you visit her blog you will see hers is very different than mine.   But I like the idea of doing it my own way.

I should state that I don't have a bell in my stash, at the moment, to add to the bottom so may end up just putting a tassel.  We shall have to see.  But I am happy with what I have so far.

Here it is......

I know the yarn trim looks a little funny in the picture but not in real life.  It is very thick yard but doesn't show it in the picture for some reason.  But you get the idea.

I am hopeful I will be able to show you the first two flowers for the next project by next Wed. or Thurs.  With some degree of luck and planning I should have them to show you then.  We shall see.

MEANWHILE.......don't forget to check in next Tuesday to see what I have in mind for my weekly tea party.

A "Crazy" UFO is now a finished project.

 This morning the sun is shining and although it is cold it look nice out!  I love seeing all that blue sky.    The sun helps a LOT.

I checked in with The Raspberry Rabbit and got directions for our first project and more info on the next flower.....  So I am hoping, tomorrow or maybe Friday to have something to show you on that front. BUT..... MEANWHILE........

One of my goals for the New Year was to finish a few UFOs.  I have more than I want to list here.  But at least I can now say another one is DONE!  A few years ago I was with a group of artists on line that did a lot of altered and assemblage  art.  Someone suggested we should do a crazy quilt. Although not a "new type" of art by any means it was definitely a way to use some of our learned skills AND use some of our embellishments. 10 people participated.

Each one of us made a crazy quilt base about 25 to 30 inches square.  Then it was sent around the country so each of us could do some work on each other's quilts.  It was such a treat when mine arrived home, all finished.  I loved it and showed it off to friends but somehow never did the last finishing.... UNTIL YESTERDAY.   

 Here is whole little quilt. And below this I have shown 4 sections in more detail.

 Be sure to click on each picture to see more detail.

These are close ups of the four corners.

 This is the upper right.  A beady snake is pretty impressive!

This is the lower right corner.

 And here is the lower left....  I love to use buttons in projects. So did this participant.

 And finally the upper left.  I love the way the lace has become a mask....  Notice the eyes.....

               I love it and and so happy to finally have it finished.  It took way too long!!!!


The really nice thing is that each artist signed on the back of the areas they work in.  So I have that history with it.

         Check in tomorrow (or maybe Friday) and see how I am progressing with the Fellowship of Flowers project.

And I want to give out another welcome to all my new followers.  This week, with the Grow Your Blog Part, has been so much fun.  I have loved meeting so many new folks and to learn more about our shared interests.

A 1940s Tea Party

Here I am again.  It is still quite cold out but we haven't had near the snow some areas have had so life pretty much goes on as usual.

For this week's tea party I started the planning when I found this little teapot wall pocket which I am using as a napkin holder.

 Then I just started collecting up all the things I could find that went with it.  I sell a lot of linens in my shop, especially 40s type so didn't have any trouble figuring out what to use.

The perky little red and white polka dot apron will be useful!

As will this  red and white basket pot holder.  Actually this item was usually made with two smaller round pot holders that fit inside the basket but they didn't come with this one.  And I wanted to include it anyway.

 And how about some nice floral dish towels.

 For the cup and saucer I picked this interesting Cat Tail pattern that was sold by Sears and Roebuck.

 

And here is its mark.....

I have known about Cat Tail china for many years and about the fact that Sears sold it in the 40s but I thought I would try to learn a little more about it to share with you.
The Cat Tail china was made by Universal China Company (Cambridge, Ohio) and distributed by Sears.  They were inexpensive and considered every day dishes.

Not only could you buy your dishes with this design but the Sears catalogs offered many other items with that design to make sure your kitchen was COMPLETELY coordiated.   They sold china, things like mixing bowls and canisters.  Also linens, glass ware and tin ware (called Pantry Ware)  such as bread boxes and trash cans were available.  AND you could buy a table and chairs set with the design as well.  I have seen a number of different things in this pattern over the years.  If someone was really industrious they could do their entire kitchen in the design.  It would be a fun and useful collection.
If you want to see more check out a sears catalog from that era.  I imagine there are some on line.

I got a lot of this information from The Encyclopedia of American Dinner ware by Jo Cunninham.


I hope you are enjoying this weeks Tea Cup Tuesday.   Here are links to some of the other sites.

 http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com

http://www.marthasfavorites.com/

 

Rose Chintz Cottage

http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/

 

 

                                      http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/

  http://blog.bernideens.com

Be sure to come back on Thursday when I will be showing some of the sewing projects I am working on at present including The Fellowship of Flowers.

A Saturday Flea Market in January

 I want to thank those folks who signed up as followers of my blog, yesterday, at the Grow Your Blog Event.  It was fun to hear from so many different folks and to read all your comments and emails.  I also enjoyed visiting lots of other blogs that I did not even know about.  Thanks so much to Vicki at
 2 Bags Full.  



As I mentioned yesterday in my blog, I was going to attend a local flea market. It was sponsored by our local fire department and they hold several during the winter months.  Most of the vendors are regulars but some folks just use it like a yard sale.  You won't usually find high level antiques and collectibles but it pretty much runs the gamut 

The thing about flea markets is you NEVER know what you are going to find.  The first table inside the door sold Polish Potato bread!!!!!   Yummy!    Behind him were a couple of tables of pies, breads and such along with jelly and jam.  (I didn't take a picture of that table.)

 Here is a picture of a typical table of what I call "flea market miscellaneous.  

If you are a collector there are usually opportunities at these sales.  

Here are some examples of the offerings.

 And this person offered a scrapbook filled with vintage post cards.

Are you a doll collector?  There are usually some to be had.

And how about something a bit unusual....  a clothespin holder.  

These were quite popular in the 30s, 40s and 50s.

  I bought this pile of kitchen towels and such from one of the vendors to sell in my shop. I think most are from the 40s because they were certainly typical items from that time period.

These are just a few of things I saw.  You can buy children's and adults clothing, tools, kitchenalia by the "ton".  And pretty much anything else you can imagine. And there is almost always a kitchen type set up for coffee, sodas and snacks.

It is always fun to look for things you have never seen before.  Do you have a favorite thing to look for at a flea market?

Come back again on Tuesday for Tea Cup Tuesday.  I have already started planning what I will be showing.

Grow Your Blog Party

Welcome ~ Grow Your Blog Party Visitors!

Vicki from    2 Bags Full  is hosting an awesome Grow Your Blog Party hop, and I am joining in  this  year.     Thanks, Vicki, for organizing this event.

I hope you will click on the link and visit

 

If you haven't been here before WELCOME and if you have WELCOME BACK.

I have been blogging for a number of years now.  I took a hiatus last year due to some family and health issues but they are now resolved and I am BACK,

I own a small antique shop and because of that I now participate in  TEA CUP TUESDAY at several blogs around North America.  (Canada and the US)  Go down a couple of blog entries and you will see the links to the other tea parties.

I like to do crafting and quilting so I talk about that some on my blog.  My latest thing is making Felt Flowers.  The current project will always be featured on Wednesdays.  You can see the pictures of the first few flowers if you check in earlier entries.  You can also click on the link on my side panel for Fellowship of Flowers.

I do some gardening in summer months, travel quite a bit around the US and Canada.  

I often visit flea markets and antique shops in our travels and I occasionally report on them on my blog.    I am going to one today and may (if something is worth while) report on it.  You never know what I will find.

So thank you for visiting today.  And check back often.

Fellowship of Flowers continues.............

The Fellowship of Flowers continues.  Here is a picture of my finished flower from last week.  Because I was using a fairly heavy cord for the couching of the yarn around the edges it took quite a while.  It is slow work pulling all that through the various layers.  BUT  I did it.  For my next set
I will probably use something different.  Be sure to click on the pictures to see them better.

And here the first three flowers completed.  Next Wednesday we will receive instructions on the project we will make using the first three flowers.

Meanwhile, this week our fearless leader Michelle started us on a new set of flowers.  The next one will include 6 flowers.  So at the end of Feb. or so we will have another project to begin.  The anticipation is fun.   I have to go through my stash of wool felt, fabric and fibers to select the theme of the next set.  I think I love the "planning" as much as I do the actual work.


We continue with winter here.  The snow comes.  Then it melts, then we get more.  We are presently in the COLD spell so the most recent snow didn't melt.  My husband keeps close tabs on the bird feeders to make sure our feathered friends have all the food they need and they reward us with lots of good birdwatching.    Yesterday we were visited by this Rose Breasted Woodpecker (on the Suet feeder.)  Isn't he beautiful. 

Today he was gone but lots of other birds include the usual amount of cardinals.  Here is a cardinal that is on the honeysuckle vine.  Another bird of some kind has joined him.

Now it is time to get to work on a quilt project I have going AND starting on the next set of flowers.  Please come back next week for Tea Cup Tuesday and The Fellowship of Flowers Thursday.

Tea Cup Tuesday

 

We have made it to the third week in January already and the year is speeding along.  This week I decided to do something a bit different again.  I have this pretty little Brown Betty Type tea pot in my shop.  It is a hand painted vintage Redware Teapot.....   And although most of these seem to have been made in Japan this one is from Canada.  It is a.......

Royal Canadian Art Pottery Vintage Teapot  

  The teapot mark was hard to take a picture of but I did it and hope you can read it.  If not, this is what it says.   Royal Canadian Art Pottery,   Hamilton, Ontario.

After I put this on the tea tray I knew I needed a bit more rugged type cup and saucer so looking around my shop I came across this set of dishes and and am using one of the cups and saucers and a bread and butter place for this week's tea.

They are from a set of china called Fair Winds.  

This set of china is, as the marks indicate, from Alfred Meakin China.  I couldn't find much info on the maker but learned it was bought out by Franciscan China in the 70s I think.  This set was much earlier though.  It depicts scenes from when the China Trade flourished in the US.  Like some other similar sets each different piece of china has a different picture.  This first mark was on the saucer.  The more detailed one was on the back of the plate.

I hope you are enjoying this weeks Tea Cup Tuesday.   Here are links to some of the other sites.

 http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com

http://www.marthasfavorites.com/

 

Rose Chintz Cottage

Sandi is celebrating her 4th year blog anniversary this week at:  Be sure to visit for a real treat.
http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/

 

 

                                      http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/

  http://blog.bernideens.com

Be sure to come back on Thursday when I will be showing some of the sewing projects I am working on at present including The Fellowship of Flowers.