Royal Copley

I have an interest in pottery and am a collector of vintage glassware and other interesting things. I have been on the lookout for Royal Copley pieces. Here are the new additions to the collection!

 

 

The Best Baby Bib Ever!

"SEW" excited to have 2 baby boys  (nephews) join the family . Here are the very cute bibs I made - 2 of each print. The pattern is from Amy Karol's book bend-the-rules sewing.

I Pad Mini Case

I am addicted to Pinterest and I am sure Grandma would have liked it too- well not the technology part  but the idea of it for sure.  So this year's goal is to make as many Pinterest projects as I can and post the results - good and bad!

I am so excited to have received an I Pad Mini over the holidays, so my first project is a case for it.  I cruised around Pinterest for ideas and then went to work.  I knew I wanted to use linen and found in my sewing room a linen tea towel that I bought at Value Village (my other addition).  Using back stitch I embroidered a labrynth on the towel for the front of the case. Labrynths are so interesting and calming and red is my favorite colour.   I used a nice red cotton for the lining. To make the case I made a smaller version of the Artsy Clutch from Amy Karol's Bend-the-Rules Sewing Book.

I am very happy with the results!  Here's to a year of fun projects, what are you making?

Before and After Sewing Room

My sewing room is in the front porch of my house. Which is awesome most of the year and freezing cold in the winter. I sew in the kitchen from November - March. In the winter it becomes the catch all room and then every spring I clean it up so I can sew in there again. Summer of 2013 I finally organized it so it looks awesome and I can find everything - well most things if I am honest! I love it! Winter 2014 has been extremely cold and I can hardly wait to get out of the kitchen and back into my sewing room in March.

BEFORE

 

   The Rocking Chair sat in the corner of the kitchen in Westwood Cottage.  Altough difficult to see the table is a drop leaf table that Grandma and Grandpa refinished.  It sat in their porch covered in plants etc.

 

 

 

 



      

                   Gotta  love IKEA storage. The picnic baskets belonged to my Great Aunt - Alveretta Pansy (her real name) Grandma's Sister.

Hats that both of my Grandmothers wore, framed hankies, Grandma's jars full of buttons and old sewing baskets.

 

Hand crank Singer sewing machine and antique sewing basket.

 



Repurposed Treadle Sewing Machine

Grandpa Westwood loved to go to auction sales and buy old treadle sewing machines.  He would fix them up and get them sewing again. I think he would have been interested in my version of fixing up the old treadle.

1. Visit Westwood Cottage farm and have accommodating husband climb into a falling down barn to rescue an old treadle sewing machine base.

2.Bring home and have it sit in the shed for over a year.

3.Decide to make a table on my own and begin by spray painting the base black.

4.Go to Brandon and find several options to make the table top.  Return them.

5. Go to Brandon again and find a board that will fit and decide to tile the top.  Spend an hour deciding on the tile only to find it is going to cost over $100.00.  Start over.  Find reasonably priced tiles and spend another hour trying to make them fit the board – but can’t.  Hit self on the head and realize that I could cut the board to fit the tile!

6.Accommodating husband helps to cut the board and attach it to the base.

7.Apply tiles only to find that the board is warping!

8.Set table upside down in house with husband’s weights on it to try and flatten the board.

9.Table sits for the entire winter in front porch.

10.  Buy two more treadle sewing machines for future projects and put in shed.

11.    Summer is here and I decide that the little bit of curve in the board gives it “character” and finish table by grouting it.

12.Looks awesome on the deck with the fountain on it.  And I have a fun story to tell to boot!

   

      

This Old Clock

The Chimer

This old house has a chiming clock;

It dongs and chimes and goes tick tock;

It greets me in the morning and sings at night;

And sometimes, gets the time almost right.

 

It makes me stop and listen when it chimes;

A chance to pause and think of good times;

For this old clock has seen many things;

Summers, falls, winters and springs.

 

It is a part of this home and a part of me;

We have lived together contentedly;

Happy, sad or in between;

A dear old friend this clock has been.

 

                                    Joanne Baker ©

My Grandmother Beever and I had the same chiming clock. Sometimes when we talked on the phone you could hear both clocks chiming at the same time.  It was a special connection that we had.    Now that she is gone from me every time I hear the clock chime I think of her.   In a way she is saying Good Morning, How was Your Day, Have a Good Time, Have a Good Sleep, I Will Talk to you Tomorrow.

It's all in the Words!

In Westwood Cottage this cross stitch picture hung on the wall near the stove.  Grandma stitched it on linen and framed it herself.  I had it re-framed and now it hangs in my kitchen along with the cross stitch picture I made for my kitchen.  I remember her saying to me "I'm not dull!" and she was right!  I am reminded of her everyday when I look at the picture and the lovely times we had in Westwood Cottage.


Grandma Westwood's Cross Stitich



Joanne's Cross Stitch



Before and After Bathroom

Nearly eight years ago we moved into our house that was built in 1890.  The previous owner went sponge painting mad and we are still changing it.  This time it was the downstairs powder room. 

                                                             BEFORE
 

Almost forgot to take a before picture!  Lifting peel and stick fake parkay look floor, old oak look vanity, brass 3 bulb light, grungy taps due to previously rusty water supply, and. . . . . .

The Sponge Painted Ceiling!



AFTER

We painted the walls and ceiling a grey blue (polar drift) colour and the cabinets blue cascade.  Replaced the floor, hardware on cabinets,  light, mirror, taps and towel bars etc.  It is really, really nice.

And we finished it off with the "storage wars" picture on the wall.  The picture came from a hotel and was left in a storage unit.  We helped to clean it out and brought the picture home.  George, took it apart, fixed the mat and painted the brassy gold frame black.  It fits the room perfectly and gives it a mediteranean feel.  And of course no room is finished until it has headless Roman statues in it!

Vintage Handkerchief Scarf

For years now I have been collecting vintage linens with the hope of using them in sewing projects.  I just can't bring myself to cut into vintage handkerchiefs.  So I was delighted to find a tutorial at the Skip To My Lou blog to make a vintage handkerchief scarf.  Why didn't I think of that? 

You can find the tutorial at  http://www.skiptomylou.org/2011/05/06/handkerchief-scarf/ .  My handkerchiefs have scalloped edges so I hand sewed them together.  This would also make a really nice table runner.  Happy Sewing!

DIY Deck Chairs

BEFORE: Found two chairs at a yard sale for $8.00

DURING: Spray paint matt gold to match existing plant stand and replace vinyl on the seat.

AFTER: Sit and enjoy the summer!



Fairy Garden

if you learn to see the beauty in every plant then your garden will never have weeds
if you learn to find the joy in every stone then your garden will always have a path
and if you learn to hear the blessing in every curse then your garden will always have fairies
Written by Jim Cumberland, © 2010 Jim Cumberland

"Spread your wings and let the fairy in you fly!" ~ Author Unknown

“Don’t you wish you could have the fairies’ day – just laugh and dance and sing and play!” ~ Mary Jac

~ Where you believe there is magic ... you will find it! ~

Coils, Slabs and Pinch Pots, Oh My!

One of my new passions is handbuilt pottery.  It is relaxing, creative, social and rewarding at the end.  Who could ask for anything more!  My grandparents would have been interested in this and would have definatley given it a try! Here is what I have been up to.

 

I carved a shape and then made a mold and made 4 sided box.

Used a small piece of copper pipe to make the holes!

                                              A house for the fairies in my garden to live in.

 

Box with a fitted lid and carvings on all 4 sides and the lid.

                        Coil vase.  Coils are very difficult to do well.  Still need some practice!

Rolled balls of clay and slipped them together.

Slab drapped over a plate used as a mold and stamped with images.

Festive JELL-O Poke Birthday Cake



Happy Birthday Cake for me?  You shouldn't have!

Festive JELL-O Poke  Cake
2 baked white cake layers 9 inch, cooled
2 cups boiling water, divided
1 pkg (85 g) Jell-O Strawberry Jelly Powder
1 pkg (85 g) Jell-OLime Jelly Powder
2 cups thawed Cool Whip Topping divided



Place cakes, top sided up, in 2 clean 9 inch round pans.  Pierce cakes with large fork at 1/2 inch intervals.

Add 1 cup boiling water to each flavour jelly powder in separate bowls; stir 2 minute, until completely dissolved.  Carefully pour red jelly over 1 cake layer, and green jelly over remaining cake layer.  Refigerate 3 hours.

Unmold cakes.  Fill and frost with CoolWhip.  Keep refrigerated.

I haven't quite mastered how to make my cakes look as good as the pictures from Kraft but they do taste Yummy!

Oh, How I Love the Fall!

For me Fall has always been the beginning of the new year. The kids start school and at work new projects begin. When I think of Fall I think of beautiful earth tone colours, cool breezes, cozy warm sweaters, harvest, new beginings and possibilities.

 "October gave a party; The leaves by hundreds came - The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples, And leaves of every name. The Sunshine spread a carpet, And everything was grand, Miss Weather led the dancing, Professor Wind the band."

Author: ~George Cooper
 "October's Party"




"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all."

                                                   Stanley Horow

Painting by George Baker

A tangerine and russet cascade of kaliedoscopic leaves, creates a tapestry of autumn magic upon the emerald carpet of fading summer. 

                                                  Judith A Lindberg

                        

Painting by George Baker

The woods are full of fairies; the sea is full of fish; the trees are full of golden leaves; let's make an autumn wish.          Unknown

                                                                                                                                    



Royal Copley China

Grandma Westwood had a vase just like this one in Westwood Cottage.  My sister has it in Vancouver.  The other day, in the local Nearly New I found one just like it for .50 cents!  So, of course I took it home.  It made my day.

After some reasearch I found that it is a piece of Royal Copley China. 

The Spaulding China Company in Ohio, US made many pottery items including figurines, vases and planters from 1942-1957. 

Now, having an interest in pottery and being a collector of vintage glassware and other interesting things I have been on the lookout for other Royal Copley pieces.  So far this is what I have found and I am looking forward to the journey of discovering others to add to the collection!

Before and After- Upcycling Vintage Linens

For the past 6 years our "Parlour" has looked like this.  Nice but dark.  So a few weeks ago I decided to make some changes.  With $26 and and some help from my vintage linen collection here are the results.  Looks pretty good - lighter, brighter and less masculine. It was nice to be designing again and to let creativity do its magic.  Hmmm I wonder which room will be next!

This picture shows the table runner I hand fringed and two of my pottery projects.  I hand sewed the vintage doilies onto the pillows.  Vintage linens have a story to tell.

                                                           Two of my husbands paintings on the walls.

What a Differnce a Month Makes May - June 2011

There is nothing like watching your back yard come alive. We sometimes forget how things in our lives change and grow whether we are paying attention or not. Lifes about the moments, try not to miss them.


May 2011



June 2011



June 2011

June 2011

My two son's Mother's day gift.