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Lots to do! Today I'll be using this vintage leaf patterned bark cloth and trim to sew up some pillows for my new SoNo Markerplace stall.
Then I'll start working on pricing the myriad of items that will be for sale in my booth.
Gotta go — my sewing machine is waiting!
Susan
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In my last post, I asked you to pick the one item from my recent stash of vintage discoveries that was the "keeper." Thank you for your comments!
There were many things I could have called my own. However, the cherry-embellished soap powder dispenser was the clear winner and has joined the others in my collection. Doesn't it look right at home on the top shelf?
These folk art relics will always be a favorite. Used as a decorative and whimsical way to hold soap flakes or dish powder next to the sink in the 1940s kitchen, they are getting hard to find. I often have people ask me how to acquire one, so I've decided to sell off two from my personal collection, shown below.
I'll be listing these beauties in my Etsy shop later today. They will hang out there for a little while and if they don't sell soon, they'll join the other vintage wares at my new SoNo MarketPlace stall.
Enjoy your Monday!
Susan
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I am having fun putting together my new stall at the SoNo Marketplace. To help fill the space, I've hunted down these "smalls" at the Elephant's Trunk Flea Market, estate sales and thrift shops.
Pottery and tin pieces . . .
A set of 1920s Honey Bunch books and colorful kitchenware . . .
Cheery vintage textiles . . .
. . . and a fan, percolator, planter and paper ephemera.
These discoveries will be displayed on the larger furniture pieces in my booth consisting of a Hoosier cabinet and an array of vintage tables and wall shelves. The linens will be featured on an old wooden folding screen that John helped me refurbish. And my handmade pennant banners will hang from the lattice overhead.
I'm making progress and will share photos of my stall with you soon. But first, I have a question for you. All of the items shown above will be for sale — except one. Can you guess which one is the keeper?
Susan
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If you ever find yourself in Baltimore, you must stop by this fabulous store!
Located in the funky Hampden neighborhood, Trohv is known for having creative window displays and a nice variety of new and vintage merchandise.
When I was there in May, I marveled at the colorful Popsicle sticks hanging in the windows. It was easy to see why this shop won Baltimore Magazine's 2012 Best of Baltimore in the window displays category.
To achieve this effect, they took hundreds of Popsicle sticks and dipped them in a rainbow of paint colors. Various lengths of bakery twine were fed through holes drilled in the unpainted end of each stick. Then they were hung from a dowel at the top of the windows creating a wave effect. Very striking!
Wouldn't this be a fun window treatment for an artist's studio or child's playroom?
The inside of the store is just as wonderful as its window displays.
Trohv has the perfect blend of new and vintage goods. Love it!
Susan
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Happy Friday! Just thought I'd share a couple of sunrise photos with you . . .
This one was taken on my morning walk yesterday while crossing the Bluff Avenue Bridge in Rowayton.
And this one was shot from the car last week while crossing the Whitestone Bridge on our way to LaGuardia Airport.
I'm happy that I am an early morning person so that I get to witness sunrises like these. And I love the feeling of a brand new day filled with possibilites.
Have a terrific weekend!
Susan
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I am a bit of a fabric hoarder. When I discover old textiles that I like, I squirrel them away in my studio's supply closet. Eventually I put them to good use in small sewing projects, like my pennant banners. This morning, I searched through my fabric stash for a curtain panel I've saved for years. It has a wonderful apple pattern that I thought would be fun to use somehow in my new SoNo MarketPlace stall.
Autumn is fast approaching and apples are the perfect fall motif. So I decided to make some large swatch portraits to hang and sell in my space. Aren't they fun?
I transformed the remaining yardage into a gathered skirt for a small vintage cabinet. I plan to use this piece as the cash/wrap desk in my booth.
The fabric hides the back so it can face out toward the customer. The front, with its sliding doors and storage shelves, will face me. Now that this cabinet is all dressed up, I think it looks pretty sweet. Don't you?
Susan
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At the end of last week, I tagged along on John's business trip to Toronto. I've never been there before and have always heard about how nice it is. I now know that Toronto lives up to its good reputation!
While John was in his meetings, I wandered around downtown. I marveled at how clean the city is and I was happy to see so many people using bicycles to get around. If you don't have a bike of your own, there are lots of rental bike-share stations.
While strolling the Toronto streets, I came upon St. Lawrence Market, a huge space with over 120 specialty vendors offering a wonderful variety of fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, grains, baked goods and dairy products.
John and I visited a few museums. At the Royal Ontario Museum of natural history and world cultures, we viewed an awesome exhibit called Ultimate Dinosaurs. We also toured Casa Loma, the former home of Canadian financier Sir Henry Pellatt. This 98-room castle, situated on a hill overlooking the city, is surrounded by lush gardens.
John was a good sport and accompanied me to the Bata Shoe Museum which celebrates the history, style and function of footwear. From Chinese bound foot shoes and ancient Egyptian sandals to chestnut-crushing clogs and glamorous stilettos, this museum covers over 4,500 years of shoe history. My favorite collection featured the shoes of 20th-century celebrities, like Marilyn Monroe's red pumps and Elton John's 1970s platform boots.
Toronto has an impressive mix of old and new architecture. Sometimes they even combine the two, as in Brookfield Place, a modern office and retail complex that retained a heritage building inside its airy atrium.
Another interesting area, called Kensington Market, is a distinctive multicultural neighborhood full of eclectic shops and cafés. We must have passed at least a dozen vintage clothing stores! I got a kick out of this car-turned-planter we saw there.
We happened to visit at the same time as the Toronto International Film Festival. TIFF offers screenings, lectures, discussions, workshops, industry support and more. Although we didn't have time to go to any events, we were able to spot a few celebrities on the red carpet.
One evening, we caught glimpses of Alexander Skarsgard and Julianne Moore when they arrived for the premiere of their new movie titled What Masie Knew. And our final celebrity sighting was on the plane ride back to New York. I sat right across the aisle from John Turturro!
Susan
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Look what I made!
I've been mulling over how to liven up the SoNo MarketPlace stall shown in my last post. This rustic, raw space has a stained concrete floor, rough-hewn wood walls, and a chunky wooden lattice across the top. I want my booth to be extra fun and festive to reflect the unpretentious, whimsical nature of the items I sell. So I decided to sew up some simple pennant banners and hang them from the lattice.
First I searched through my stash of vintage fabric and pulled out six of my favorites. I chose a couple of 1940s bark cloth remnants and four floral textiles. Then, I added a cotton mini-print fabric on the reverse side, several yards of double-fold bias tape at the top — and voilà!
I think they turned out really pretty! Which one is your favorite? I'm partial to the colorful one with carnations and red gingham on the back.
Measuring over eight feet long each, I'm hoping these pennant banners will add just the right touch of whimsy to my booth. Once they are up later this month, I'll snap a photo to share with you.
Oops. I almost forgot to mention — the banners will be for sale!
Susan
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Starting next month, those of you that are local can find T-Party Antiques here . . .
I am pleased to announce that I will be one of the merchants featured at a brand new urban market located in South Norwalk, Connecticut. Called SoNo MarketPlace, this destination will have a unique blend of over 50 merchants in a rustic, café-style setting. Providing an opportunity for New England artisans and merchants to showcase and sell their creations, the market will offer prepared meals, seasonal fruits, vegetables, artisan breads, gourmet cheeses, meats, fresh seafood, coffees, pastries, gelato and more, along with housewares, antiques, flowers, gifts and fine art. The marketplace will also host seasonal celebrations, tasting events, lectures, demonstrations, concerts and community dinners.
Right now, my stall (shown above) is a blank slate. However, in the coming weeks, I'll be stocking it with T-Party's whimsical array of antique, vintage and handmade goods in preparation for the marketplace's opening in early October. I'll post more photos of my stall's progress throughout September.
This fall, how nice to have a place where my local patrons can find me again! I've signed on to be a SoNo MarketPlace merchant for two months. I'll see how it goes — perhaps I'll stay longer . . .
Susan
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