remove stains from antique linen with denture tablets
I was recently gifted the gorgeous Irish linen tablecloth that my great-great grandmother hand stitched. It’s flawless — no stains, no tears, no fraying in any bit of the meticulous handiwork. Though honored with the heirloom, I was hesitant to accept it, especially after my mom’s conditions for possession: I had to use it. I was dizzy envisioning the inevitable accidental splash of a latte or merlot, until my mom shared her secret for removing stains out of delicate vintage linens: denture tablets. Simply dissolve 5-10 tablets (depending on the size of the item) in a warm bath and soak your delicate fabrics until they are white and stain free. Rinse gently, air dry, and press, and it should be as good as new! It should be noted that this only works on white fabrics, please don’t try this with colors! I’m proud to report I’m enjoying the tablecloth and won’t let any fear of stains keep it hidden away anymore! — Megan B.
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collecting cornishware
When I stumbled across my first Cornishware canister, I had no idea what it was — only that unlike all the new canisters I had looked at, it would hold considerably less than a five-pound bag of flour and take up less counterspace. Perfect. So I bided my time and won the right-sized blue and white canister on ebay UK. Then I bided my time a bit more while it made it’s way across the water to me. And then, I fell in love. In the years since, I’ve had plenty of time to read up on T.G. Green’s Cornishware and acquire a few more canisters until — gasp — the staple since 1926 shuttered its doors in 2007. Fortunately, a group of fans resurrected the brand in 2008. Now you can buy the iconic blue and white ware through their online store or Amazon. If you’re looking for the older canisters with the serif typeface, ebay is still a good place to start.
If blue and white isn’t quite your thing, now there’s Cornish red, too. Initially designed in the 50s, the red color proved to hard to consistently reproduce so except for samples, it was never produced. Of course, a few samples escaped, a following was built and now, 50-odd years later, technology is on the side of die-hard red fans. Cornish Red is available in all 50 pieces of the Cornishware collection. Get yours here. — Sarah L.
falling for brown transferware
Every fall, I start dreaming about layering brown transferware over my creamware. A mishmash of patterns, new pieces, old pieces — I’d like to treat them like impromptu dinner party guests and sit back and see how well they mingle. Sadly, hunting and gathering the perfect pieces (at the perfect prices) remains on my rather lengthy to-do list so until I get around to it, I’ll make myself happy with my recent $20 score. Circa 1887, it’s by the same maker as the set my late Grandmother inherited from her great grandmother. The pattern and color are quite similar, too, and give me a happy reminder of why I probably fell for brown transferware in the first place. Seek out your own pieces on Ruby Lane. — Sarah L.
the vintage-inspired art of nouar
My husband and I have a serious art collecting problem. It started small, with a Gary Baseman print and some vinyl toys, and grew much larger, into custom commissions and original works by some pretty well known artists. It’s one of the things we’ve had to let slide, sadly, with the purchase of our home and my husband’s expensive masters program — but oh, how I miss having the disposable income to throw down for a painting I *NEED* on my walls. One artist we are currently coveting is Nouar, a Los Angeles-based painter who has recently caught our attention. Her work is everything we like: whimsical, food-themed and humorous, filled with vintage-inspired eye candy. Check out her flickr page for more adorable paintings, or if you’re in the Los Angeles area, check out her new show, “Consumed by You” opening Oct.16 at Copro Gallery in Santa Monica. Wish we could be there for the opening, but our savings account is glad we won’t be! –Megan B.
site we’re psyched about: three potato four
We’ve posted before about online vintage shops specializing in flea market finds and now we’ve got another to add to the list: Three Potato Four. Run by husband-and-wife team Janet Morales and Stu Eli, the shop boasts an ever-changing collection of secondhand and vintage items that is sure to please. The team just opened up its first store in Philadelphia, and is planning a large update to their online inventory in the near future. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled. Happy browsing! –Sarah C.
