Tags
Is there a busier time of the year?
Just a quick hello, as I check my list…
XO
Trish
Wedgwood “Sweet Plum”
Source: Southern Accents July/Aug. ’09
Photo Jeff McNamara
Friday in a Teacup
18 Friday Dec 2009
Posted in Joie de Vivre
Back in the Kitchen
14 Monday Dec 2009
Posted in Interiors, Joie de Vivre
White Chocolate Tiramisù Trifle with Spiced Pears
No calories if you just stare at it….
Bon Appétite via Epicurious here
Thank you to all my kind readers
and supportive fellow bloggers…
You’ve gotten me in the mood to roll up
my sleeves and get in the kitchen again…
Hope you all are enjoying the
sights, smells and tastes of a wonderful
holiday season
Still working on my kitchen fireplace. Originally all brick, I had plastered the grooves,
put a few top coats of plaster, and had a professional apply the final skim coat.
I had had the Sydney Harbour Paint Company pamphlet saved for years…
always wanting to try limewash paint…
When I saw Jermaine’s French Kissed post here , I realized she had used the same
product! Serendipity! Emboldened by Jermaine’s success, and encouragement, I tried
3 separate products: Distemper, Interno Limewash, and Limewash…
Each in a separate color: Elegance, Pumice, Grey Pepper…
Very happy with the result…still need to add a little architectural heft
but I like the almost Belgian simplicity so far….
The gray tones pick up the rough accent piece
in the smooth limestone floor…
I like to add elements slowly
as I find them…
waiting for the perfect piece of architectural treasure.
Let me know if any of you dare try the Tiramisù Trifle…
XO
Trish
Color Trends
09 Wednesday Dec 2009
Posted in Antique Fabric
My latest find…
from Lyon, silk capital of France…
c. 1898 sample book of dyed silk swatches
Over sized scrapbook of 10 fold out pages..
Hundreds of shiny silk swatches…
the “hot color trends” of the late 19th century
Lovely script color descriptions…
some obscure…Clematite, Paquerette, Golconde, Ecorce…
can anyone translate?!
Others like mais and ceil, clearly “corn” and “sky”
Colors from violet and purple, mauve, cerise, and candy pink…
to “marrons”…chestnuts, wheats, browns, creams…
Unfortunately, cellophane tape was invented in 1920, and someone
industriously attempted to keep every swatch in place with this un-archival horror.
I’m carefully removing it from the silk, letting it stay on numbers above where
pulling it off would remove the print. Carefully trying to smooth the errant
strands of some swatches with a small paintbrush.
I’ve done several posts on sample books including “Antique Fabric, Sample Books” here
that show a very similar book from Caron Baudoin c. 1893
Evidently “Cyrano de Bergerac” was big in the fall of 1898…
Continuing on with my fascination of sample books, love imagining the footsteps
from samples to final products, as well as fleshing out the colors of the time…
Winter Roses
08 Tuesday Dec 2009
Posted in 18th century, Antique Fabric
Tags
Antique clothing, Antique embroidery, Antique Fabric, fur trimmed embroidered silk dress, garden roses
An embroidered satin open robe, Chinese made for the European market c.1770
Fabric created c.1755-60, embroidered in imitation of a brocade with bouquets
of flowers tied with blue ribbons…
Impossibly lovely. Raspberry silk embroidered dianthus and rose buds,
variegated green foliage on green hued ivory silk, the wing cuffs
trimmed in brown fur…
A simple Indian sprigged muslin gown circa 1800
Simple draw-string to neck, empire-line bodice, horizontal tucked
bands to hem, long sleeves, embroidered in silver thread, the bodice
signed in ink `Monson’
Impossibly beautiful and unattainable items have me struggling to deconstruct the
overwhelming appeal of some objects. Is it the suggestion of another time and place,
suffused with romance? Diaphanous gauze and metallic thread? The image in my mind
of a tiny embroidered beribboned silk shoe skimming a ballroom floor?
My love of roses and rosy tones?
Even if I could afford one of those antique beauties…I would always worry about the sunlight
slowly and inexorable breaking down the silk fibers, dulling the bright embroidery…
these lovelies will be wrapped in a acid free paper, tucked in acid free boxes
into dark closets. Or in climate and light controlled museums.
So I grab my bits of rosy ribbons and scraps of embroidered silk, and
exorcise my antique textile demons…wondering what windows
I could dress with fur trimmed, floral embroidered silk curtains….
and enjoy the surprise of December roses
Other sources: Slippers (c. 1820) from Snowshill collection in Shoes and Slippers by Althea Mackenzie
Watercolor by JJ Grandville
Flea Market Sunday
06 Sunday Dec 2009
Posted in Flea Market Style
Eucalyptus, bay leaf and pepperberry sprig wreaths and garlands…
It was a blustery cold morning at the Antiques by the Bay flea market. Rancor between
owners had put the previous month’s event in jeopardy, but the founding owners of the
event were determined to not lose this 11 year treasure, for the sake of over 800 vendors,
and thousands of customers. Today the mood of the market was up despite the strong
cold wind that whipped off the San Francisco bay, and threat of rain later in the day.
Lots of reliquary alcoves beyond the spotted toy horse…
Love that vendors take the time to add a bit of green to their booths
Various size and shaped bread boards starting at $60
This vendor also has lots of galvanized tin, wooden bulb trays,
hinged wicker trunks. Regularly goes to Europe…
she’s going to Holland next.
Sonya of Belle Maison ties an extra cushion to the
leg of a chair she refinished and had upholstered
with stenciled rough linen…
It was before 8:00 and she was still pulling things out of
her van. She often has stenciled linen lamp shades…very cute…
Love the French mattress on this
heavily flounced settee…
And the cute tufted detail on this armless chair..
Unassuming reproduction chairs refinished
and up to date…
Belle Maison
Owner and design by Sonya Perez
(510) 427-7111
perez1012@yahoo.com
Fairly plain wood twin bed with this sweet crowned angelic duo
Karen Silen of La Maison Violette had her usual lovely selection of
French fabric, pillows, embroidered linen, curtains…
Bought a good pillow (or two) sized scrap of dark gray mattress
ticking…can see a bolster with a bright red cord border
Karen said that she will be opening her
Ebay store here on December 14, with reduced
prices through the month of December
This was cool…and extremely reasonable (@ $400?).
Wished I had a place to put it..
