With Wax

Posted on July 31, 2020 by westwoodcottage

Recently I was given this little table with a broken marble top. With a little Fusion Mineral paint and some strong glue it was looking almost new. Except for the chip in the marble.

Then I remembered this: The phrase without wax is an English translation of sin cera. When stone sculptors made a mistake they would cover the mistake up by filling it with wax. A statue with no mistakes was known to be without wax. The English word sincere comes from Sin “without” cera “wax”.

So, I found some white candles and dribbled some hot wax on the chipped area. With a little bit of finessing I was able to fill in the gaps.

A lovely little wabi sabi (one of beauty that is imperfect) table.

Posted in Painted Furniture | Leave a comment

Look Around Crissy Doll

Posted on March 18, 2016 by westwoodcottage

Mom recently brought my Crissy Doll to me. Being the mother of sons, it was so much fun to play with her hair and have a fashion show of her 1970’s wardrobe.  Still young at heart!  Maybe I’ll sew her some new clothes.

Posted in Vintage | 1 Comment

Vintage Mr Clean

Posted on March 18, 2016 by westwoodcottage

My mother recently brought me some things from my childhood.This included this cool Mr. Clean doll.  Rumour has it he had an affair with Barbie. Don’t tell Ken!

IMG_3553 (1)

 

Posted in Vintage | 1 Comment

Knit Pot Scrubbies

Posted on March 7, 2016 by westwoodcottage

I was so excited to find this new yarn by Red Heart – Scrubby.  I decided to make pot scrubbies using this yarn and 100% cotton yarn that I had left over from knitting dishcloths.  They are Brilliant! (My new word because I say awesome way too much!)

Using a 5mm needle I knit the two yarns together.  I cast on 15 stitches and knit using  garter stitch until the piece measured 3 inches.  Then I crocheted  one row of single crochet in the cotton yarn around the edge.

I am always looking for a quick easy project to do at night.  I made a bunch and put them in the local Arts Council store and they have started to sell.  This is a win win.  I can support the local Arts Council by paying a small commission and can make some extra money to go towards my future new kitchen.

P.S.  This yarn also makes great dish cloths.

Happy Stitching!  Joanne

Posted in Stitching | Leave a comment

Royal Copely Pottery

Posted on February 29, 2016 by westwoodcottage

Oct 2011 006 (2)

Grandma Westwood had a vase just like this one in Westwood Cottage.  My sister has it in Vancouver. I found this one at the local Nearly New for .50 cents!  So, of course I took it home.  It made my day.

After some reasearch I found that it is a piece of Royal Copley China.

The Spaulding China Company in Ohio, US made many pottery items including figurines, vases and planters from 1942-1957.

Now, having an interest in pottery and being a collector of vintage glassware and other interesting things I have been on the lookout for other Royal Copley pieces. The collection is growing slowly, but the hunt is so much fun!

Posted in Royal Copley, Vintage, Westwood Cottage | Leave a comment

This Old Clock

Posted on February 22, 2016 by westwoodcottage

20160220_160930

 

The Chimer

This old house has a chiming clock,

It dongs and chimes and goes tick tock.

It greets me in the morning and sings at night;

And sometimes, gets the time almost right.

 

It makes me stop and listen when it chimes,

A chance to pause and think of good times.

For this old clock has seen many things,

Summers, falls, winters and springs.

 

It is a part of this home and a part of me;

We have lived together contentedly.

Happy, sad or in between,

A dear old friend this clock has been.

Joanne Baker ©

My Grandmother Beever and I had the same chiming clock. Sometimes when we talked on the phone you could hear both clocks chiming at the same time.  It was a special connection that we had.    Now that she is gone from me every time I hear the clock chime I think of her.   In a way she is saying Good Morning, How was Your Day, Have a Good Sleep, I Will Talk to you Tomorrow.

 

Posted in Poetry | Leave a comment

It’s All In The Words

Posted on February 22, 2016 by westwoodcottage

20160220_161801-1

In Westwood Cottage this cross stitch picture hung on the wall near the stove.  Grandma stitched it on linen and framed it herself.  I had it re-framed and now it hangs in my kitchen along with the cross stitch picture I made for my kitchen.  I remember her saying to me “I’m not dull!” and she was right!  I am reminded of her everyday when I look at the picture and the lovely times we had in Westwood Cottage. 

20160220_161214

 

Posted in Needle Work, Westwood Cottage | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Five Year Quilts

Posted on February 20, 2016 by westwoodcottage

014 (2)015 (2)

It took 5 years but they are done!  These Eye Spy quilts were a lot of fun to make.

I really enjoyed exploring fabric stores looking for just the right animal print. Funny, the non sewers in the car didn’t feel the same way. But that is what happens when you live with a sewer, right?

There were a few set backs along the way. I made curtains out of my main solid colour for my son’s room not realizing it was the quilt fabric. So the green quilt has two slightly different solid greens. I miss calculated how many squares I needed and the two quilts are not quite the same size even thought that was my original plan. Math has never been a strength for me! Once the tops and back were complete I very wisely had them quilted by someone who has a quilting machine. I didn’t want it to take another 5 years. The boys would be in university!

Someday they will look at their quilt and think of me. My grandmother would be proud.

Posted in Sewing, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Vintage Fruit Basket Quilt

Posted on February 20, 2016 by westwoodcottage

 

Quilts 009

Lillias Westwood, my Grandmother taught me many things. She taught me how to sew. She also taught me the importance of doing things over and over again until I get them right. She used to say ” I’ll just take that out for you.” And I would have to do it again.

One of her passions was quilting. In her lifetime she made many quilts some of which were hand quilted in the kitchen of her cozy cottage. I was given a beautiful Fruit Basket Quilt. It is hand appliqued and hand quilted. Imagine my surprise when I looked through a scrap book she had given me and I found cut out of a 1933 Winnipeg Free Press Prairie Farmer newspaper all of the patterns for the quilt. She cut them out before she was married in 1938 and she did not make the quilt until she had grandchildren. The patterns are marked with pencil marks from tracing and notes on what colour to use where. How cool is that!

This piece of my families history gives me hope. I will be able to get to the many quilt projects I would like to make. It inspires me that I too can make beautiful quilts to keep my family warm and to leave them something to remember me by. Thanks Grandma, I miss you.

 

Posted in Sewing, Westwood Cottage | Tagged | 3 Comments

Westwood Cottage

Posted on February 19, 2016 by westwoodcottage

Westwood Pictures (2)

Growing up I spent a lot of time at my grandparent’s farm, Westwood Cottage.  It was a magical place.  My sister and I always returned home having made something; cookies, a craft, gathering wild flowers and making a bouquet.  And I have continued the tradition.  I’m a Home Economist with an interest in living a creative life.  I sew, bake, write, and have tried most crafts at least once.  Adding to one of my many interesting vintage collections is great fun. My husband is a brilliant painter as you will soon see and he is an amateur actor and playwright. We have one son who is a cartoonist and animator and another son who is an apprentice electrician. Living in a prairie town  in a 131 year old home gives us a lot of inspiration to explore our passions. Won’t you come join us on the journey?

Joanne   Manitoba Canada

Posted in About, Westwood Cottage | Tagged | Leave a comment