Repurpose an old linen into a "Possible's Bag"...

 

I'm such a vintage linen hoarder that sometimes, I have to figure out a way to re-purpose some of them for use, or they just keep adding up.

I often come across embroidered runners for dressers, or curio cabinets. I appreciate the work that went into the embroidery on them and I know somebody once cherished them. It's in some ways a shame to get them for a quarter, or fifty cents, but who could walk past such a treasure?

Folding them into a linen cabinet does me no good and sometimes, well, I just need a bag - like a 'yah bag,; or what I call a "Possibles Bag..."

 

It's possible to put anything in them...

If I'm going on the truck with the "Man-Child," I stuff one full of my clothes, a hair brush and my wallet.

If I'm picking squash, or carrots in the garden, it's easy to stuff one full for a neighbor. 

What a fun thing to get in the mail full of get well treasures, or on a Birthday, full of farm fresh eggs, pickled beets and a homemade loaf of bread with honey butter.

 

And, I actually just use vintage thrift store sheets, or perhaps a panel of a beautiful thrifted curtain I find, for pennies while treasure hunting, to make the insert, the back and the straps...

I figure in total, they only cost a couple of dollars each, if that and they only take a few minutes to sew together.

 

If you cut the embroidered runners in half, they make 2 bags...

I sew up a stack and then I can use them in a pinch, to deliver something important to somebody important who will appreciate their beauty.

 

It's easy to get creative with a stack of linens and a stack of old thrifted curtains.

 

And, if you're lucky enough to browse through an antique's shop that has cutter lace and linen's for only a few pennies - then your imagination and the sky is your only limit~!

There's always a possible's bag in a piece of cutter lace and some feed sack fabric...

 

What a perfect 'heavyweight' combination - feed sack size - to take a couple of bottles of wine to a casual dinner, a gift for the hostess, or bring some cucumbers and zucchini to a neighbor, or keep on your shoulder to fill with goodies at your local farmers market. 

The possibilities for a "Possible's Bag" are endless~~~

And, it's really fun to put the old linens to a re-purposed, new use.

 

There are many things to be made out of a stash of embroidered treasures. It's fun to create 'useable' things, so the needle work can be enjoyed.

 

 

(=

 

 

 

 

 

How to Distress a Milk Bottle Basket...

 

I purchased a heavy reproduction milk bottle basket at the thrift store for $3.00...

It was a brown color with a light wood handle. It looked new and I wanted it to look old, so I'll show you how I distressed it...

 I wanted an old fashioned vintage green, so I used a really simple and quick paint layering technique.

 

I didn't prime it, or anything. Not priming it makes the paint distress easier...

 I just used simple and cheap acrylic paint. I used an ivory color and a turquoise color and I used a simple green scrubbie to distress it...

 

 

I used a cheap chip brush and I used a stippling technique to just bounce the paint onto the metal.

I started with the ivory. I stippled some on and then dabbed it with a paper towel.

 

 

Then I bounced some turquoise color on top of the ivory...

It's a messy process, but it is a quick process...

 

I used the plastic scrubby to rough across the paint. Then I used a piece of sand paper to really rough up all the edges when the paint was completely dry. 

To seal it and give it a dirty antique look, I covered it with dark wax and subtracted the wax with some clear wax.

I let the wax dry for about an hour and then I buffed it to a sheen with a soft polishing cloth.

 The end result was a wonderfully distressed, chippy, vintage green paint color...

 The color compliments my beautiful "Peony Tulips" that I got from "Breck's"  last fall and planted around my front patio.

 

They look beautiful out my kitchen window...

They're quite Enchanting ~ like something from an English Garden, or a Fairy Tale...

They're ensuring I have a "Beautiful Spring"~!

=)

Vintage White Enamelware...

A few weeks ago, the 'Man-Child' popped into his favorite antique store in Laurel, MT. I'm pretty sure he's about cleaned them out of vintage enamelware.

White enamelware is my favorite and he buys it for me in his travels...

He found some fun pieces, like this vintage colander...

I've been searching and searching for an old enamelware colander - yay!

 

A unique little coffee pot...

I think you put the grounds in the little pot on top and then dump boiling hot water over them ~ If I'm wrong, someone tell me how this works correctly, please ...

 

He found a regular, small, vintage coffee pot...

 

A measuring pitcher with the measurement lines inside...

 

 

Of course, some little coffee cups -

 

A little creamer pitcher -

 

And the crown glory piece that I would have been sad if he would have left it behind, although he's a man and fails to see what my obsession with owning one is...

 

A piece I've been looking everywhere for...

A vintage fridge container with a black rim~!

 

Because, as you can see, I collect white enamelware with black rims.

They match my old Wedgewood cook stove...

 

And, I figure as long as we're always collecting this vintage enamelware - we'll always have a "Pot to P*ss in"...

At least that's how I reason it out...

(=

 Everybody have a wonderful week~!

 

 

Vintage Pillow Shams...

I  rode with the Man-Child on the semi last Friday to Cedar City, Utah. On our way back home, he stopped in Beaver, UT and let me browse and peruse the antique store there.I didn't even know Beaver had an antique store until a few weeks ago. I never make it to that side of town, I always turn to go to the cheese factory before the antique store...

Upstairs in this old house bedroom, I found these beautiful vintage pillow shams. They're in excellent condition.

They are a beautiful pattern and a nice old ecru color that matches nearly anything I want to put them with.

The little tag inside said, "Dry Clean Only," so of course I ran home and shoved them in the washer to soak and then, I washed them and hung them up to drip dry.

No, I wasn't going to pay to dry clean a set of old pillow shams that only cost me `Five Bucks' - Pretty neat find for a few dollars.

Just when I think I have haorded enough crocheted, fringed and lace and linen bedding, another beauty pops up and comes home with me. Gosh, even those crocheted burgundy throw pillows were only $3 at a yard sale.

They are pretty and there was nothing that happened by washing them, except that now they're clean...

(=

And how do you like that burgundy bed skirt?

Well, it's a twin velvet/poly blend bedspread I acquired for $1 and I just cut it in half, hemmed it and tucked it in between my matress and platform.

I wonder if the Man-Child feels like a duck in a new pond every time he gets home because I change the bedding in this room so much?

Do you think men even notice such things?

This was Saturday and she's already re-adorned another color...

I need to join bed covers anonymous, or something. I have such issues~!

Psst... 

If you are an antique'r - check the closets in the old antique stores if allowed. 

(The antique stores in the old houses)

That's where I seem to find all my crocheted treasures~

*Wink - Wink*

Gesso Painted Vintage Syroco Mirror...

Gosh, it's been a while since I done a blog post ~~~
It has been a BUSY SUMMER...

I finally caught a second and decided I needed to take a breather just for me and paint something. Well, actually, I wanted to try a new technique because I have something that needs repaired.

I have never painted with gesso before. Truth is, I was even too lazy to go find a pre-mixed gesso, so I made my own with things I had on hand, at home...

HOMEMADE GESSO

1/2 C. Hot Water

1/2 C. Plaster of Paris

Mix well...

Add

1/2 C. Flat Acrylic Paint

Mix well...

Add

1/4 C. White Glue

Mix well...

Gesso is an awesome primer for nearly anything. When you use it as paint, it gives a really thick, chalky, French look to a piece.

I started out with a vintage piece of Syroco that the former paint job had gone all wrong. It was a thrift store find for a few dollars.

I removed the mirror and painted the whole piece with a flat coat of Behr flat paint in the color "Intellectual." It's a dark putty color.

I let it dry good and then I washed over the piece with a couple coats of my homemade gesso. 

(I just used Behr "Ultra White" in flat to make the gesso.)

I played with it some - I wiped with a dry rag and then a damp rag and even with my finger to get the white washed / French look I was going for. 

It turned out lovely~!

The thing I have that needs repaired is this gorgeous French looking Settee I recently acquired for a couple hundred bucks. I intend to put it in my mudroom, when the mudroom addon is finished on the garage.

One of the back legs was missing, that's why I was able to purchase it so cheap. I had a local shop do a repair and rebuild both back legs and I need to experiment with some gesso paint techniques, so I can match the paint and texture when I paint the new back legs...

Isn't she a beautiful 'European' looking settee?

Updates on my garden are also coming soon.

The garden has been going crazy with all of the monsoon rains we've been getting the last few weeks

I've also discovered some "Naked Ladies" in my garden ~ he, he...
 (Beladona Lillies)

And I have no idea where they came from~!