Floral Dishes

I found this sweet set of floral dishes for $9 at Value Village. It's 4 round plates and an oval platter and dish; that tiny oval dish is particularly charming. The set is marked Myott and is from England circa 1930s-1940s. 

Union Patch

My Union Patch design is up for voting in Spoonflower's Victorian design challenge!

Keswick Trays

Here's a houseware that seems to pop up frequently at thrift stores: the Keswick Tray! They are printed cotton and fibre glass trays rimmed with gold or silver edges. The company started in the 1960s and is still producing products today. I'm not sure of the date of these two trays though! 

I love the cheery florals and the texture of the fabric through the fibre glass.

 It looks like they even take custom orders. Of course they are British made...see post below!

Anglophile

On this Royal Wedding meets Victoria Day weekend I am thinking about how many of my favourite things hail from Britain. Their decorating magazines and period dramas are impeccable, and the land seems to be inundated with exquisite upholstery manufacturers, surface pattern designs, picturesque gardens, fascinating architecture, artisans, historians, grand authors of literature...the list goes on. Plus, the accent...*swoon*

Valentine Transferware

This fine collection of red and white Transferware includes a plate of particular interest...

Another Chatsworth House, a.k.a. Mr. Darcy's Pemberley, plate! The view is of the house in 1792. I love how this dish illustrates the house from the side, from the River Derwent, through the arches of the bridge (which pictures the statue that is no longer there), nestled in the foliage. The clouds look like pointillism. In 1792 I suppose Mr. Darcy would have been a boy playing in these grounds, or, you know...diving into the lake! (Hope that induced a Happy Valentine's swoon!)

Crown Jars

I love these crown jars, with their pressed glass crown logo and zinc patina lids. Hot chocolate mix, anyone?

Dundee Marmalade Jars

These marmalade jars have a talent for popping up in décor magazine vignettes, and it just so happens that I have a few on hand from thrifting jaunts. Judging by this article, the jar on the left is from the 1860s and the jar on the right is post-1960. The striking black logo on the stoneware makes them pretty storage containers.

Victoria

Queen Victoria was one incredible lady. Aside from ruling a country for nearly 64 years, she was a mother of 9, a visual artist, and a prolific journal writer. Her passionate, determined nature is clear in reading her diaries. I've been loving the series Victoria, which brings aspects of her younger life to light...plus the costumes and sets are stunning and lavishly inspiring. Happy Victoria Day!

Blue and White Dishes

You may have noticed that I'm a fan of blue and white dishes...here are some stunners from the collection!

Back in Time for Dinner

Historians, decorators, costumers, and foodies unite! This documentary, Back in Time for Dinner is mind-blowing! It is the journey of a family in Britain living one year per day through the 1950s to the 1990s, behaving and eating according to the era. Their meals are based on the National Food Survey, a survey completed by households once a year from 1940 to 2000 in which participants documented all the food they bought and ate in a week. It is fascinating to see how societal events and technological advances altered food habits. 

The 1950s--A real contrast of the austere '50s in Britain to the prosperous '50s in North America!

The 1960s--"You get a fridge and then you burn your bra."

The 1970s--This epidsode made me want to eat hummus.

 The 1980s--Because marmite really gives a whole microwaved chicken the "golden" look.

The 1990s--Variety is key.

...and beyond!

Daydreamer Plate

I found this little wall plate at a thrift store for $3 and love it with all my heart. The blue and white, birds and flowers, sweetly scripted poem, and quirky off-center hanging hole are what make it charming perfection. I wonder, did someone receive this as a gift from a dear friend going away?

Hedgie Collection

I have been wanting to make an English garden hedge collection of fabric designs for a long time, so when Spoonflower's Hedgehog challenge of the week came along I thought well why not combine the two? My Haircut for Hedgie design is up for voting in the challenge. Here's the rest of the Hedgie collection:

Hedgie Fence

Hedgie Alabaster

Hedgie Aerial

Hedgie Ditsy

Hedgie Dots

Chatsworth House a.k.a. Darcy's Pemberley

 The other day my mom bought a plate at Value Village, loving the Transferware pattern and thinking the house on it looked familiar. Our suspicions were correct because when we looked it up we discovered she had purchased a plate featuring Mr. Darcy's house! Swoon! When it comes to Pride and Prejudice adaptations I definitely fall into the category of Jane Austen accuracy purists and prefer the 1995 version. That being said, when I saw the 2005 adaptation I was blown away by the filming of the scenery. In particular the footage of Chatsworth House, a.k.a. Pemberley, a.k.a. the house on the plate, is gorgeous!

 That's right, Mrs. and Mr. Gardiner--I feel the same way.

 I mean look at that checkerboard!

 And that staircase with the grand carvings!

 And oh how I would adore a room of marble statues in my house.

There he is: the notorious Mr. Darcy in the marble.

Then, later, we see Lizzy flee out the side of the imposing stone mansion...

Followed, of course, by the tension-filled romantic conversation overlooking the stunning gardens. Such breathtaking cinematography!