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Thursday, January 3, 2013

Calico & Petticoats

 
 
 
There's a part of the country not far from here where four states meet called the Four Corners. There's a marker there and not much else at the Colorado, New Mexico, Utah , and Arizona borders. I sometimes feel like there's a territory inside of me with similar boundaries. As though all the decorating styles that I like line up next to each other like closely aligned states. Mine read "farmhouse", "cottage", "french country", and just plain "country." And like the real four states in the union that meet, they each have certain similarities within them.
 
 
 
 
I'm sure there are other voices in there speaking to me at various times in my Schizophrenic aesthetic  "states" as well. But today they came out of the closet in ruffles and calico.
 
 
 
 
 
 
You see, I get these urges at times to juxtapose the rustic with the refined. And the lights and darks war within me like some cosmic battle competing for table space. (Do you sometimes feel a little crazy this time of year? I think I'm just having cabin fever!) But I do like both the all white and airy spaces and the dark and gleaming woods of old Scotch and Irish castles.
   
 
 
 
 
I think this style was born wherever on the planet there was a new frontier, and women carried their beloved possessions with them to tame the starkness of a life of pure necessity in some wilderness. Can't you just hear old wagon wheels creaking? Or is it just me?
 
 
 
 
 
The turn of a new year can have that same untamed wildness. And it can carry the challenge of a fresh start brought right alongside our old refinements. At least that's the romance I have layered upon it like so many dishes on a tablecloth. . . .
 
 
 
 
 
I only really know this much. . . . . That I wanted to see this old calico quilt on my table again. And that these various elements found their way on top of it. . . .
 
 
 
 
Ruffled linen napkins.
 
 
 
 
An old bed skirt for a petticoat.
 
 
 
 
 
Limoges.
 
 
 
An English stoneware jug.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tea leaf ironstone.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A bit of homespun.
 
 
 
And delicate china. . . . .  Here are the marks below:
 


 

 
Dinner plates.
 
 

Boullion cups.
 
 
 
 
And talk about schizophrenia! Here's France, Boston, and McFarlins China Parlor all in the same place, with a horseshoe to boot!
 

 
 
 



 
 
 
You'll find me off taming the New Year!
Yee-haw!!
 
(I hope it all comes together for you too!)
 
Jacqueline
 
 
 
 
Join me at

32 comments:

  1. Beautiful! I have different style poles pulling inside of me but much more diverse then yours. I can't seem to marry the asian-pacific,animal print and shabby chic styles. I have rooms devoted to each. What a way to live.

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  2. No matter how diverse the pulls of appeal, you seem to manage the mix to perfection!

    Betty

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  3. Jacqueline, I often feel the same about my eclectic style. I seem to be attracted to several styles like French country, country, cottage, farmhouse too. This is a beautiful post, Jacqueline. I love the mix and soft, feminine feel. Your words ring true! ~ sarah

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  4. Hi J,
    What a great gathering, it's all come together flawlessly!! And I LOVE seeing that brown transferware, the little roses... swoon!
    Hugs,
    Bella

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  5. I love the same. Love your homespun!
    Brenda

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  6. I love your tablescape!!! It all apeals to me. Very pretty and rustic.

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  7. Love seeing the quilt with the china and other linens! What a sweet table setting.

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  8. Oh wow. I just saw your tease on C & C and here it is on your archive post. I love it. I love the colours - muted and warm, the country, French, cottage feel to the china and the 'petticoat'. Gorgeous!!

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  9. You have pulled some beautiful pieces together, Jacqueline. Your words are also beautiful and so inspiring. The women with their few beloved possessions on the new frontier is the perfect analogy. I also love a mix of the more rustic and refined, the darker and the lighter. My four states, as you describe them, would be "farmhouse", "cottage", "country" and "lakeside". It is sometimes a challenge to bring these loves together but I always like the resulting mix the best. Thank you for sharing your beautiful and inspiring photos.

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  10. Great post! I, too, am at war with the light/dark question - is it because it's so cold that I'm leaning toward the dark? I never thought about our 4-corners area in that way. You always inspire me. Sally

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  11. And it sooooo totally works! I love the mix. You are such an inspiration, the yummy photos with your prose makes me want to go dig out an old quilt and play 'dress up the table' !

    Cindy

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  12. Awesome post for the New Year...
    You certainly haven't lost your touch...
    Love the muted brown tones with all the pretty ruffles...

    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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  13. I saw if it puts a smile on your face then it's a go!Luv your table, the juxtaposition of rustic and refined is always a good mix in my book.
    Cheers, Gee

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  14. Love the result of your combining styles. The table/bed skirt is a gorgeous touch. I am inspired. Happy New Year!
    Linda at Beautiful Ideas

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  15. I just love this post. Since becoming more involved in blogland and seeing other people's homes has given me very mixed feelings about my country/prim/cabin style. Now I want to be cottage/with a little shabby. haha

    That old quilt is a nice sight for these cold eyes. At 7* this morning I just want to live under the quilt. :)

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  16. bedskirt, quilt, china.. yes wagon wheels,, rattling along a dusty trail. You forgot about the dust, he he ;-)! Love this look though. It's warm, welcoming, refined yet rustic. Love your style, this is just a feast for the eyes. have the happiest of years ahead.. xo marlis

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  17. Every post you do is so lovely! I always see something I love, and the way you put things together is perfection in my book.

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  18. Hi Jacqueline. I can tell you are really just a little prairie girl at heart with touches of grandeur thrown in. You've got a great round-up for the new year..Love it..Judy

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  19. A rustic and elegant mix is my favorite. You do it beautifully.
    Laura

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  20. I love the elegance and rustic of this table with your use of the quilt and the bed ruffle. Very creative and pretty. I love the teacups with the double handles. I would love to find some.

    Cynthia

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  21. Hi Jacqueline,
    Everything just looks wonderful and all comes together perfectly. Love the layers and all the elements you pulled together. I can so relate to your style loves. When you enjoy different looks, it is just plain fun!! You display your wonderful treasures beautifully.

    Have a great weekend. Happy New Year!!
    Hugs, CM

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  22. This post is Delightful ,delictable and delicious..
    You always excell with your linen and table scapes..
    This one is so lovely.
    Although you say, you are in the 4 corners..there seems to be a lot going on there
    Thanks for sharing Jacqueline.
    happy weekend
    val

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  23. You have quite a gathering of beautiful pieces there. I like to mix it up too and sometimes it takes me a white to get it right. I'll try one piece and then another. Then put a book of the same color under it all. I don't know if it's talent, an eye or luck.
    ~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

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  24. I'm sure that it has to do with our wonderfully jumbled heritage and our fore-mothers who made those dangerous journeys, carrying a few precious reminders of home. I surround myself with an eclectic collection from the four corners and treasure each piece.

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  25. Beautiful, elegant, and so lovely... Oh yes, I can hear those wagon wheels creaking! I've been looking for those Boullion cups for so long with no luck at all. I guess I have to go to four corner market... :)

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  26. That looks superb! I love the contrasts and different textures! :)

    Hugs,

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  27. Jacqueline,
    I completely understand your "voices" analogy. Sometimes I have a multiple personality disorder thing going on and I fight with myself about just what to use! And sometimes it disables me and keeps me from finishing things I start...but I am learning to let "my people" take turns being in Charge! LOL
    I love your combination of china and quilt, LOVE the brown china..so delicate and pretty...I have ancestors who traveled far by wagon and handcart. Some of them left everything they had in England and Wales to come to the United States. I can only imagine how difficult it may have been for them to leave that gorgeous country of Wales and all that was familiar. Yet, it did not stop them, because the freedom they sought could not be bought, but they could replace some of those things when they arrived and settled. I have some of my Grandmother's dishes and I love them. As inexpensive and little in number as they are, they make me feel a connection to a Grandmother I never knew. She died when I was 3 years old. You've reminded me of MUCH! Thanks for the heart warming post! I love your talents that you share with us!

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  28. The china... the linen... sigh... it's all so pretty!

    So glad you joined us for the Lovely Blogs collection.

    Blessings... Polly

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  29. loving the charming mix, jacqueline:) you do have such a wonderful eye for putting together your lovely vignettes!

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  30. I love the juxtaposition of all those aesthetic styles, Jacqueline. And your comments remind me of how the china and crystal looked against the wild environment of "Out of Africa"... another woman taming her landscape with finery.

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