Transfer Ware In Fall

I love brown transfer ware any time of year of course, but to me it seems especially suited to decorating in fall. My heart still beats faster when I see beautiful old dishes like that in a fall display.  So my own pieces get shown front row and center when the weather changes as well. 

I did a little recent dust off and straightening to the dining room shelves, and thought you might like a fresh look. 

I find over time that I acquire new favorites and tuck way older pieces for awhile or even pass a few things on. Things change gradually. One of my more recent additions is that small teapot on the top row. It was too whimsical and sweet for me to pass up.

Here's a closer look.

Another new piece is this little tea leaf pitcher I found not long ago. I have a thing for pitchers I guess! (understatement)

Mustard jars and marmalade pots are hard to resist

 when they turn up.

One of my favorite tureens, a gift from an old friend, comes out more this time of year. Great for soups and stews, but so cheery sitting on a shelf nearby.

And who doesn't need a few sturdy ironstone bowls to show and serve things inside in fall? The pitcher was a new find this past summer.

Just a bit of pattern among the white goes a long way for me. That Rosa pitcher by Meakin is a long time favorite of mine.

Chippy white textures go with everything!

The large transfer ware pitcher in the center here matches the small one shown on the hutch at the top of this post. I have a few more pieces in this set that I will pull out for displays this fall.

And of course, linens!

I found two of these grain sacks with graphics at a great price this summer. Great on a wall or thrown over a chair.

I also seem to use more silver this time of year. 

This small engraved compote from a pub is one of my favorites. Possibly from the famous one in Times Square.

So it's nice to start out with all my chickens and ducks in a row, so to speak. Surrounded by cozy things that I love.

I'm really enjoying all the online fall features! 

Looking forward to more.

Such a cozy time of year!

Happy days ahead!

Jacqueline

Join me at the

Shabby Art Boutique ~Create Bake Grow & Gather Party

What's New For Fall

Hello friends! Thought I would pop in and show you a a bit of what's new. I'm not one to change everything up for each season, but I do find myself constantly making the smallest of changes here and there. 

I've been trying to get my sitting room to work better. I recently got rid of a couple of chairs that no longer worked in here. One chair and ottoman was replaced by a new recliner from Lazy Boy. They have a good number of really nice chairs to chose from that look nothing at all like something you find in a man cave! And taking out the ottoman freed up a bit of precious floor space. There are also a couple of new white vintage clocks up on the mantel that I found recently and couldn't resist. 

The hearth has been cleared off a bit so we are ready for a cozy fire when the time comes. I'm also always trying to simplify things by having fewer accessories. That can be tricky when you still want things to be cozy!

A nice quilt goes a long way toward that don't you think? And grey is my new neutral color. I have had this lovely quilt for a while, but the pillows are a new update for this space. I got a whole bunch from Target and love how the stripes energize the room without taking over. 

This past summer we painted this fab little antique table that I had tucked away in storage for a decade. It had a dark brown chippy paint that appealed to me but that never quite fit in. I should have taken a "before" picture because you would be utterly amazed! It's my new favorite.

I'm also loving the new macrame pot holder my sister made for me. Now if I can only keep that spider plant going! But isn't it sweet?

Also not new (but now more prominently featured) is my summertime cotton boll wreath that feels more fall to me.

I also like brown transfer ware for fall and so let my collections show more this time of year. I recently de-clutterd the top of this cabinet which had a hundred tiny things that ended up on top. I added a big basket to the middle of things. My dining room is overflow for some of my kitchen things too.

This little Johnson Brothers set of a sugar and creamer comes out in fall too! We actually still keep sugar in a sugar bowl. Do you?

But the creamer usually has spoons or flowers or whatnot inside of it instead of cream. And it makes a little cheery splash of whimsy and color amongst all my white china too. 

I also had a ton of various small things on this hall cabinet. I wanted it to make a better statement as it is seen straight back from the front entry and really everywhere from the front rooms of the house. 

The painting was a thrift store find, and the big bunch of dried hydrangeas were shipped to me from Santa Barbara a few seasons ago by my fabulous sister-in-law. The copper double boiler belonged to my mother-in-law. Are there any more cozy things to surround yourself with than that?

I'll be featuring more of the dining room in my next post.

 In the meantime I hope you are having fun making your own fall changes!

Hope it's a wonderful start to the new season for you!

Jacqueline

A Pretty Mix of Linens & Laces

I got lucky with linens this week and found an amazing assortment of lovely things.

I usually buy pieces that are already in good condition, but I always launder and press items in order to cover every square inch to find any hidden flaws. This matching pair of pillowcases passed inspection!

After freshening them up I laid out all the new pieces for a better look in the nursery. One thing always leads to another in here, and I couldn't help noticing a theme. I thought maybe you would like to have a look too!

The real excitement started for me with this scrumptious knitted bedspread that I found. I just couldn't believe how lucky it was to find it in absolutely perfect condition!

I kept on layering so I took care to get a shot of it before it got all covered up. What a wonderful piece of work made in squares, one stitch at a time, on tiny little knitting needles and then sewn all together. Just blows my mind at the patience required for that.

I also turned up another single white pillowcase with crocheted trim. These unmatched pieces always look so pretty together on a bed. 

I laid a dark sheet of card stock underneath the narrow lace so you could see it better. So delicate and pretty.

What you are seeing laid over everything is a gorgeous fine linen tablecloth with napkins worked in cross-stitched roses. The cloth has a couple of very faint stains on it even after soaking so I know it was indeed once loved and used. The napkins had storage discoloration which laundered out very nicely.

I think it would also make a lovely dressy coverlet on a bed, and so I laid it out to see how it would look that way. It's just so gorgeous to look at. (I ironed this baby out myself, people! It's not bad if you make sure it is still pretty damp after washing.)

I love that the napkin roses are just in bud.

And the sweetest little boudoir pillow cover turned up for me this week too. Almost makes me dizzy! I already had the perfect sized insert for it too. You can see the ball fringe at the corners better in some of the pictures further on a bit. The back side is a loose weave cotton like that small inset on the front.

I just love the look of mixed ivories and whites laid all together.

Finally, here is the softest pretty crocheted table cover shown as a throw under everything. I love these peeking out almost anywhere. This one is round.

I don't think that much of this handwork is being done anymore in our times. And I feel so lucky to be part of gathering it up to be appreciated before it disappears forever.

 I hope you enjoyed the linen show today!

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Jacqueline