If I Had My Own Blue Box:

Fanciful Utility Anniversary – Fill Your Case Special Offerings

This week, I have filled my Etsy store with a selection of special Fanciful Utility offerings at special prices

In the store you will find…..

Sewing Boxes with Sewing Tools – I have paired one of my favorite boxes, based on an original French Sewing Case, with sewing essentials. These kits come with scissors, a bone stiletto, vintage bodkin, a thread winder and/or spool, a sewing wax and black tailor’s chalk. (btw, I made the sewing waxes.)

Fanciful Utility Boxes with Starter Hair Kits – I filled the same favorite box with a starter hair kit including some of my go-to hair needs. Each box includes a dozen dark brown steel hair pins and a dozen light brown steel hair pins, each in two different sizes, two dozen vintage hair pins, faux tortoise hair pins, a bunch of hair elastics and a light brown hair net.

Scissors Cases – I made felted wool scissors cases embroidered around the edge as originals were. I have some that come with brass color scissors inside and some that fit Burnley & Trowbridge’s embroidery scissors, which I happen to to be rather fond of.

Basket pincushions – Basket pincushions are just one of many mixed media pincushions found spanning the nineteenth century. These adorable pincushions are a fun addition to your sewing chest. It shows nicely as a piece mixing practicality and delicate whimsy.

Looking for your own copy of Fanciful Utility?

Click HERE to go ESC Publishing.

Remember to check out the special Anniversary kits on Etsy

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on August 11, 2015 at 9:00 am Leave a Comment
Tags: FanU Anniversary

Happy Anniversary Fanciful Utility!

Three years ago this month Fanciful Utility: Victorian Sewing Cases and Needle-books made it’s debut.

I want to say thank you to Liz for all her very hard work in publishing, sales and distribution, Robin for inviting me out for book signings at GCV and everyone who has purchased Fanciful Utility over the last three years.

In the past 3 years, Fanciful Utility has been welcomed into homes and workshops in most of the US continental states, plus England, France, Germany, Austria, Canada,Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand! Isn’t that pretty cool?!?!

In celebration of the 3 year anniversary, I am holding a week long event. Over the next few days, I will fill the blog with useful information and my Etsy store with goodies at great prices.

Looking for your own copy of Fanciful Utility?

Click HERE to go ESC Publishing.

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on August 10, 2015 at 12:00 pm Comments (3)
Tags: FanU Anniversary

Quilted Winter Hood E-Pattern – Now Available

I finally have my Quilted Winter Hood available as an E-Pattern .

This will save on printing costs and turn around. This also means you get your pattern instantly through Etsy’s easy download system.

Just like the print version, you get a directions booklet and pattern pieces. I reformatted the direction booklet in a larger scale for easier reading.

Quilted Winter Hood E-Pattern

Now on Etsy

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on August 3, 2015 at 2:50 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: Anna's Books, Anna's Millinery

Summer Millinery

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Summer Millinery

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Summer Millinery

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on July 31, 2015 at 12:00 pm Comments (1)

Perfectly Pink Straw Hat with Calla Lilies

Remember this favorite hat?
Sadly, it didn’t fit the person who fell in love with it.
Luckily, this means a second chance for others who loved it.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/239759578/perfectly-pink-mid-19th-century-straw?ref=shop_home_active_1

If I Had My Own Blue Box:

I’ve had a pink and green hat stuck in my head for weeks. I kept putting it off because I thought I was nuts to want to line the underside of the brim with a multi-color silk. Well, I couldn’t shake it. So, here it is.

It is a little sweet, a little spring and a whole lot of pretty.

The pink and green silk taffeta wraps around the brim edge and lines the underside. To be happy, I had to get the stripes as lined up as possible.

There are two pink silk ribbons. The soft, true pink the crown with a triple bow in back. A second petal pink ribbon is underneith to help tie the hat behind your hair.

A trio of white velvet calla lilies are the it piece. The velvet has just a touch of pink and the centers are beaded. I set the in a…

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on July 30, 2015 at 1:02 pm Comments (1)

Taking Food Stuffs

We are talking about how we take our food to events in the CW Kitchen FB group. This post goes with that discussion. I thought it would be easier to share the photos. This post will likely have more added to it as we go along. Right now, these are just what was on the wall this morning.

These are pieces I use to bring food into weekend events or food related gatherings such as picnics. I am not one who cooks at events. I bring food in that is ready to eat. I tend to be a daily grazer rather than a big meal eater at summer weekend events.

This wider mouth crock is one I use for fruit. It is about 8 inches tall.
It may be good for a thick poarage with a good seal under the wooden lid. If I was to ever cook at an event, I would consider this for flour.
I don’t remember the maker of this one.

This little guy does not go to events because it was Grandma’s. If I had one in the same size, I would use it for preserves.

This is a tad blurry. These are 2 quart and 1 quart pitchers. The one on the left is my go-to event pitcher for water. Both are from GCV. The left is from the last 5 years. The right is from the 80s.

This is a tad blurry.
These are 2 quart and 1 quart pitchers. The one on the left is my go-to event pitcher for water. I do bring my bottled water into events. For a weekend, I play a gallon per person per day plus one.
Both are from GCV. The left is from the last 5 years. The right is from the 80s.

This is my go-to for when I need to take a little bit of butter. (I’m’ not a big butter person) It is just a few inches tall. The way the mouth turns in with the lip is good for covering and tying. I would also use this shape for soft or pounded cheeses in small quantities.
When Lily was small, this was her preferred cup.
This is a Williamsburg gift shop piece. We sold them for a short time at GCV. They were/are relatively inexpensive.
I have a few of these.

This is a nice one person pickle crock. It holds a half dozen little pickles. It is also a good size for a single serving of soup or such.
This is a Mark Presher piece. He throws at GCV and privately.

This is a nice all purpose crock. The lip on the top makes it easy to tie string around.
I think this is a Williamsburg gift shop piece.

This crock is good for a large amount of pickles. It can take a quart of homemade easily, or one of the larger grocery store jars. It is a ‘vintage’ GCV piece.

Assorted bowls are nice of course. This is a small 6″ diameter bowl.
I find I use the shallow 8″ bowl quite a lot. (I’ll get a photo of that). I tend to use the 8-9″ diameter deeper bowl so much at home, it rarely goes to events.

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