New pillow projects and old apothecary bottles

 Hi guys! Well..yes I know I SAID I was going to be more artsy and less functional..and actually I AM working on a couple artsy things..but I made these 2 pillows the last 2 days too and I wanted to share. I have a vintage supply ...ummm..ok HOARDING issue! I have had these vintage feedsack patchwork quilt top squares for years waiting for "the perfect project". I read someplace (sorry whoever said it first) that you make your best work when you let go of "the good stuff"! As I want to destash a bit also..I realeased these "into the wild"!

 It is actually 4 hand sewn/pieced squares that I seamed together (machine) to make one larger square of pillow size. I wanted to put a heart in the center as it is my favorite motif, so I got out more fabric and just started layering things until I thought, "That is IT!" I cut out a heart shape (just like you learned in kindergarten with paper) and I hand basted the edges under. I added bright red rick rack w/ the sewing machine as I wanted both a scalloped edge, a pop of red and a grounding solid color to bridge the patterns. Look at all those feedsack squares and vintage fabrics..sooo yummy! I wish I had yards of some of those!

 The reverse is some fabulous Jennifer Paganelli fabric that I have also hoarded for a few years. I bought it and it was so pretty I didn't want to cut it up! I actually bought this pattern in 3 colorways..also bright pink and white and white and black.

 I just really liked how all these fabrics "played" together!

 This one is a repeat as I have made a couple previously. I am starting to run low on my stash of unused vintage blue and white ticking fabric. I bought a whole roll a few years back. I sold yards and yards of it and have used a lot of the rest! I hope the estate sale gods smile on me again soon! And no..the tape measure bits are not off center..that is the way a Union Jack is supposed to be! With a last name like "Marlow" I always though my husband's ancestors must have been English, but we found out a few years back they were actually Irish..maybe Ireland via England?

 The red and white check is also an estate sale find..it is Waverly. I added jute/burlap upholstery webbing and vintage fabric tape measure tape. That is also an estate sale find..it was unused replacement tape...it pays to look in the garage and workshop at estate sales! So..while my supplies hold out I will continue making these..or something like them..I get easily bored making the same thing over and over!

 This is what I was working on this week for my vintage Etsy shop..adding groups of antique aqua glass apothecary, medicine, pharmacy bottles. They are so pretty! I love aqua blue. I thought they would be great for altered bottles, for vases..add a cork and a new "old label" (Check out the Graphics Fairy online (Google her) She has fabulous old graphics free to download.

 I learned a lot researching these things. Some said "for consumption" which was the old fashioned word for tuberculosis. My research told me that the active ingredients in one "consumption cure" were alcohol, chloroform and cannabis (pot) and for another one that I had the active ingredient was HEROIN! Holy smokes..they didn't cure TB, but I guess you probably didn't notice or care!

 Some of the bottles were a deeper aqua and some were palest aqua green..I even have a couple dark green ones. Some are unmarked. Some are extract/flavoring bottles, cough syrup, stove blacking,ink, hair balsam..one was even hair dye!

I will be listing more..I have some smaller ones and some larger. A couple look to have been dug, but most are pretty nice. It is fun to imagine where they have been. One thing I have learned selling vintage..sometimes your "stuff" lasts a lot longer than you do! Hope you all have a great weekend! Until next time! Julia