Burlington Inn Antiques a New Eclectic Group Shop With A Colorful, Whimsical, Fine Country Flair

When was the last time you saw an advertisement in your local paper promoting the opening a new antique store? Closings yes...openings..... fewer and far between. So I was thrilled to read about a new opening. I clipped that ad right out of the Yankee Flyer (our local classified newspaper) and just knew I was heading out to Route 4 in Burlington, CT. the next day.

I am always excited to try out a new antique shop for the first time, wondering for hours in advance, what I will find when I get there. Will it be a fancy place? Or a snooty place? Perhaps it will be a tiny shop with bric-a-brac or a large market with average stuff or a grand emporium with good ole stuff.

By daybreak my engine was running and I eagerly called the phone number in the ad and established that indeed "Burlington Inn Antiques" was open for business. Like a race horse out the gate, I couldn't wait to find out just what kind of shop "Burlington Inn Antiques was".

I'll be honest, I imagined that when I arrived, I would find a tiny little country shop. Well, I got the country right......but not the tiny. What I found was a impressive eclectic group shop focusing on lovely fine country antiques, furnishings and original artwork.There was also a prominent display of Asian antiques, Western collectibles, Militaria, dolls, jewelry, glassware, rugs and home decor.

Once the Burlington Inn, this stately building located on picturesque Route 4 in Burlington, CT is the perfect setting for a Multi-dealer shop. Several dealers are former tenants of the recently closed Balcony Antiques in nearby Canton.

According to the owner, there is not an inch of open floor or wall space left in this lovely new center. Burlington Antiques had an easy time leasing vendor and showcase space. And had just gotten a delivery of lovely glass cases which will soon be filled more smalls, silver, jewelry, vanity items and more.

The Burlington Inn Antiques center was tastefully decorated with a little bit of a whimsical flair. Colorful carefully organized displays demonstrated a real interest in detail and creativity. Apparently several generations are involved with this new multi-dealer shop and all the family members are fussing over the warm and inviting displays. There is something for everyone....have a great time visiting this lovely new antique center.

Burlington Inn Antiques
304 Spielman Highway
Route 4
Burlington, CT
860-404-1780

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com

Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Warm Up Your Retro Kitchen With Red, Yellow and Green Vintage Kitchenwares

Retro Homemakers
One way to become a "Retro Homemaker" is to equp your kitchen with some of the practical housewares that gals were accustomed to in the 1940s, and 1950s. I'm speaking about such items as tin canister sets, bread boxes, trays, flour sifters, cake savers, dust pans, pails and other handy Dimestore kitchenwares.

The Most Popular Colors for Kitchen Collectibles are Red,Yellow,Green
You can find plenty of original colorful era housewares for sale in antique shops, flea markets, on-line auction sites and thrift shops. Red, yellow, white, green kitchen collectibles are by far the most popular sellers. Often the "green" color used was a dark "Jade" hue. While Royal blue was also a popular color during the Post war years, you will find that kitchen tables, Formica counters, cabinets and other furnishing were predominately red, yellow and white.

Dimestore Housewares
"Housewives" of previous generations could order kitchenwares from their favorite mail order catalog or stroll down to their nearby "Five and Dime" and purchase tinware sets in a variety of patterns, colors and designs.The most common patterns are flowers, fruits, Bonnet girls and checkered. Decorating one's kitchen with coordinated shelving paper, towels, appliance covers and housewares was promoted in home magazines .
Reading older copies of Family Circle, Ladies Home Journal and McCall's Magazine is a helpful way to see what the color schemes were and also what kitchen products were available. This can help you date and decorate you kitchen accordingly.

Who Made Metal Housewares?
As stated in a previous blog about cake savers, Harper J Ransburg of Indianapolis, was a manufacturer known to hand paint designs on their wares. I feature some lovely Ransbug sets in my book, "Hot Kitchen and Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s. While Ransburg featured hand painted designs on baked enamel, other companies mass produced metal wares with colorful patterns and images using decals or lithographed printing processes on metal. Manufacturers often sold both kitchen and bath metal sets. Look for names such as Decoware, Lincoln, Parmeco Parker, GSW, Kromex and Westbend.

The Postwar Kitchen.
Once bitten by the collecting bug, kitchenware collectors are loyal followers who adore building complete sets. For example, a determined collector will hunt for a fourth canister to complete a set of three canister or a matching tray, cake safe or bread box. Canister sets generally come in a set of four pieces of graduated sizes. A separate larger tin was sold for flour (flour bin). Usually, a set of four storage tins will fit easily one into the next. When you have the "wrong' pieces" you will find that you the "fit" is off. Matching trays were made as rectangles or circular. Photo shows canisters from Decoware "Apple collection".

Be patient....there are plenty kitchen collectibles out there. Once 29 cent items, metal kitchenwares go for $25.00-45.00 for a complete set of common canisters and about the same for a bread box in terrific condition. Check for inside rusting and exterior scratches and dents.

Photo of green tray, courtesy of Pam from http://www.preservecottage.com/home.html

For Further Reading:

Hot Kitchen and Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s by C. Dianne Zweig
Depression Era Dime Store by C.L Miller
Kitchen Treasures by Barbara Mauzy

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com

Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Decorating Your Baby Nursery With Vintage and Retro Collectibles and Accessories

A Vintage Baby Nursery is Charming

Many young couples today are discovering how charming vintage and retro accessories can look in their baby's nursery. Not only are these collectibles colorful and attractive, but they are often one of a kind and reasonably priced alternatives to expensively made objects.


Hunting for Baby and Nursery Collectibles

There are many collectibles which can be found that are suitable for a charming baby nursery. Here are some ideas of older items that work well in a baby room. Hand painted hangars, painted cottage furniture, old prints, altered art, plastic nursery diaper container sets, ceramic planters, old calendars, vintage records, old dolls, birthday cards, paper dolls, advertising tins, toys, quilts, pillows, framed puzzles, blocks, doll furniture, dog and cat related prints and novelty objects, books, wall decor, child size chairs and rockers, bassinetes, tables, and more.

Choosing a Theme for Your Baby Nursery

Often it is helpful to develop a theme for your baby nursery and than to go out shopping (hunting) to find coordinated textiles, ceramics, prints etc. with that theme. For example, if you love Scottie dogs, you can begin your search with this popular doggie image in mind. The 1940's was an era with lots of Scottie dog accessories. For more ideas about dog collectibles, be sure to read "Flea Market Fido's" by Barri Leiner and Marie Moss.

Other themes could be nursery rhymes, children's book characters, plaids, polka dots, stripes, teddy bears, rabbits, jungle animals, cats, Western (cowboys and cowgirls) etc.

Flea Market Baby

You will see plenty of baby nursery themes illustrated in "Flea Market Baby" also by Leiner and Moss. This is one of my favorite books. While it has been out for awhile, it is still available and a wonderful reference. You will also find ideas and photos in my two books "Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes" and "Hot Kitchen and Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s".

Photos courtesy of http://cottageatleesburg.com/shop/ and http://www.pinkpigwestport.com/

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com


Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Vintage Cake Savers Are Popular in Today's Kitchen

Friends Like Martha Stewart

Everyone has a few friends who could pass for Martha Stewart.... you know these types...these are folks who love to entertain.... are wonderful bakers and are talented home chefs. These gals (and even a few guys) also seem to have all the right kitchen gadgets and equipment.

For example, when these Martha Stewart types are invited to a friend's home for dinner, they bring a lovely dessert cake packed snuggly in a cozy Cake Saver or Cake Keeper.

Introducing Cake Carriers
(aka Cake Savers or Cake Keepers)
You have seen these handy cake carriers, the newer ones are generally made of plastic (such as Tupperware or Rubbermaid) and fit tightly over a Bundt style cake keeping in the moisture and protecting the shape of the cake. Cake keepers are used for both toting cakes from place to place or for storage both in and out of the refrigerator.

Re-Usable is "Greener"
For example, a cake made with cream or icing may need to be kept cold, and a Cake Saver is an ideal cake protector. Ecologically conscious cooks also like using cake carriers for storage because they are re-usuable and help keep the kitchen "Green".

History of Cakes
Although cakes have been made for centuries, the earliest cakes were more like breads and were either flat or loaf style. In the 1800's with advances in baking powder and baking soda (which replaced yeast) cakes could rise better and could be made in a variety of molds and styles.

Cake Savers reach Popularity in Dimestore Era
Cake Savers reached popularity in the 1930s,1940s, 1950s when many new kitchen appliances and convenience foods were being introduced into the home accompanied by free recipe booklets.

Housewives were also encouraged to bake at home with dozens of family magazines promoting the latest baking powder, flour products and appliances to make kitchen chores easier.

As a buyer and seller of kitchen collectibles, I'm always interested in learning more about the items I sell. Cake savers are readily available and sought after by collectors who like keeping a retro style kitchen. In my first book, Hot Kitchen and Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s, I show numerous photos of different types of cake carriers.

Years ago, cake carriers were first made of metal, baked enamel or glass and later followed by plastic which gained popularity in the 1950's. their covers sat loosely on top of a bottom piece which could serve as a plate. You can generally date the age of a cake carrier by the materials it is made of and the general design of the product.

Some Cake Keepers are designed with a handle attachment for both easy carrying and added help for keeping the lid in place.

Cake carriers were often part of matching kitchen-ware sets which might include a bread box, canisters and a match safe along with other kitchen accessories.

Who Made Cake Savers?
Some companies such as Harper J Ransburg of Indianapolis, were known to hand paint designs on their wares. Today you will find plenty of vintage cake carriers for sale from a variety of different companies such as Decoware, Lincoln, Ransburg, Kromex, Westbend, Lustroware etc.
They usually sell for $18.00-25.00. Unusual or hand painted enamel varieties may sell for a bit more.

Photo Credits
http://www.vintagegoodies.etsy.com
http://www.seymourantiques.com/
http://www.collinsvilleantiques.com/

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com

Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Cooking Your Traditional Holiday Brisket in Vintage Cookware, Roasting Pans or Casserole Pots

Cooking a Brisket Takes Time

Finally after three years of trying to successfully cook a great Brisket for Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Years) I finally mastered this tradition. I am thankful to the Editors of "The Kosher Palette" (see below).

What I learned by trial and error is that you need to cook a Brisket for hours, and hours and then some. Whatever your favorite recipe book says, be flexible! Cooking is not a science...it is an art. Recipes are simply guides. Last year I was very close to a successful Brisket, but it wasn't quite there. This year...Eureka!

Celebrating My Brisket in 5770

So not only do we usher in the year 5770 according the the Hebrew calendar but we will remember 5770 as the date when I pulled off a great Brisket!

Kosher Brisket meat (like so many other items) is very expensive , so you really want to get the cooking thing right. Having a good recipe is a good beginning. Most holiday briskets are accompanied by a "tzimmes", a stew of carrots, apricots, prunes and potatoes. These wonderful ingredients which cook with the beef need a nice size pot to stew in. I have prepared this article to help you find one. Image courtesy of http://www.brandeishillel.org/high-holidays/

Using Quality Pots in Today's Kitchen

While ingredients are very important, so is the roasting pan that you use to cook this traditional meal in. You will want to choose a roomy, heavy, covered oven proof pan or pot which is sturdy yet easy to maneuver. Also remember to choose a pot or pan wisely with regard to how easy clean up will be later. This may be the time for you to ditch your inexpensive or disposable pans and switch over to better products which are not only "Greener" for your kitchen but better for cooking. Pots can be Pyrex, enamel or pottery.
Whatever the pot or pan is made of, using vintage cookware may be an ideal choice for you. You can use a family heirloom or search for an older casserole pot or roaster in an antique shop, flea market or on-line. You would be surprised to find out just how well many vintage housewares have survived several generations.


The Art of Being a Balabuster

In the past, whenever I went out antiquing and spotted a terrific retro roasting pan for sale in wonderful shape, I wondered if the previous owner even turned on their oven....so many of these housewares that I found were in tip top shape. But then I thought about my Aunt Dotty, a balabuster (Yiddish- good homemaker) who loved to cook and who kept all of her dishes and kitchen-wares in pristine condition despite decades of hosting family gatherings. As my aunt has demonstrated, well cared for pots can last for a very long time in great form.

Choosing Vintage Cookware
When you go out shopping for older cookware, be sure to be selective and buy quality items that are in great condition. You are apt to find these "cooking collectibles' in antique shops, flea markets, on-line auctions and even thrift shops. You will see that there is plenty of Pyrex casseroles available in every color and pattern. Besides glass, you can hunt for enamelware, pottery or other heavy materials. When buying Pyrex be sure to take off the lid and run your finger across the base and lid rim to check for rough edges.


Finding Very Large Older Roasting Pans

Very large vintage Roasting pans (the kind to cook a Thanksgiving turkey in) are a little tougher to find than smaller enamel or glass casserole pots. But when you start looking, you will see that they are out there and sell in the $25.00-45.00 range. When buying older enamel pans, check for chipping and stains. the older the enamelware the more likely it will have chips. Later enamelware was manufactured better. A The covered roasting pan shown here is from http://www.laurelleaffarm.com/pages/kitchen&table/graniteware.htm

Vintage casserole type cooking ware is easy to buy. Once you start shopping you will discover lots of styles, colors and eras for these cooking pots. ordinary casseroles sell for about $15.00-25.00, while decorative enamelware by noted designers can fetch $45.00- 75.00.

It seems to me that today's home chefs want to cook in quality products and keep their kitchen "greener" too. Using vintage cookwares and housewares are perfect ways to achieve this goal and perhaps even qualify for the title "balabuster"!

More credits:

Photo of Green Vollrath Kook-King enamel coated on steel roasting pan courtesy of
Modishvintage.etsy.com

Brisket photo courtesy of www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-brisket-s...

Cookbook image courtesy of http://www.thekosherpalette.org/.
Brisket recipe referred to above comes form The Kosher Palette First Edition


C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com


Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Organizing Kitchen Collectibles and Displays After Creativity Storms

In my antique shop Kitsch n Stuff at The Collinsville Antiques Company, I am known for my colorful displays of housewares and kitchen collectibles from the 1940s and 1950s. Whenever I am in a particularly creative mood, I am apt to completely pull apart my shop. But in the matter of a few hours, I am ready for business.

If you walked by my booth during one of these "creativity storms" you would see one heck of a mess! There would be linens all over the floor, piles of ceramics tumbling out of an enamel bucket (where I place them while working) , salt and pepper shakers tucked into advertising tins and mounds of goodies waiting for their new placement.

You might even hear lots of banging and clanging during one of my booth makeovers, and a shout or two from me to the front desk staff, "it's just me...don't worry! " I become a "mad scientist" during these major decorating whirlwinds. When the storm has passed I can step back and enjoy the colorful and cohesive look which i seem to be able to pull off time and time again. Here are some pointers about organizing displays to share with you.

Tips About How to Organize Kitchen Collectible Displays
1. Consider organizing objects by theme: "Dutch", "Mexicana" , "fruit", "the color red", "florals".
2. Mix up sizes and shape of similar objects (i.e. aqua ceramic vases of all sizes and shapes).
3. Be consistent with era ( Victorian, Mid-century, Seventies).
4. Group similar material together ( wood with wood, silver with silver , glass with glass).
5. Add a punch of color to displays (a red rose to a clear glass display).
6. Use timely displays (earth tones in the Fall).
7. Keep cheap with cheap and expensive with expensive. (separate Tiffany from Dimestore) .
8. Specialize in several related areas to attract repeat customers.

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com

Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Pyrex Refrigerator Storage Dishes Are Back in The Kitchen

Saying Good Bye to Plastic Storage Containers

I took a giant leap forward a few days ago, I emptied my pantry of all the inexpensive plastic storage containers that have been "growing" in there for years. When these lightweight adorable containers first came out, I was hooked, adding more and more sizes and shapes to my collection and stacking my piles higher and higher.

Mixed up Tops and Bottoms
While I was building my collection of plastic containers , the companies that produced these handy products, began experimenting with new designs and plastics and my closet was now cluttered with an assortment of tops and bottoms, many orphaned years ago.

There I was trying to put away a batch of soup with plastic containers up the kazoo spread out over the top of my counter. It was like a challenging puzzle game gone sour. So after taking way too much time fiddling around with trying to find the right match of tops and bottoms, I vowed to empty the entire closet into a super sized plastic bin and say good bye to the entire lot.

Welcome Vintage Pyrex

So what do home owners do when they say goodbye to plastic? They buy vintage Pyrex glass refrigerator dishes. yes, the kind of storage dishes that Baby Boomers and their parents remember very well. The Corning Glass Works Company introduced Pyrex ovenware in 1915.. licensing several glass companies to produce its products and these products are having a comeback.

Refrigerator Dishes Come in Every Color
In 1951, Corning Glass Works advertised "oven and refrigerator sets for $2.95 that had "4 gay-colored" dishes, with clear covers that could be used for baking, serving, and storage.
You will find refrigerator dishes in pastel colors, primary colors, harvest colors, patterned and black and white. Looking at the color of the dish gives you a clue to the age of the dish.
As with other kitchen accessories, products were manufactured to match the palettes of a given era.

Tips About Buying Older Refrigerator Dishes
When buying vintage Pyrex, take the lids off very carefrully and run your finger around the interior edges of the base as well as the lids., checking for rough edges indicating chips in the glass.

Pyrex Refigerator Dishes are Having A Comeback
Today, Pyrex refrigerator dishes (newly manufactured) are being re-introduced and are popular items in the houseware section of major department stores and kitchen shops. Ecologically savvy buyers are re-discovering glass refrigerator dishes for their "Green" kitchens and homes.

Whether you like vintage Pyrex refrigerator dishes, or new editions of this popular kitchen storage houseware, glass is here to stay!

Thanks to Bob at The Flea Market at the Crossing, Plainville, CT for sharing some of his Pyrex with me to photograph. Bob has one of the largest collections of Pyrex dishes for sale you will find anywhere.
http://home.att.net/~handmedown/fleamarket.html

For more information about Pyrex:


Websites;
http://www.pyrexlove.com/
http://iantiqueonline.ning.com/ (I am the editor)
http://home.att.net/~handmedown/fleamarket.html

Books
Hot Kitchen and Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s" (Collectorbooks.com) (My book).
Pyrex:The unauthorized Collector's Guide (Schiffer Books)
Florence's Ovenware from the 1920's to Present (Collectorbooks.com)
Kitchen Glassware of the Depression Years Seventh edition (Collectorbooks.com)
The Complete Guide to Corning Ware & Visions cookware, (Collectorbooks.com)
Pyrex by Corning: A Collector's Guide, Susan Rogove.

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com

Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Vintage Industrial Chic Decor Popularize Factory Style Salvage

Industrial Chic has moved from the salvage yards to major home interior design firms. Wire baskets, metal shelving, molds, desks, steel containers and more are being promoted by trendy decorators who creatively blend vintage machine age factory finds with contemporary lifestyles.

Classy Industrial Junk
You will now find lots of vendors of "classy industrial junk" also known as Urban Chic, at flea markets, shows and antique malls. But collectors beware because factory style antiques and furnishings are also being replicated by manufacturers everywhere. Even "rust" is now reproduced along with newly made wire baskets, factory style chairs, metal work benches and other furnishing which look amazingly authentic.

Quirky Combinations of Old and New
Show goers and shoppers in multi-dealer stores will also notice that "antique dealers" are also creating more creative and artistic booths resembling SoHo galleries and designer studios. At The Seymour Antiques Center in Seymour. CT you will find many displays which look like three dimensional still lifes or assemblage art. Old metal tables or wire and mesh baskets become supports for a variety of eye catching vignettes which set the stage for quirky combinations of old and new objects d'art.

Using Balls
The Seymour Antique Center was one of the first group shops to fully embrace industrial antiques. Now other dealers are catching on to this popular decor trend. For example, one highly creative gal I met at The Farmington Polo Grounds Show in Farmington, CT positioned colorful 1940's rubber balls atop a perforated metal factory table. The display was very effective and unique. This same dealer has also used brightly colored Bocce balls in a similar way.

Laura, owner of The Bleu Willow in Simsbury, CT shows off her favorite new acquisition, a ball made out of old barbed wire. This "collectible" now sits atop a cement planter on the front steps of Laura's whimsical shop . The wire "sculpture" was a gift from her "industrial chic picker" who created this "barb ball" just for her. How lovely!

Collectible Metal Bins, Drums, Sinks

At a recent New England Antique show, I stopped into a booth of factory salvage and was surrounded by metal bins, tin sinks and industrial drums, some of which held pretty plants or decorative objects. With my camera in hand, I stepped outside this booth and noted a steel trash can stamped with the show promoter's name. I chuckled and snapped a photograph and wondered if indeed this metal can could pass as "industrial chic"!


C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com


Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Vintage Rooster Collectibles: Symbols of Country Life and Simpler Times

Rooster collectibles continue to attract collectors of all kinds , especially folks who adore "country farm" accessories. You can be sure that if you are a dealer and have rooster figurines or patterned items in your shop....if they are priced right...they will be scooped up very quickly. You will find rooster objects or designs associated with kitchenwares, vintage advertising, glassware, egg cartons, textiles, figurines and more.

Did you ever wonder why so many people today continue the tradition of decorating their kitchens and dining areas with rooster designs? In my book, "Hot Kitchen and Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s, I included a small section on this topic. My theory is that many women today secretly wish for a return of the days when life was simpler. Yes country life was very difficult, but manageable because family members lived on the farm and everyone pitched in with chores. If you wanted to eat or have clothes, you needed to do your job!

There were not the typical distractions of today such as cell phones, computers, televisions, iPods, blogs etc. Women (and men) were not disrupted with modern conveniences. Leisure time was spent quilting, sewing and mending practical items need for home life. Evenings were generally a time for family members to gather around the fire together, unlike the habits of modern families who tend to disperse to individual rooms. Or go out to dinner and be more interested in texting friends than talking with each other.

My sense is that by bringing symbols of country life back into today's home, collectors are trying to bring back the good ole days, when life in many ways was less complex. Families were accustomed to feeding chickens, gathering eggs, milking cows, churning butter, and enjoying the fruits of their labor. Women did not have to stand in front of the dairy counter and figure out which brand of butter or margarine or substitute product to choose from.Ii can say the same thing for bread.

Please return me to the days when I looked for the colorful packaging of "Wonder bread" and I was done with that aisle. Now I literally spend 10-15 minutes trying to figure out if I want thin slices, with calcium, low sodium, multi-grain, whole wheat, sandwich size, wheat free and on and on. I JUST WANT BREAD! And the same goes for milk, eggs, juice. It takes so long to go grocery shopping now.

So to me, the desire to have roosters hanging on one's walls, or to keep sugar in cute rooster canisters or to drink from glasses with rooster designs are all efforts to return to the country farm days when life may have been physically hard but actually quite less complicated.



C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com


Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

Vintage Feedsack Fabric and Bags Charm Yesterday's Frugal Housewives and Today's Collectors

Background
After the 1846 invention of the sewing machine, food products such as grain, seed, and animal feed were able to be stored and transported in bags rather than boxes and barrels. The original feedbags, also called feedsacks were initially made of heavy canvas, and were used to obtain flour, sugar, meal, grain, salt and feed from the mills.

Feedsacks Originally Plain and Simple
Feedbags remained popular from the late 1840s to the 1890s. They were reusable, with the farmer bringing an empty sack stamped with his mark or brand to the mill to be filled. Feedbags as they were known then, were initially printed on plain white cloth and in sizes that corresponded to barrel sizes.


Farm Housewives Transform Feedsaacks
After soaking the feedbags in lye or bleach to get rid of the labels, women who lived on farms would turn these feedsacks into usable item such as dish cloths, diapers, nightgowns and other household items.
Front and back covers of a WWII booklet issued by the National Cotton Council of America which sums up the homefront effort to conserve -- A Yard Saved Is a Yard Gained for Victory.
- Courtesy of Judy White http://www.fabrics.net/joan301-2.asp


Printed Feedsack Patterns
Manufacturers decided to take advantage of this and started offering sacks in various prints and solid colors as a marketing tool to create loyalty. It would take three identical sacks to make a dress, for example, and the farmer just might be induced to buy more that way.

One comical tale, written about in "Feed Sack Quilt History: Feedsacks, Frugal and Fun", Judy Anne Johnson Breneman writes about a woman whose undergarments revealed the phrase “southern best.”
Magazines and pattern companies began to take notice of feedsack popularity and by the 1920s began to publish particular patterns to take advantage of the feedsack prints.

Feedsacks an Urban Myths
According to Janet McCaffrey of primrosedesign.com who contributed the photographs in this article, there is a popular urban myth claiming that 15,000 feedsack patterns have been printed over the years.

Peak Production Period Ends in 1960's
At the height of feed sack production there were dozens of mills in operation continuing production of these fabrics through the 1960’s. If you would like to see a lovely sampling of feedsack designs, take a look at The Feedsack Pattern Gallery on Janet’s website (primrosedesign.com). Pillows shown were made by Janet of http://primrosedesign.com/
Read More:

See more about feedsck bags as well as other vintage sewing projects in my book "Hot cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes" (Collectorbooks.com)

Visit these sites:
http://primrosedesign.com/
http://www.rickrack.com/rickrackrag/
http://www.womenfolk.com/quilting_history/feedsacks.htm
http://www.fabrics.net/joan301.asp
http://iantiqueonline.ning.com/group/vintagelinenshandcraftedvintagelinenitems

Reading Suggestions Courtesy of www. fabrics.net
-- Fabulous Feedsack Quilts , 1999, published by editors of Traditional Quiltworks Magazine [Chitra]
– Textile Bags, Identification & Value Guide by Anna Lue Cook, 1990, Books Americana
-- Periodicals and magazines featuring feedsack
http://www.fabrics.net/joan301-2.asp– Soft Covers for Hard Times by Merikay Waldvogel, 1990, Rutledge Hill Press

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com


Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.