July at the Oh So Charming Cottage

 I Scream - You Scream - We all Scream for Ice Cream

 This room at the Oh So Charming Cottage is full of ice cream treasures and great 1950's kitch.

 I love this old framed photo from the 1920's.

 The main room is decorated in beach cottage style. Lots of fun stuff there too.

Beautiful daisies outside the cottage.

And what treasures did I find to take home for myself - you ask?  This old book with page after page of wonderful botanical illustrations to inspire my artistic endeavors. And...this cute little wall pocket vase for my kitchen.

Little Kitten

 I call this one - My Little Kitten.

The vintage hanky that I made this from is very unique and possibly handmade. Usually women purchased plain linen hankies and and added the fancy edges. The stitching on the machine hem looks like a slightly longer stitch...that is why I think that the hanky may have been hand made as well.

The background fabric reads, "Busy bee at play all day."
It is framed in a refurbished sturdy wooden frame that has been altered to give it more of a shadow box effect.

This sweet little hanky was hand embroidered and finished with a pretty pink crocheted edge.

I chose three classic vintage buttons from my stash to accent the dress.

Perfectly vintage and so very unique!

July Market Day - Part 2

And .... what would a Paris Street Market be without people and poodles and pretty girls in vintage dresses!

These hand crafted birdhouses were created by Artist Jeanne Goplin of The Woodcutter's Wife. Her reverse intaglio paintings are simply wonderful.  You can visit her website here:  www.thewoodcutterswife.com

Here is a collection of items from vendor "Lorraine's Basket" located out of Fort Collins, Colorado. I thought she had some lovely painted furniture items.

July Market Day - Part 1

Saturday's Paris Street Market turned out to be a real treat. I found several noteworthy and creative items. So many, in fact, that I am going to split up this event into more than one segment because I have so much to show you.  Today's post is about the vintage hanky treasures I found! Pictured here is, Pat, the best linens vendor at the market. She has tablecloths, aprons, doilies, hankies, dresser cloths, runners, antique items and quilts. And...Pat expertly launders and presses each and every one.

Just a sampling of her tablecloths. Notice the tables of linens in the background.

Here are three silk beauties from Pat.Yes - I said silk...and she told me that you can carefully wash these silk hankies. I have had another for quite some time that I was afraid to wash for fear it would fall apart.

 Here is a composite picture of the lovely white hankies I found. Among them are many different types of lace and hand work. You can click on the picture to zoom in for a closer look.

And last, but not least, here is a group shot of the colored hankies I chose. There is Christmas and Valentines, Paris and Scotland, crocheted and tatted edges, plaids and flowers, plain and polka dotted; and even a round one with cherries. I can't wait to create some of the cutest dresses I've made yet.

Part 2 from the Paris coming soon!

Patriotic Vintage Hankies

Katie Dix, from the Story of Vintage Hankies, had the following to say about collecting Fourth of July hankies. 

Be on the lookout for Fourth of July hankies while you are antiquing and flea market shopping. Handkerchiefs actually printed with “Fourth of July” or “Independence Day” are extremely rare and therefore very collectible. Hankies with a patriotic theme are fun to find and more available. Watch for Know Your Presidents, Democratic Party, Republican Party, The Star-Spangled Banner, Early American Historical Events and others from the 1950s - the Golden Age of Hankies. Expect to pay $25 to $30 for handkerchiefs with patriotic themes in very good condition.

http://www.storyofvintagehankies.com/

Fourth of July Hanky Bouquet

Here is a simple way to display your hankies and give a quiet corner of your home a little spark of color.

Did I mention…that I also collect vases! You are going to find out that I enjoy collecting way too many things.

Upcycling Hankies by Lesley's Girls

I belong to the Vintage Etsy Society, a group of vintage sellers on Etsy. This post comes to you from one of my fellow team members.

Lesley's Girls- Vintage Blog: Upcycling Vintage: Part 1 Hankerchiefs

Red White and Blue Hanky Dresses

This is a new selection of dresses that are/will be available in my Etsy Shop. Most of them are listed now...I just have three more to do. Red, white and blue is great for Americanna, patriotic, and nautical themes. I just love the little anchor buttons on the plain red dress.

Wouldn't one of these look sweet on your door instead of a decorative wreath!

Old Glory Antiques Fair

Last Friday and Saturday I had the opportunity to meet and speak with the Executive Editor of Flea Market Style, Ki Nassauer. She is such a delightful and down to earth person. Here is a photo taken of the two of us. Ki is on the left and that's me on the right.

This was my Hanky Dress display showing off a little red, white and blue spirit at Old Glory on Saturday, the second day of the show.

And here is my friend Sonia who graciously gave me a corner in her booth at Old Glory so I could display my Hanky Dresses.

The Story of Vintage Hankies

I recently had the privilege of attending a presentation about vintage hankies by master storyteller Katie Dix. This particular presentation was entitled Dabbers & Blowers: A History of the Handkerchief. Now, I have read a couple of books about hankies; but after listening to Katie, I realized how truly historical hankies are. She is so entertaining and did such a wonderful job of bringing the subject to life. The time just flew by as she graciously shared her knowledge of vintage hankies with a room full of at least 30 eager listeners.

After her presentation, some of us were sitting around talking when someone threw out the question, “What do you do with your vintage hankies?” That was when a lady pointed at me and said, “This is The Hanky Dress Lady.” Katie exclaimed, “You’re the one who makes the Hanky Dresses!” You see - we both knew of each other but our paths had never crossed and we had never met before. I think I can safely say that it was a thrill for both of us to finally meet one another.

Katie told me that she had purchased one of my hanky dresses in February of 2007 and that she was using it in her "Wipe & Wave Program" which highlights 17 ways to use a handkerchief.

If you would like to know more about Katie Dix and her wonderful presentations about hankies, here is link to her website: http://www.storyofvintagehankies.com/