from me to you....a little giveaway

Ready for fall decorating? I made up some ruffled burlap runners last week and decided to share one with one of you.

The runner is 39 1/2” long and 13 1/2” wide. Each is graced with two white muslin ruffles that have been frayed along the edges, hand gathered and machine sewn onto the nubby burlap. I love using mine on my old trunk/coffee table & on the dining room table.

Instructions on how to enter the giveaway is at the end of this post.

Mr. Janome has been a busy helper these days helping me sew my first pattern up that I designed to sell….. I will be sharing more about this next week and hopefully will have the pattern ready to sell by then. The project has been so fun to design and even more special after being invited to make them up with Elizabeth’s new fabric line, Red Rose Farm! (Thank you, my friend!!) The fabric is beautiful, soft, feminine and wonderful to sew on. For now, it is available to purchase at The Fat Quarter shop. OR….HURRY over to win a fabulous bundle on Elizabeth’s blog! Just click HERE to do so!!

Duhgall and Fiona are my faithful little buddies and are usually by my side while I sew. They are really good at catching a good snooze or waiting patiently for a treat.

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To enter to win the runner, just leave a comment on this post. If you don’t have a blog or a way to comment, you can email me at sweetcottagedreams1@comcast.net. I will choose the winner on October 11th. See you then!

misty

Do you go back through old photos and feel like it was just yesterday that the picture was taken? I remember this beautiful day so well, yet it was several years ago. The cool misty fog was rolling in under the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco. My youngest son and I were just standing there looking at the white capped water lapping against the rocky edge. Hubby snapped this one and I am thankful he did. A fun day with the loves of my life. I get misty when I look at it…time just goes by so fast…so fast…..

duhgall has a crush…..

I completely embarrassed myself yesterday – but that is ok, I think. You see, us male Scotties are rather independent and we don’t like to display any over zealous acts of affection because, well heck, that just isn’t cool. HOWEVER, maw had some friends over yesterday and I made a total spectacle of myself. They are all very nice women, but there was ONE that I just totalllllllllllly crushed over…..and I made a total scene.

Elizabeth, please forgive me if I nibbled your fingers and scared you. And Pam, thank you for the tasty dog treats! And Miss Jean, thank you for being my auntie and reassuring Elizabeth that I am totally smitten by her!

I will daydream about the pretty Scottish and Irish lassie and hope that she will come back to visit me again!

Maw will share about her day with the ladies soon. She had so much fun and now is working on a big project with deadlines. Whatever that means! Sheesh! She said to tell you all howdy-do and she loves you! She really means that when she says it, too. Trust me!

working

Soooo……what’s shaking?

Just checking in and then back to the grind. The laundry pile is to my knees and the house has been neglected. I will share why in a few days, weeks. Soon though.

Hope everyone is having a beautiful day! Take the time to hug someone you love and tell them how much they mean to you! And for those of you who read my blog, I am thinking of you, you, you and you!!! A little secret squirrel code to decipher! ;)

xo

b.

the great wall of scotties

For quite some time I have been collecting vintage pictures and vintage motto prints of Scottie dogs and other terriers. Some have been gifts from sweet friends, but most have been purchased on eBay, ETSY and at antique stores. There are many still that need to make it onto the “Great Wall of Scotties”, but for now, this is a healthy start.

A few of my favorite artists are Morgan Dennis and Lucy Dawson. You can find these prints and mottos from around 20.00 – 45.00.

boat and brushes

Sometimes it is fun to mix items together that would never otherwise have met – like this old wood toy boat and vintage shaving brushes.

1 – 2 – 3 ….

three little brushes that now serve as “smoke stacks”.

Simple pleasures of decorating – just use what makes you smile.

Layering French Linens

One of my favorite purchases that I made years back was this tall and narrow metal ladder. I have not a clue as to the utilitarian purpose of this hollow metal ladder with chipped white paint and spots of rust. Attempting to climb on it could result in a nasty spill – for sure.

The ladder now perfectly serves as a wonderful display piece for my antique French linens.

Each piece is unique and very special. I like the way the corded edge is tattered in comparison to the perfectly elegant crocheted lace. The fabric is soft, yet sturdy.

Beautifully stitched red monograms make me wonder what E.D. and C.L. stand for.

Elegant.

Dreamy.

Classy.

Loved.

Soft layers meld together nicely in the afternoon light. Maybe I need a nap to dream up a story about a little stone cottage in France that has layers of old French linens stacked on a wood shelf and drying on a clothesline in the cool breeze. What is the name of the petite French woman who delicately cares for her home spun linens with red embroidered monograms? Emaline…Darcie…Claire…Lavine….

au revoir

A Treasure From An Old Sailing Vessel

A few weeks ago I spotted this old metal box at an antique store. The gentleman who owns the store has a lot of maritime and nautical pieces for sale. There were many beautiful antique etchings of old clipper ships, wonderful old baskets, ironstone, ship gauges, compasses and then this……a tall and narrow black metal box.

I picked the box up and read the tag:

“A rare antique document box from an old clipper ship – The Falls of Bruar”.

There was something so uniquely special about this box. I love the chipped black paint and the Victorian font done in gold paint.

As I held the box in my hands, I wondered to myself who once handled it and how many journeys had it made over the rough and tumultuous seas. What exactly did it hold? Old maps? Receipts? What kind of documents? Thoughts were spinning in my head. There was one thing though that I knew for sure, I just had to purchase the box. There was just something magical about it…..like finding an old lost friend.

After doing a little research about the box, I found that the Falls of Bruar was launched in 1879 at the shipyard of Russel & Co., Port Glasgow, Scotland for the Falls Line (Wright, Beakenridge & Co). The ship was named after The Falls of Bruar, which are a series of waterfalls on the Bruar Water in Scotland, about 8 miles from Pitlochry, Perth and Kinross.

The Falls of Bruar was a full-rigged four-masted iron ship built in 1879 by Russel & Co., Port Glasgow. Her dimensions are: 81,12×12,19×7,13 meters [266'2×40'0×23'5] and tonnage: 1808 GRT and 1740 NRT. Rigged with royal sails over double top and single topgallant sails.

Sadly enough, on September 2, 1887 the ship wrecked and sank 15 miles off Smith's Knoll on a voyage from Hamburg to Calcutta. That was 124 years ago tomorrow.

Below is a sister boat, The Falls of Halladale.

I have always loved nautical items, like the old clipper ship and light house picture above. Perhaps I am an old soul…..one who had ventured out on such a regal boat…sailing across high seas to reach a mysterious land. Or perhaps I waited on the widow watch for my loved one to return safely home from sea……carrying his love letter to me in the old metal document box. Maybe he even wore a kilt and played the bagpipes…..maybe….perhaps some things in life come full circle.

The box is a special treasure and an honor to own.

Ahoy mateys....