Thanks for joining me for my 6 Month Blogiversary

I'm so happy you all could join me on my porch, for the Etsy Cottage Style Blog Party, and for entering my giveaway.

The drawing will be tonight and I'll post the winner tomorrow.

Best wishes...hope the winner is you!

Melody

......friends stitched together by embroidery threads......

Hello Etsy Cottage Style Friends!

What a wonderful Blog party theme Marcella has come up with this week! I'm so excited cause not only is it a blog party, but I'm also celebrating my 6 Month Blogiversary...soooo, don't leave without checking out the end of this post!
What a wonderful Blog Party theme Marcella has come up with this week!
"You're Never Too Old To Play With.........."
This is an easy theme for me. It's Dolls!!
I love to search for old 1930-60's discarded dolls and dress them up or reinvent their look.







This 1950 plastic doll came completely undone..no hair, no clothes,....I coiffed the hair and designed and hand-embroidered and painted her lampshade dress. I even got to use my floral design skills and create a matching wreath for the base. This was my first nightlight design.






This was my greatest vintage find. A 1930's Composite Doll.
I cleaned her up, embroidered her christening dress and even added a 1930's Tam for her wings. It took a while to complete, but well worth it.








This is Frenchie. When I found her in a box of broken dolls and parts I was thrilled. Her hair was all dishevelled. Her once beautiful satin dress faded and torn, but she was still a beauty. I found a 1940's hankie that accented the side dress panel on her original dress that covers the faded satin and hand-embroidered the pattern. I had to redo her do and create a new feathered felt hat. Her lace umbrella was tattered so I stitched it up and added some beads on the handle. Voile' A Fancy Frenchie.












These are just a few of my doll creations. Please go to past posts and see my other vintage finds and creations. You can also visit my website at http://www.brownginghamcreations.com/ for other one-of-a-kind vintage designs.
Oh, don't forget to read my post from June 13th. I'm having a giveaway to celebrate my 6 month Blogiversary! Just leave a comment and you're entered.
Thanks for stopping and I hope you win!
Melody
........friends stitched together by embroidery thread.......
P.S. Stop by the Etsy Cottage Style group...Textile Artists..and post some pics of how your decorate your outdoor rooms..porch, patio, deck, etc....on my discussion page "It's Getting Warmer. How Do You Decorate Your Outdoor Room?"

I'm back.....

.....Here we go. A nice glass of iced tea. Um..so refreshing and nice breeze going. Someday I'm hoping to get a fan for out here. That'll really make it cool on sultry days. Hm, the old aluminum coffee pot, yes it works..at least that's what the guy said that sold it to me at a booth in Kentucky on the Longest Yard Sale route a few years ago. For $5 I didn't really care I love the Bakelite handle and the filigrees design etched on the front. A ways down the road in Tennessee I found the creamer and sugar that matched. They make great citronella candle holders, don't you think? The Aluminum bowl is a Rodney Kent Tulip pattern, but it was so stained in the bottom that I just keep it out here to hold fruit sometimes. Aren't the trio of bear cubs cute? They are from the Pigeon Forge Pottery. I collected them over the years. That is my fav place on earth. When I started going down there River Rd. in Gatlinburg was partially gravel..lol..thats been 45 years ago!! We still go down as often as we can, but I still love the countryside more than hanging around the city.

That bottle on the table over there was hand-painted at a shop located in a log house between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg called AuntieBellum's...I'm not sure if they're still there..a resort cabin place moved in across from them..so they could've gobbled them up. Yes I do have a lot of candle holders out here and I usually have citronella torches too. They keep the mosquitoes and pest away very well.

My Mother-In-Laws old

Oil lamp is filled with citronella oil too. The fragrance?

Well, there's mint all around in the beds and Chameleon plant too...no..oh...it's the lemon thyme in the teacup there on the stack of books.

See right there in the Abraham Lincoln Commemorative teacup and saucer. It matches the plate hanging behind the lamp with arrangement on it. They were both $2 finds..one was chipped and one cracked, but they work fine outside. Yes I leave that old watercolor botanical print all year round. It doesn't hurt it at all. I change it out at Christmas and winter though.

Here you get a better view standing here.

The little ceramic squirrel on a log is my vintage planter it sits atop a brass filigree base. Right now I have faux violets in it, but in the fall I fill it with nuts...somehow I go out and mysteriously..one by one....they go missing...one of these days I'll find the little thief.

Yes, you've noticed. I have a problem with bare walls...can't stand 'em. They're like a blank canvas waiting to be filled. Yes, those geraniums are so pretty and so easy to care of...fooled ya didn't I..hehe..they're fake. For some reason anything planted in the plastic pots die. They dry out so fast and I thing the plastic heats up in the sun and cooks the roots, sooo, I "planted" faux geraniums. Those birds..I can't remember where I found those, but they are Coppercraft wall pieces. I don't know if you remember the home parties women used to have thru this company, but they carried beautiful home accents , serving pieces, and jewelry. Mom had a home party when I was really young, but I remember those pieces. These were a steal at $3 for the pair. Isn't the Amber glass and rusted wrought iron candle pretty? At night it gives off the most wonderful glow. No, that is not Jim's catch of the day. That is our 'Big Mouth Billy Bass' and it is my one piece of funky junk that makes me smile. I have no idea why..it just does. Would you like another glass of tea? Aw...you have to leave already? Wish you could've stayed longer. Well, next time you stop by, we'll do lunch out back on the kitchen porch. You bring the cupcakes.

Come on sit a spell.

Hi! Thanks for stopping by. Can you sit a while and visit? I love porches. Don't you? They say 'Welcome' to the world. I'm lucky to have a good sized front porch for sittin' and swingin' This wonderful cedar swing was hand-made in Kentucky. It was a a house-warming gift from my parents when we first moved into our new house in 94'. I wanted the porch to have it's own personality. Our house is a Cape Cod design..so patriotic touches are a given. I knew right away that this swing needed a throw of some kind. I love quilts, but have no patience when it comes to doing one and our budget is very limited so purchasing one in red, white, and blue seemed doubtful. Most yard sales and flea markets, were I was able to find one, wanted an arm and a leg. Years ago at the Burlington Antique Market I was surprised to find this pillow that was created from a vintage flag. The 'coffee table' was a freebie. My Mother-In-Law was getting rid of a nest of three half-round tube framed tables with pressed board tops. I covered the top with red and cream ticking fabric and added a blue canvas skirt.
This vintage tablecloth is to become a couple of pillows to go on my swing and my retro look chairs...no..that vintage 1940's chair in foreground is not original....it's a $19.99 Sale at Home Goods!!
If you haven't been to Home Goods you just gotta go. They're a part of TJmax, but better. When they have a clearance sale it's really a sale on everything for the home. Oh, I think the tea is ready....I'll be right back............
(Don't forget to leave a comment to enter my 6 month blogiversary giveaway....see post 6/13 for details)

Welcome!

Hi Everyone! I'm so glad you were able to stop by. I hope you enjoy my posts. I'm having a surprise giveaway for all who stop by. All who leave a comment will be entered to win a 1996 Leisure Arts Craft book....Seed Packet Iron-on Transfers.... and some copies of vintage embroidery patterns from my personal collection. These copies aren't iron-on , but you can use sewing transfer paper/carbon paper to trace them onto your project. These transfers and copies are great to use for embroidery or painted projects. Drawing will be June 30th!
Good Luck and thanks for visiting.
Melody

Yard Sale in New Jersey, Kinda

I got to attend a blog friends yard sale in New Jersey!! Kinda. Susan at Black-eyed Susan's Kitchen had a fantastic yard sale in April....Stop by her blog on my Blog List and read the past posts all about it. I really wanted to attend. She and I have similar collections and when I read she was having a yard sale my heart skipped a beat. We share an obsession for hand-wrought aluminum from the 40's-50's and a love of vintage tablecloths. Well, hopping in the van and riding up to New Jersey was not going to fit in the agenda for that weekend. Sooooo, Susan thought of the next best thing. She provided me a virtual yard sale for the whole week!!! Isn't she the greatest? Seems we have the same pieces in aluminum (I must admit my obsession seems to be worse than hers. I have been collecting since my teens when my Grandma gave me her lidded casserole and have acquired about 75+ pieces since....and still growing.) Oh well. Then she previewed her tablecloth offerings. WooHoo....one was prettier than the next. I was getting all kinds of vintage design inspiration.....ya should've seen me doin a little happy dance.......I couldn't wait to get them.

Here are my vintage finds from Black-Eyed Susan's Kitchen all the way from New Jersey.

This red, white, and blue tablecloth is a tribute to our Native American heritage. I think I'll make a couple of pillows for on my porch swing to go with my flag throw.

This next cloth matches a dish set I just got.

These dishes have an ecru background with a little windmill and Holland girl with tulips. This whimsical scene will make a great applique for a table runner design I'm thinking of. I also have some ideas for pillows, a shirt with matching tote....This cloth really inspired me.

This 1960's card table cloth will make great appliques...hand-embroidered of course...for a lot of different applications. I have been trying to think of something masculine...maybe a shirt with a pocket made by one of these squares accented by a brown corduroy cuff and maybe, corduroy patches on the sleeves.

Now this cloth shouted Apron. I don't know why, but it did.

And, the way I like to fix them as sets I imagine a nice serving piece of crystal with a cookbook for elegant entertaining. It would make a nice wedding gift for a new bride.

This cloth matches a 1940's child's hankie I have already embroidered, but not used yet.

The hankie has a cartoon motif of Mr and Mrs Bird with their new baby bird in a birdhouse. I've been holding onto it for just the right background fabric and I think this will be it to complete a baby pillow. One side will have the hankie and this background fabric, the other this fabric and I'd be able to embroider the baby's name right on it. It also screams shabby chic with lots of lace and sworovski crystals or vintage looking charms...hmmmm. ..the embellishments to choose from....

This is my favorite cloth. I love red and white. For some reason I see Christmas all over this fabric. I have several ideas for this one and I think I'll let it be a future surprise for on my blog. keep watching for the pics!

And, finally this southwest cloth. I see silver conchs with brown suede fringe. Shirt with matching tote? Or, maybe jeans or a jean jacket applique? Have to think about it.

Keep watching the blog I'll have finished pieces here first before I put them on my website or Etsy. Remember, I do custom design. If there is something you see for a specific use for wearable art or home decor, let me know. And, I'd again like to thank Susan for allowing me to attend her yard sale across the miles.

It has been a very busy past month. Now that it is June I can now slow down a bit for summer. I love to relax on my porch swing and just sew away....when I'm home. Around here it's flea market season, yard sale time, and antique hunting season. Last weekend we went to the Ohio Valley Antique Mall. We hadn't stopped by there for a couple of months, so things seemed to be

bustling. They have added new vendors in some of the empty booths and are adding additional booths to lease. Glad to see that. Everyone seems to be geared for a good summer as far as vintage is concerned. Booths were filled. I guess it was a book day.

In one of the first booths we went in they had a basket of old cookbooks...if you haven't read one of my past posts I love vintage cookbooks.....hardcover, pamphlets, cookware inserts, it doesn't matter (check out my side panel for the Vintage Alphabet March C for Cookbook). These two delightful Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks help to complete my set. I have 6, that was all I thought there were, but it must have been a 12 set collection. Now I have to find the last 4! Don't you just love searching? There are some really good ideas in the party cookbook and the exotic dishes in the foreign cookbook would be great for a gathering....hum do I smell the grill??

The next booths have interesting offerings, but nothing jumped into my hands. Wait..........what is that peeking out from under a tablecloth....another basket filled with vintage soft cover cookbooks and pamphlets.

Eureka! A 1953 cookbook pamphlet....Home Baking Made Easy for the beginner or expert. It was published by the Lever Bros. Co. For Spry Vegetable Shortening. This will go perfect with a young girl/child's apron I found several weeks ago at the Webb's Antique Mall in Indiana. I need to get my vintage transfers...let's see, which to choose.....dancing bowls, singing silverware...
In past posts I mentioned finding vintage towels given away at the Ruth Lyons Show ...Google her to find out some interesting Cincy TV history.......during the 40's-50's. I turned one into a lovely pillow with hand-embroidery highlighting the floral frame, portrait of Ruth Lyons and her signature.

Well, what to my wandering eyes should appear, but a book I've been searching for to complete the set.

This book tells the story of her life. Her loves, The tragedies...the loss of her beloved daughter.... and people she met along the way, the famous and celebrity.

It was a surprisingly good read. I loved the trip down memory lane of all the old actors of the vintage films and the TV personalities of the 60's. I'm going to list this on my website with the pillow as a set. I'm debating on placing on Etsy too.

Well, my trip through the antique mall it almost done. Oh boy, another stack of books......

I love, love the illustration of this 1945 General Foods Favorite Recipes For Country Kitchen. The inside black and white stills and illustrations are just as great. I had to snatch it up at only $3. If you look real close you'll notice 'Mom' is wearing an apron that was made to match her dress and so is the little girl. Isn't that so... 40's? I was thinking of adding this to a themed apron, but sorry, this is mine. I can't bear to part with it. It reminds me of my great Grand-Parents (both sides) old farms and gardens. I may frame this for a kitchen wall hanging...maybe in a way so it can be easily taken out and used.....gotta think on that one.

Seems my trip through the antique mall was a 'fruitful' one with a lot of ideas 'cookin' in my mind. Have you been to any good antique malls lately? Have you made any cool vintage finds?

Let's here about it. Leave a comment at the bottom of this post.

Thanks for visiting!

Melody