Today in the workroom, Kelsey and I invite you to sit down to a whimsical wooly tea and chat about objects from the past.
In conjunction with my work, I find my inspiration in many items from the past. Having parents who collect antiques exposed me to the possibilities at a young age, though I did not learn to appreciate these things until I was older. Kelsey and I continue to spend a great deal of time digging through the treasure chests of antique shops.
We are always on the lookout for some very particular items, but open to the possibilities. Kelsey is hunting for the perfect pieces to accompany photographs. As she sets up and takes most of my photos, she has learned to look for vintage sewing items or little knick-knacks that will add some atmosphere to my work. Telling a tiny bit of story with each photo is a way to connect viewers to each piece, and hopefully inspire them to make one of their own. She looks for items with character, like vintage needle packs, or funky-handled scissors.
I look for many things, but one of the things I love to collect is brown transferware. I have begun my own hodge-podge collection, filled with teacups, plates, salts, and an assortment of serving dishes. You might have peeked at them in photos I have shared of my home in the past. The details on these pieces are stunning, and though they do not all belong to one pattern, they always look like they belong together on my shelf (or on the table). My dishes are tied by a string of color and material, and the minor differences actually make the collection more appealing to me.
Today’s photos were really just Kelsey and I having a little fun—gathering up some of our favorite pieces of vintage sewing notions and brown transferware to create a little wooly tea. Sometimes we just need beautiful photos filled with whimsy and remnants of the past to give our creativity a little boost. I want to share my collections with you virtually, and I hope they might inspire you as much as they inspire me. May you delight in this wooly tea as much as we delighted in making it for you.
So sip a cup of antique spools to quench your creative thirst. Taste the colors of hand-dyed wool and ribbon. Smell the patina of bone buttons. And share with us what fragments of the past you collect in the comments below!