The Enduring Legacy of Yellowware Pottery: A Journey Through Time

Yellowware, a type of utilitarian pottery known for its distinctive yellow-hued glaze, has a rich history that spans centuries. Sometime in 2022 I started collecting yellowware without realizing it would become a collection. By the Christmas of 2023 I had a pie safe full.

1. Origins and Historical Background:

• Earthenware Roots: Yellowware finds its roots in the late 18th century, emerging as an evolution of earlier earthenware traditions. Early American potters sought to create a durable, affordable alternative to more expensive ceramics.

• Colonial America: The popularity of yellowware surged in the United States during the 19th century, particularly during the Colonial Revival period. American potters drew inspiration from European ceramics but put a distinctive twist on the designs.

2. Characteristics of Yellowware:

• Yellow Glaze: The defining feature of yellowware is its vibrant yellow glaze, achieved through the use of natural oxides, often derived from iron. The intensity of the yellow hue can vary, ranging from pale buttery tones to deep mustard shades.

• Salt-Glazing Technique: Many early examples of yellowware were salt-glazed, a process where salt is introduced into the kiln during firing, creating a unique surface texture and enhancing the pottery's durability.

• Simple Forms: Yellowware pieces typically feature simple, functional forms. Common items include mixing bowls, pitchers, mugs, and various kitchen utensils. The simplicity of design reflects the utilitarian nature of these pieces.

3. Utilitarian Use in American Homes:

• Kitchenware: Yellowware gained popularity as everyday kitchenware in American homes. Its affordability and durability made it accessible to a broad range of households, and its distinct appearance added a touch of warmth to kitchens.

• Variety of Shapes and Sizes: From nested mixing bowls to pitchers with embossed patterns, yellowware came in a variety of shapes and sizes, catering to different culinary and household needs.

4. Collectibility and Rarity:

• Collector's Items: Over time, yellowware has become highly collectible. Antique enthusiasts and collectors appreciate the historical significance, craftsmanship, and visual appeal of these pottery pieces.

• Rarity and Valuation: Certain variations, such as those with intricate patterns or unusual forms, are rarer and more valuable. Collectors often seek out these unique pieces to add to their collections.

5. Preservation and Restoration:

• Challenges of Preservation: The fragility of yellowware poses challenges for preservation. Collectors and museums must handle these artifacts with care to prevent damage to the delicate glaze and forms.

• Restoration Efforts: Skilled conservators work to restore damaged yellowware pieces, carefully addressing issues like cracks, chips, or glaze loss. These efforts aim to ensure that these historical artifacts can be appreciated for generations to come.

6. Contemporary Appreciation and Revival:

• Artistic Inspiration: Contemporary potters draw inspiration from the aesthetics of yellowware, incorporating its warm tones and simple designs into modern ceramic creations.

• Revival in Home Decor: The nostalgic charm of yellowware has led to a revival in home decor. Reproduction pieces, inspired by traditional yellowware, can be found in homes, creating a bridge between the past and present.

Yellowware pottery, with its distinctive yellow glaze and utilitarian roots, stands as a testament to the ingenuity of American potters and the enduring appeal of simple, functional design. From its humble origins in Colonial America to its status as sought-after collector's items, yellowware pieces continue to evoke a sense of history and charm. As these artifacts find new life in contemporary homes, the legacy of yellowware lives on, connecting generations through the shared appreciation of a timeless and vibrant ceramic tradition.

Crafting Dreams: A Poetic Journey into Quilt-Making

In the quiet realm where threads whisper and dreams unfold, the art of quilt-making takes shape. It is a journey that transcends time, weaving together fragments of stories, memories, and the very essence of the human spirit. This poetic essay embarks on a lyrical exploration of the intricate dance between hands and fabric, as a quilt blooms from the fertile soil of creativity.

In the soft glow of dawn, the quilter, a silent architect of warmth and comfort, begins her pilgrimage. The sacred space, her atelier, resonates with the hum of anticipation. Cotton, like clouds, lies in repose, waiting to be transformed into a tapestry of dreams. Each piece, a harbinger of stories, carries whispers of laughter, tears, and the gentle rustle of leaves in the wind.

The quilter's hands, weathered by time and blessed by the touch of generations past, caress the fabric. With a tender reverence, she selects hues that mirror the palette of memories - the golden warmth of summer, the azure depths of endless skies, and the muted tones of autumnal nostalgia. The pieces come alive, converging in a kaleidoscope of colors that dance like fireflies in the twilight.

Thread, an ethereal strand that binds the quilt's destiny, cradles the dreams woven into each stitch. The needle, a conductor of symphonies untold, pierces through layers, connecting the present with the echoes of yesteryears. With each gentle pull, the quilt unfolds its secrets, revealing the stories etched in the fabric's very fibers.

As the quilter navigates this sea of memories, she encounters the labyrinth of emotions stitched into the quilt. Love, like a river, flows seamlessly, creating intricate patterns that reflect the interconnectedness of hearts. Loss, a shadow that dances on the edges, is embraced by the warmth of the quilt, transforming pain into a tapestry of resilience.

The quilt, a living, breathing testament to the passage of time, takes shape like a phoenix rising from the ashes of disparate fragments. It is a patchwork of triumphs and tribulations, a reflection of the human spirit's ability to mend and persevere. The quilter, an alchemist of sentiment, stitches hope into every fold, crafting a sanctuary of solace and rejuvenation.

In the final embrace of completion, the quilt unfurls its majestic wings. It is a testament to the quiet strength of the quilter's hands, a homage to the threads of shared experiences, and an ode to the timeless tradition of quilt-making. Each square, a chapter in the story of resilience, converges into a harmonious whole - a symphony of memories, a blanket of love.

As the sun dips below the horizon, casting a palette of hues upon the quilt, it becomes a vessel of warmth, ready to cradle weary bodies and restless souls. The quilt, a living testament to the artistry of creation, now whispers tales of courage and connection. In its folds, we find not only shelter but a woven sanctuary, a vessel for dreams to rest.

In the heart of quilt-making, we discover a sacred alchemy where memories, emotions, and creativity converge. It is a poetic dance, a timeless journey that transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. The quilt, like a celestial constellation stitched with love, invites us to wrap ourselves in the comfort of shared stories, reminding us that, in every stitch, dreams find their eternal abode.

RURAL RECORD: Matthew Walton

RURAL RECORD

from FOLK Slow Living 2020

Matthew Walton has set out to document the rural landscapes of the midsouth with @theruralrecord. His images tell timely stories of the past and future of America’s heartland.

I GREW UP IN POCAHONTAS, ARKANSAS, a town of about 7,000. It sits on the Black River in the Northeast region of the state. It’s an interesting location, as it shows an immediate transition from flat, farm land to the birth of the Ozark foothills. Twelve years ago, I moved to Jonesboro, AR, the most populated town in the region (just under 70,000), and work with an advertising production company. Many of the communities that surround both of these places have populations around a few hundred, if that. Needless to say, I’ve lived my life in a rural environment.

The Rural Record project started by accident, organically, or whatever you want to call it. I’ve worked with many agricultural companies throughout the years and, through that experience, I’ve visited many farms that dot the rural landscape throughout the state, especially in the delta. Early in 2019,

I started to go through hard drives of personal images and began to see a pattern. Because of the experiences I’ve had, I was naturally drawn to the personality of these smaller towns. Looking to focus my personal photography a bit more, I decided to start being more purposeful in documenting these rural communities that surround me, sharing a realistic, yet maybe romanticized, view of these places.

There are certain traits to every town that are unique, and some that share the same fabric of life. Some buildings I photograph are landmarks while others are overlooked structures that blend into the everyday lives of the people who live and work around them. All of these have a story, whether apparent or even imagined. I’m drawn to the structures and scenes that seem to sit, stuck between eras. Many of them have had their heyday, but now stand empty or with their last inhabitants. Even so, they are still part of the local landscape and deserve to be recorded in this state of existence. And that’s the essence of The Rural Record and rural life in general. 50 years ago, almost half of the population was involved in agriculture in some form or fashion. Today only 2% of the population works in this field. That is evident in these small towns.

Towns that used to be epicenters of life in the otherwise middle of nowhere are now almost empty and being overtaken by the elements that surround them. It’s a life that is quickly being forgotten, but still hanging on. It’s a generational thing. Family farms that have a rich history are still functioning, using the latest technology while still residing in towns (and places between towns) that are barely inhabited. That’s one of the special attributes of the rural landscape. You can be somewhere and nowhere at the same time. Wide, open landscapes roll out in front of you with no one in sight for miles.

The Rural Way of Life—though what we see out our back doors is different, I would assume people in rural and urban environments share much in common. We have our shared technology, educational resources, and individual goals that we’re trying to obtain. In this age, we’re connected like no other time in history. That being said, the environment does play a large part in differentiating our lives.

Those that work in the fields or with cattle and other livestock may be a bit more in-tune with the land around them. The weather is something that makes or breaks an entire crop and potentially an entire livelihood. Faith is also a big part of life around here. When you realize you can’t control nature, but see the brilliance of the way life grows from seed to harvest and calf to maturity, you have a good sense that it’s not all up to chance.

People in these parts are often hilariously depicted as a bit slow, especially in the way they talk. And while, there are some folks who do tend to draw out their conversations,

I know many whose minds are racing a hundred miles an hour and are some of the most brilliant people I’ve ever encountered. Of course, there are also people who will spit out a conversation faster than a podcast on double speed.

So, just like everywhere else in the world, there’s a mixture of personalities and quirks that make people special. We may not have access to every form of art and entertainment, business, restaurant experience, etc., but we have our own special blend of hospitality and hard work.

The Rural Record is made for local people to see their towns and everyday life in a special light. When I post certain images, I get comments from people loving that their grandfather’s store or an old, local hangout was featured. It’s also made for people who don’t get to see this part of the world. One of the best things about online platforms like Instagram, is that it’s a global service. I can share what’s unique in my area so that others can enjoy it. It’s a dichotomy. For some, it’s a record of memories, while for others, it’s a glimpse into a different way of life.

No matter where you live, it’s important to document the world around you. That’s precisely what history is. I may not photograph everything or even every town, but what I do has a chance to live on for years to come. Several spots that I’ve shared already have either been torn down, burned, or have otherwise faded into history. But they still live through that split second my shutter moved. This is a celebration of a time-that-was and still is, beauty stuck between eras.

This is the Rural Record.

GONE COUNTRY: Urban Exodus

GONE COUNTRY

Alissa Hessler, the creator of Urban Exodus, a website featuring ex-urbanites who left the city and moved to rural areas, as well as current city dwellers who have urban farms and homesteads within cities, takes us inside her rural Camden, Maine garden.

MY HARBINGER OF SPRING IS THE BLOODY GUTS OF RHUBARB POKING THROUGH THE DIRT. Gruesome when it breaks the surface, it quickly blossoms into beautiful ruby stalks. In Maine, we have few perennials, and rhubarb is the first to make its return to the garden. I love celebrating spring with a batch
of rhubarb syrup and combining the sieved remains with some strawberries to make homemade fruit leather.

I’ve lived in a historic farmhouse in the mountains of Midcoast Maine since 2012 when I moved from Seattle with my husband (then boyfriend). Living in a rural area was familiar, but it took a few years to make the transition to the different rhythms of country life, and it took me growing my own food to awaken the cook in me.

I grew up in northern California near the redwood forests, one of five siblings, with a menagerie of misfit animals. I had a pretty idyllic childhood, and while there was tons of music in our house, there was not much good food! My mother, bless her, tried her best in the kitchen. But, she was born during ration times in England after WWII. Food was limited, and she was raised on canned food and the obscure entrails of animals cooked into pies.

Once I was old enough to safely use the stove I started to cook for my two younger sisters...just the basics. When I left home, I survived on Trader Joe’s pre-made meals and salad. I ate to survive;I took no pleasure in the process or procurement of ingredients. Looking back, I can’t believe I lived for so long without really thinking about what I was eating!

Meeting my husband and moving to Maine altered my relationship with food and cooking. My husband grew up in Maine, and his mother is an incredible cook. (I consider it a great accomplishment if she compliments one of my meals!) Her cookbook collection spans six large bookshelves; cooking is her therapy, and she’s joyful when she feeds people. My husband’s step-dad was a “Back-to-the-Lander” who moved to Maine from New Jersey in the late 60s. He keeps an enormous kitchen garden in growing season, and from this, they construct most of their meals.

When we moved to our farmhouse, there were a bunch of stone-lined garden beds, all horribly overgrown. Inspired by my in-laws, I made it my mission to grow food during my first year in Maine. It took the better part of a month to dig them out and restore the soil. I had no clue what I was doing, but I bought some seedlings, added some compost, weeded, and watered diligently.

That first year’s bounty was beyond my wildest dreams. I couldn’t let any of it go to waste—they were my babies—everything had to go to good use. I scoured the web and found recipes for making sauces and meals from scratch using fresh produce.

So at 30, I first tasted a homemade pasta sauce made entirely from things I’d grown...and I nearly fell over. It tasted like heaven. It tasted how I wanted everything to taste. Right then, my passion was born, and its been growing ever since that first delicious spoonful of sauce!

I’ve taught myself to cook. Cooking—like jazz music—requires improvisation and intuition. Baking— like classical music—requires precision and following what is written. I love that cooking rewards experimentation. I find it boring to follow recipes. I typically look at what ingredients I have available, research some recipes online, and choose a few to roughly follow along with.

Even though I discovered cooking later than some, and my cooking passion was fueled merely by necessity to use what I had grown, it’s truly become an everyday joy. I feel so lucky that I get to grow and cook food for my family. I just wish I had done this in the city where I even had a green space in my apartment complex. I just didn’t understand that growing food would be a life-changing event— how simple cooking can be—and how much cooking your own food impacts your life.

I think we are living in a time where convenience outweighs quality for many, and this isn’t good. I know that anything of quality is better, lastingand more fulfilling. And I think while we are in an uncertain time in society, it’s even more important for people to connect with their environment and learn basic self- sufficiency skills. We are just a fewgenerations removed from a time when nearly everyone played a major role in their own survival—growing their own food, sourcing their own water, making their own clothes, etc.

I’d like to become savvier with these “old-fashioned” skills because they are so useful.

I’m drawn to simple, healthy recipes that pack a flavor punch, and I love simple ingredient combinations that work perfectly...like torn, fresh basil sautéed with green beans, salt/pepper, and olive oil.

So, we embrace a slow lifestyle...we make a lot of household things, we grow our own food, we can, and store food to get us through the bleak winter months, we try to fix things before throwing them out, and—most of all—we welcome whatever the harvest brings us... . Every year some things thrive while others wither. A new pest arrives, there’s a drought or a downpour. Living slow and living close to the land...it always leaves you guessing, learning and growing.

— UrbanExodus.com

THE LITTLE THINGS:

Maine is one of just two states where the median age of the farmer is decreasing. Maine celebrates farmers and their fresh produce with many farm-to-table restaurants. I really appreciate the ingenuity of chefs like Sam Richman of “Sammy’s Deluxe” and my dear friend Annemarie Ahearn who started “Salt Water Farm Cooking School” they’re great at using local ingredients to make delicious food year-round!

A HOMESTEAD: Windy Peak Vintage

A HOMESTEAD

A Conversation with Windy Peak Vintage

from FOLK Slow Living 2020

Kristi Reed of Windy Peaks Vintage (@windypeakvintage) lives in the countryside of Montana 30 miles north of Yellowstone National Park with her husband and two children where they stay busy tending to their four acres of land, 20 chickens, rabbit, dog and cat.

FOOD HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF MY LIFE WHEREVER I LIVED...I was born in Southern California, but I spent the majority of my childhood in Idaho Falls, Idaho where I met my husband. After college in Portland, Oregon we traveled and eventually moved to Philadelphia. Food and exploring through cooking were a part of those journeys and places.

When we decided to move to Montana, get married and start a family, we weren’t looking to buy a home, but we stumbled upon an old farmhouse on a little bit of land—for a good price—we just couldn’t pass it up! Buying our home has changed everything about how we are able to live. Now, it’s our two children and our little homestead that fill our days...and preparing local foods and sharing our meals is an important part of that.

Cooking was always at the center of my family’s traditions when I was growing up and it’s food that’s at
the core of my fondest childhood memories. Every Christmas we’d eat tamales to honor my grandmother’s California roots, and every summer we’d eat Dutch oven potatoes cooked over the fire at my grandparents’ cabin in Idaho. My mom had a few staple recipes she’d cook for special occasions and she taught me how to make them—they’re still my go- to’s!

Food was also as much a part of the everyday of my childhood as it was holidays and celebrations. When
I was young, my dad fell ill and my mom started working full-time while my dad stayed home with us kids. Even when he was feeling his worst, he would always have dinner on the table for us. Sitting down to a meal everyday with my family as a child really influenced how I view the importance of togetherness at mealtimes. I want to show my children that it’s time for more than just a meal...it’s time to slow down and be together.

I didn’t realize I had a passion for cooking until I started experimenting with being a vegetarian and vegan
in college. It allowed me to explore ingredients, recipes and a whole new range of flavors. I bonded with friends over cooking and eating meals together.

I truly love food and the entire culture of cooking a meal. Preparing a meal opens a window for creativity, while also forcing us to slow down at the same time. I treasure afternoons spent slowly chopping, stirring, prepping ingredients and allowing a pot to simmer. I feel strongly about the importance of resourceful and seasonal cooking and I feel that embracing this is so important and a part of who I am.

Living rural on our small homestead has forced us to expand our cooking abilities. We don’t have the great varieties of cultural foods or restaurants that you have in any city. This isn’t frustrating; instead, we see it as challenge to learn how to do things ourselves. The idea that cooking is a learning process is fulfilling. There’s always something more to learn, always something new to try.

I find inspiration for cooking from the seasons and base much of my meal preparations on what is ready
in the garden, how many eggs we’re getting from the chickens, or what was preserved for the winter.

I am drawn to the ‘slow living’ movement because I truly believe that there is more to life than working a 9–5 just to make money for retirement. There is a lot of magic in living frugally, growing your own food, hunting your own meat, getting your hands dirty. We’ve made sacrifices to be present in our children’s lives and to offer them a special connection to nature.

We have taken conscious steps to embrace slow living by moving to the country where the cost of living is cheaper. We rarely go out to eat, we make everything from scratch, we buy and sell vintage, and we get our kicks filling our wardrobe at the local quarter sale! It’s each of these small things that add up in ways that are meaningful, it’s each of these decisions and choices that allow us to live the way that we do.

There are so many things that I work to embrace everyday, things that define my outlook...hanging laundry on
the clotheslines in the summertime, fetching eggs from the nests every morning, listening to the radio in the morning while sipping coffee with my family, eating jam made with currants my toddler picked from the front yard. With much the same gratitude and pride in being resourceful, I love using what is around me to make a meal— this is one of my very favorite things!

My very favorite time of year is when the grass starts to green and there’s still snow on the mountaintops. After surviving months of harsh and freezing weather, I’m always convinced that there is no prettier place than Montana in the springtime. I look forward to planting seeds inside and watching the plants slowly grow until they are ready to be planted in the garden to flourish during our short little growing season.

I love knowing that there’s another season coming toward us, and I greet it with thoughts of produce to gather and meals to prepare and share with my family. I want us to work together for quality over quantity; I want us to embrace living slow and keep nature close.

RHUBARB SHRUB WITH OUR GARDEN GROWN RHUBARB

4 cups chopped rhubarb

2 cups sugar

2 cups apple cider vinegar

1. Toss chopped rhubarb in bowl with sugar, cover tightly with towel. Let mixture sit (covered) 2 days, stirring 1x/ day.

NOTE: After 2 days mixture should be pretty soupy.
2. Strain liquid into measuring cup, discard fruit chunks.

3. Combine strained syrup with equal amount of vinegar (less if you want
it on the sweeter, less vinegary side). Taste as you slowly add vinegar to get your desired flavor.

4. Pour the shrub in a covered container or jar; store in the fridge.

6 Cozy Cabin Getaways

6 Cozy Cabin Getaways

Rest & Relaxation

Mentally, I’m here. And it’s a very lovely day dream. Homey escapes to help you recharge and reset - you know you need it. These six cabin getaways are exactly what you’ve been looking for. Enjoy the views.

A Black A-Frame

The Catskills

A Black AFrame Instagram - Photo by Ethan Abitz

The Hunter Houses - The Greenhouse

The Catskills

The Hunter Houses Instagram

Trott Cottage

Muskoka, Ontario

Trott Cottage Instagram - Photo by Chris + Nicole

The Vermont A-Frame

Manchester Center, Vermont

The Vermont AFrame Instagram - Photo by Chris Daniele

Whiskey Ridge Chalet

Big Bear Lake

Whiskey Ridge Chalet Instagram - Photo by Ryan Resatka

Weekend Home - The Mountain House

The Catskills

Weekend Home Instagram - Photo by Chris Daniele

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5 Orchards To Rush To

5 Orchards To Rush To

Run don’t walk, y’all.

Yes, there’s still time! As we prepare to bid farewell to October (I’m not crying, you are), it’s time to complete those Autumn bucket lists. And we all know apple picking is at the top. Below is our list of must-see orchards all across the states, and we think we know what your weekend plans will be. A little cider never hurt anyone, friends.

Finnriver Farm & Cidery Website

1. Finnriver Farm & Cidery

   Chimacum, Washington

   Located in Washington State, the largest producer of apples in the US, this organic cider farm has everything you’re looking for. An artisan cidery plus 50 acre Orchard for visitors to gather and learn the history of Finnriver Farm.

Applecrest Farm Orchards Facebook

2. Applecrest Farm Orchards

Hampton Falls, New Hampshire

“Get back to the simple life. Get back to Applecrest.” I love that. Applecrest Farm is the oldest continuously run apple orchard in America. Four generations of sustainably grown fruits and vegetables and they’re all offered at The Farm Market. Yes please.

County Line Orchard Facebook

3. County Line Orchard

Hobart, Indiana

Filled with all the orchard classics and we love to see it. This season, County Line Orchard is encouraging visitors with the hashtag #GrowingHope in a year with uncertainties. A sweet reminder that the little things, like the beauty in fall, is reason to celebrate.

Bear Swamp Orchard Facebook

4. Bear Swamp Orchard - Distillery & Cidery

Ashfield, Massachusetts

A family run farm with over 20 years in home-brewing and fermenting hard cider. The perfect stop for all ages. From pick your own apples to brandy tastings, you can get the full feel of autumn at Bear Swamp Orchard.

Marker Miller Orchards Facebook

5. Marker-Miller Orchards Farm Market

Winchester, Virginia

Two words. Bakery Festival. This orchard offers many things I love but I think a day full of enjoying baked goods is number one on that list. Oh, and the century old family history.

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Stories Within Squares- Vintage Giggles

STORIES WITHIN SQUARES

QUILT MAKER VINTAGE GIGGLES

“We make quilts, but we also write the stories of people’s lives within those squares.” Located down in Miami, Florida, Rebecca Lambert shares the heart behind Vintage Giggles and what being a maker means to her.

What is your business? We make quilts from personal items that carry a lot of significance to people.  Basically, people call on us when they want to clear out storage bins of unused, but significant pieces of clothing or linens.  Instead of taking up space in the attic, unseen, their items that hold memories can now be seen and used everyday.  Most commonly, we work with collections of outgrown children's clothes, an eclectic collection of t shirts, select items from a loved one's wardrobe who has passed away, a combination of items from multi-generations of family members, wedding party attire, and even grandma's crocheted doilies.  You name it, we quilt it.   

Did you come from the corporate world? Were you always a maker? My background is education.  My degree is in elementary education.  I taught fourth grade for two years before handing in my resignation and looking for ways outside the walls to teach and inspire people.

Tell us about your process to becoming a maker. It started with my mother always telling me that a man should have a toolbox and a woman should have a sewing machine.  I never understood.  I could buy anything I needed, so why should I make it?  Until one day, when I needed a gift and no store had what I had in mind.  So, because my mom won the battle of me owning a sewing machine, I was able to make that gift. Not knowing how to sew, I literally lost sleep trying to figure out how to sew squares together, maneuvering around corners and how to put an edge on a finished quilt. What way did I need to fold the fabric?  How did I need to cut the pieces?  How do I cut fabric? I needed to figure it out myself.  My own stubbornness held me from learning in conventional ways.  I didn't want to be told how to do it, I just had to try. And it was so much fun, that I made a lot of things for that gift.  And I am still making those things that I gave as a gift that day. 

Why are you still a maker? I am still a maker because of the happiness it makes people feel when they receive what I make. To give someone a tangible way to hold memories in their hands is something that I will never tire of making.  

Is this your main job? Yes, second only to raising our family of six kids.  

Tell us about your creative process and the evolution of that process as you've perfect your craft and as you've grown as a business. Listening is the biggest part of our creative process.  Reading people's handwritten stories pinned to articles of clothing that hold their memories, hearing the trembling in a voice on the phone telling us they don't know how many more days their loved one will have to live, reading descriptions of siblings' bubbly and artistic personalities, holding the fabrics that memories were made in is where it all starts for us.  We make quilts, but we also write the stories of people's lives within those squares.  And so, we don't operate under strict rules.  Rather, we let what is important to each customer lead us.  

What inspires you? Colors and stories.  Colors inspire us as if each one carries it's own frequency, creating visual melodies and harmonies when they are combined.  And stories of families, generations and heritages sit cozy in our hearts, surfacing as squares of colors that become a quilt.

Who inspires you? Anyone with a story to share stirs our hearts. Nostalgic stories about traditions laid forth by grandparents, love stories that celebrate the little things, stories of loss and the seemingly insatiable heartache it leaves, sporty stories of athletic achievements, childhood stories of our own fast growing children, or stories of our childhood, as told by the worn thin knees of a bell bottom pair of corduroys and a matching peter pan collared polyester knit striped shirt. It all matters.

Who are your role models? Our role models are people who have not missed the opportunity to take a chance.  To see a person with a passion so big that they take a leap and put it into action, not knowing if it will work or not, will always be the people we look up to.  

Who has been your biggest champion as you've progressed as being a maker? My family.  My husband's continued encouragement and belief in this little company that I started has carried me through times in which I didn't know if I had what it took to make it through.  He leads me when I get stuck, and helps me handle it when the workload is high, easing my fears and building my determination. And my kids.  They see me working when the first wake, and they know that after tucking them in bed at night, I will probably go to my studio to finish the day's work.  They look at and point out their favorite squares as the quilts come together.  They know that they can do hard things because they see me pushing through, when it would be easier to give up.  And to be able to teach them that, by example, makes them champions.

How have you grown your business? Social media has been the biggest community in which my company has grown.  The platform it gives to share pictures and stories is such a beautiful way to show what we do.  Word of mouth and charitable offerings have also increased awareness of what we do.  And from a phone call to a dear friend of mind that started out something like, "you won't believe it, but I started a company!", she has believed in what we do, owns one of the first quilts we made and has shared our work on her social media platform, and organically becoming one of the biggest influencers and advocates for my company.

How have you perfected what you make? Time and practice.  Over time, our methods have become more streamlined, and through practice, we are able to take on challenges with the confidence that what we make is quality and has the durability to last for generations to come. 

Has this growth been easy? Easy, hell no.  Because it has required a lot of patience.  Patience when poor decisions have been made. Patience to perfect our sewing.  Patience to learn how to operate the machinery.  Patience for sales to be made.  Patience for people to like our product and believe in what we do.  Patience when life happens and time does not allow for the focus that the business needed.  Patience to find a like minded team who doesn't just sew, but works from the heart.  But, the one saving grace is that from the beginning, we allowed the company's growth to happen in it's own time, in God's time.  And so, the patience has been hard, but never stressful.  

What advice would you give based on your own experience? Slow and steady wins.  A shotgun start with record growth will tire soon.  Pumping funds into the hopes of a successful business may leave pockets empty.  Take baby steps. Small, but steady. Put love into what you do. And the results will speak for themselves.  

What are your goals as a business? Our biggest goal is to keep doing what we are doing, keeping the same attention to detail and methods of making as we continue to grow.  We will always be a team of makers that laugh and cry together as we create each quilt.  We will always put our hearts into what we do.

What does the future hold for you? We will always continue to create huggable memories through our heritage quilts. We also make a line of hooded towels with the same attention to detail as our quilts are made. In addition to that, who knows....we are always up for a challenge!

Give us three tips you've learned as a maker that can be applied to everyday life. When you come to a bump in the road, use it as an opportunity to increase your capability.  Always think positive by putting your mind on the results you are aspiring to achieve.  Gratitude keeps your success in check and ensures that your drive is coming from the heart.

How do you find the divide between work and personal? That's a million dollar question for me.  With four of the six kids at home with me, (now all day since the quarantine), a lot of my in home studio work is done in small segments of time when I see the opportunity.  It has taken me literally years to be able to do my work and be present for their needs as well.  But, on top of those stolen moments, it helps to keep to more of a rhythm than a schedule.  It's a rhythm where I know what parts of the day I can dedicate to each, but not so much of a rigid schedule, so that bumps and changes can be accommodated for more easily.  Being able to flow with the moment is key. 

Why should we support and buy maker and American made? Buying something from a maker gives you an item that is not as easy to come by, and it gives a maker the opportunity to keep creating something that is otherwise not available in mass.  And in today's world of tension and confusion, purchasing from a fellow American is a way to give a pat on the back to our struggling nation in hopes that the roots that made us will stay strong.

How do you ensure quality of your brand and your products? We have refined our methods to the point of confidence in our work.  Everything is looked over closely and pre-washed to ensure stability to be washed and used often!  

Is flannel always in season? Flannel is most definitely always in season.  Even in Florida.  In fact, anyone ever seen a good flamingo flannel?  Asking for a friend.  

How do you live authentically? Focus on what is important to you and not what the world says is important.  Let your inner passions and talents lead you, being mindful as to what influences your work.  

You can find Vintage Giggles products for purchase on their website or follow their work on Instagram. For custom requests contact threads@vintagegiggles.com.

You're Invited! A Kentucky Handmade Weekend

A KENTUCKY HANDMADE WEEKEND

A  weekend long popup shop of American & Locally made goods, vintage finds, & folk art along with a series of workshops, demos, & classes.

A one hundred and twenty one year old farmhouse sits back off the one lane rural route road. Wildflowers, crops, and butterflies line the lane. Two decades old maple trees cast shadows and shade over the white farmhouse as time worn wooden swings welcome you to come and sit a spell. Memories of the past, of farm life, and of life outside a small town of three hundred dance and swirl all around. Heirloom quilts on the line, a garden back behind, and apples ripening in the orchard just beyond tell timeless stories. Life is simple and slow here. Life is sweet here, just like the ever present iced tea. We welcome you into our world, we invite you to in, we hope it feels like home.

This summer we start a new tradition at the farm…A Kentucky Handmade Weekend. A weekend where we celebrate hand made, maker made, locally made, and American made. We invite you to join us for a weekend of classes and workshops taught by expert instructors on topics ranging from quilting to basket making, illustration, and pottery. We invite you to join us for our popup shop of hand made goods, art, and vintage finds. We invite you to come and relax and watch the corn and beans grow. We’ll provide endless lemonade and sweet tea. 

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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

FRIDAY

POPUP SHOP 10-5

Browse our tent filled with handmade, locally made, and American made goods, along with a mixture of fine antiques and vintage goods.

INTRO TO HAND LETTERING 2-4

Terri Minton will lead this workshop that  takes you through the skills and exercises needed to master hand-lettering. $30

SATURDAY

POPUP SHOP 9-4

FLORA & FOLIAGE POTTERY WORKSHOP 9-11

Claudia Overstreet guides this pottery workshop. Students will be creating plates with impressions of foliage. $30

LEATHER BOUND JOURNAL WORKSHOP 11:15-1:45

Riley Minton will guide students through the art of journal making and binding. $35

FARMHOUSE JELLY BASKET WORKSHOP 11-2

Janice Tomblinson leads this beginner basket making workshop. Create a simple and easy to master basket that is farmers market ready. $35 

GOURMET SACK LUNCHES

Available throughout the day. A perfect quick lunch between classes. A delicious homemade "sack lunch" of a sandwich, fruit cup, drink, and dessert will be available for $7. Gluten free and vegan options will be available. Must reserve before event.

SUNDAY

POPUP SHOP: 9-4

BASKET MAKING 9-11:30 (SECOND OFFERING)

FLORA & FOLIAGE POTTERY WORKSHOP 11-1 (SECOND OFFERING)

HOLLY HOBBIE OPEN HOUSE 11-1

The national Holly Hobbie convention is the same weekend in Beaver Dam. During this time we welcome attendees for a light lunch and conversations on the lawn of the farmhouse. 

BLYTHE MEET UP & PLAY DATE

Earth Angels Studios owner Jen O'Connor hosts this light and festive Blythe meet up. Bring your Blythe and a spirit of whimsy. 

A HOLLY HOBBIE & HEXY QUILT PINKEEP 1-3

Guest educator Christie Jones Ray will lead this workshop that celebrates Holly Hobbie. $30

LEMONADE WITH LETTY 3-4 

The weekend draws to a close with a toast to 2021 and fresh lemonade with bear maker and soft sculpture artist Letty Worley.

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WORKSHOP INFORMATION

WEEKEND HOSTED BY OHIO COUNTY ARTISTS GUILD & EARTH ANGELS STUDIOS

INTRODUCTION TO HAND LETTERING

Have you seen all the brush calligraphy around and want to try it for yourself? In this two hour workshop Terri Minton will teach you the basics of this creative hobby. 

$30 workshop fee includes: 2 hours instruction learning basic strokes, letters, forming words and how to practice your new hobby. Your own brush pen by Tombow USA and sample of the papers best used for practice. Printed practice worksheets written by Terri to help you continue to improve.

FLORA & FOLIAGE POTTERY WORKSHOP

$30. Students can make either one large plate or two small ones, by pressing leaves and other foliage into the clay and draping the clay over molds.  Both round and square plate molds will be provided.  Leaves, stamps, and foliage will be provided but you may bring your own from your home or garden to make your piece more personal to you. 

The pieces will be left to dry, and Claudia will add colored pigment to the texture and a clear glaze over top then fire them in her kiln. Pickup will be arranged approximately one month after the date of the class.  All completed pieces are dishwasher, microwave, and oven safe.

LEATHER BOUND JOURNAL WORKSHOP

There is nothing more timeless than a leather bound journal. Whether it be details of a long awaited trip or your grandmother's secret recipes, a journal can hold all your favorite memories. What would be more special than making it yourself, a treasure to pass down to the next generations 

In this 3 hour class Riley Minton will show you how to bind your own journal and make a leather wrap around cover and tie. All materials and instruction are included in the $35 class fee. You will leave with a beautiful hand-bound leather journal to keep for yourself or present as a thoughtful gift.

FARMHOUSE JELLY BASKET WORKSHOP

Make your own rustic Farmhouse Jelly Basket and then tuck two of your favorite flavors into it. A generous 8 1/2” long, 5” wide and 9” high. Features a double wire and wood handle. Can also serve as a great basket to keep your cell phone and keys corralled. This is a beginner basket class - suitable even those who have not previously made a basket. Class fee includes pattern, all materials to make this basket and class instruction. Some “tools” will be provided for use in class. Students should bring an apron or old T-shirt,  and an old towel or hand towel. Class cost - $35.00

HEXIES & HOLLY HOBBIE WORKSHOP

Hosted by Author, Illustrator & Toymaker Christie Jones Ray. Won’t you join us as we take a little trip down memory lane...back to the calicos and ginghams of the 70’s...Inspired by Holly Hobbie’s patchwork frocks, we will be hand-stitching a small cushion of vintage muslin, calicos, and ginghams, embellished with an EPP flower, stuffed with fragrant lavender buds and natural cotton, with the finishing touch ...a tiny vintage shell button. 

You decide if your cushion will be safekeeping for pins and needles...a sachet...or a pillow perfect for your dolly’s bed. If you are new to the world of English Paper Piecing, Christie will be offering tips and tricks, in hopes that you’ll fall in love with this traditional craft that has a fresh appreciation among many.

All materials and keepsake notions provided. Basic sewing skills needed. Please bring your favorite pair of scissors for cutting fabrics. $30 

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WEEKEND HOSTS

The Ohio County Artist Guild was created a decade ago as a community of local makers, artists, and creatives that desired to promote and celebrate the arts within rural Ohio County, Kentucky. Today The Guild hosts a variety of workshops and pop up shops each year throughout the county. The Guild is incredibly proud to sponsor an annual arts based scholarship each year to a student at Ohio County High School. 

Earth Angels Studios is a well-recognized source for contemporary folk art and a trendsetter in the handmade industry with an on-line gallery and a calendar of appearances across the US and Europe. Owner and Founder Jen O’Connor also works as a consultant, providing business development services and coaching artful entrepreneurs. Jen writes "I live a handmade life.  In 2000, I left behind a career organizing urban markets in my hometown of New York City to cultivate my own business managing a talented group of female artists and selling their creations as I raised my kids in Orange County, New York.

LOCATION The weekend’s events are located at the Walton Creek Inn an airbnb and centuries old homestead outside of Centertown, Kentucky. Starting in August 2020 the home will be available for short-term and long term Airbnb rentals. 321 Chandle Loop, Centertown, KY 42320

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321 CHANDLE LOOP, CENTERTOWN, KENTUCKY

OHIO COUNTY ARTIST GUILD & EARTH ANGELS STUDIOS

to register: earthangelsstudios.com

The Coming of Fall

An Essay by Ruth Barnes

The end of Summer is approaching and I don’t remember when it began. As I sit looking out of the window, watching the leaves on the huge oak tree turning colors before my eyes, my mind wanders to another time. A time when this large oak tree was just starting its new life. Oh, the stories this tree could tell. As Fall approaches, the leaves on the old oak tree are preparing for the next season. They will slowly change color, starting with a beautiful yellow, and moving on to a golden amber. When the sun’s rays hit these beautiful leaves, oh how beautiful they are. As the ]days progress and the temperature starts to fall these beautiful leaves will take flight. The wind picks up and one by one the leaves from the old oak tree sail like airplanes, gliding through the air until they reach their destination on the ground.

Often times, I feel like an old oak tree. I change with each season preparing for the next. The Fall brings cooler weather, which gives you a sense that something is in the air! A tingle of excitement, that you can’t explain. You just sense that something is different. As the long hot summer days drag out, we are ready for change, just like the old oak tree. We are ready to shed our own leaves and prepare for new. This is a time to celebrate the “Coming of Fall”.

The “Coming of Fall”, means warm scents in the air, cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin. The Farmers are cutting their hay in the fields, and the smell of fresh cut hay is something you will never forget. The cotton in the field down the road is green and I can see tiny buds appearing, preparing to bloom.

A plant that produces a fiber, cotton, what an amazing thing. When the cotton is in full bloom, it is beautiful. The soy bean field across the highway puts off a scent that I can’t describe, but I know it is the “Coming of Fall”.

There is a crispness in the air, it takes my breath away as I walk barefoot in the cool grass under the Old Oak Tree.

I look up to see the leaves flying around me. I watch one leaf as it slowly floats, and the wind picks it up and carries it to its resting place. Over time, the leaf will break down, and go slowly back into the ground from where it came. I step on something with my bare feet, I look down to see an acorn. I pick it up and think to myself, I am holding a new life in my hands. I gently place it back onto its resting place, where one day, a seedling will appear and the little acorn will begin a new life. This is the “Coming of Fall”.

“The Coming of Fall”, brings Festivals to life.

Oh the scents of cotton candy and corn dogs!

The County Fairs, the Barn Shows, and the Craft Festivals! There is music in the air with the sounds of laughter and craftsmen selling their wares.

The night brings bon fires, roasting hotdogs and drinking hot chocolate while sitting on a bale of hay, snuggling with the ones you love! Fall is a family time. It is a time to be thankful for family and friends.

As I look out my window at the old oak tree, I wonder, is it, “The Coming of Fall”?

Slow Living Issue Preview: Under a Tin Roof

The following is a preview from our story with Under a Tin Roof in FOLK’s Slow Living issue. To order the issue CLICK HERE

Under a Tin Roof (@underatinroof) has created a quintessential  farmstand and country store along the endless farmland of Iowa.

IT WAS ALWAYS OUR DREAM TO HAVE A BRICK AND MORTAR SHOP TO SELL OUR GOODS. When we moved onto the farm, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to convert the old garage into our store so that our farm work and little shop could go hand-in-hand. At first, we thought our store would be the home for selling our excess vegetables and be a place for other small farms to sell their produce. While this was a fun dream, we decided to change directions and primarily sell flowers. Now we are an “Occasional Shop” where you can stop by on specific dates to purchase our fresh cut flowers or request an appointment! 

What advice would you give to people wanting to shop from roadside market? Always be sure to check our social media channels or website for our next open dates! Since we are not open throughout the week, the best way to know what is available is by seeing what we have shared online. For the freshest flowers, it’s always best to stop by in the morning when we’ve just cut them. 

What is your most popular item? We tend to sell lots of our little Mason jar floral arrangements! They’re the perfect vessel for our customers to bring fresh flowers home without fearing that they’ll wilt before they get home. 

FOR THE FULL STORY ORDER THE ISSUE BY CLICKING HERE

Victory Garden of Tomorrow

IN A TIME WHEN PINEAPPLES, GUAVA, AND ASPARAGUS ARE AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND AND NEARLY ANY FOOD IS STOCKED ON THE SHELVES OF MOST GROCERIES, JOE WIRTHEIM OF VICTORY GARDEN OF TOMORROW WANTS TO FURTHER EXPAND YOUR SELECTION.

If you want fancy French lettuces that your local market does not carry or heirloom blue pumpkins from Australia, he wants you to have it. The one caveat Joe has is that you grow it — on an organic farm. He also wants you to make compost, and to have a few backyard chickens.

BY: DAVID GOBELI | 2012

The Victory Garden of Tomorrow has its roots in Portland, Oregon, a city that has long been seen as a center of political and cultural activism, so a poster campaign that wants us to re-identify our eating habits is fitting. He hasn’t always been in Portland though; he moved there in the mid 2000’s from Columbus, Ohio.

Remembering Columbus, he says, “I was...one of the small group of people getting around on bicycles — I had no car at the time. I was living in a neighborhood that was a little out there in terms of low rents, and eccentric

In an age when most everything is available year round, Joe sees it as more of a perceived choice. Processed foods come at a very high price to our health, the environment, and in petroleum dollars. “Our entire food system is built on oil and corn subsidies. Today there’s no reason to believe these will last. To top it off, the industrial foods we’ve been eating are terrible for our health. Childhood obesity makes my ears turn red. I realize that in many ways, it’s difficult for an average middle-class person living the urban or suburban lifestyle today to see a reason to supplement their diet with a backyard garden. But that’s why I make propaganda, to insert the message that gardens need to become a normal part of what Americans do again; and even if the amount they produce is small, there occurs an important education and rise in awareness.”

Joe calls his propaganda campaign The Victory Garden of Tomorrow. He designs and prints art posters that
are based on the iconic American propaganda posters of both World War I and II. Using their style, and sometimes actual posters as inspiration, he has begun to create a new type of propaganda; this time it is about what we eat and where we get it.

artist types. I suppose being on a bike and being around a sensibility that is acutely aware of waste, the greater city seemed strange to me. I wondered why it was the way it was, why it was segregated, why
the suburbs were so popular, [and] why shopping centers were a thing to be excited about. Parking lots everywhere. I just felt that this wasn’t normal.” So, Joe left Columbus and moved to Portland, where bikers rode in crowds and morning rush hour traffic jams involved not only cars but cycles. In awe of the city and the old main street aesthetic that housed small community businesses, he enrolled at Portland State, the local university, where he met and has since had the chance to work with a variety of talent that he can draw inspiration from.

Then came The Victory Garden of Tomorrow, his self- described poster campaign that is “designed to channel the bold energy of historical poster propaganda. It is committed to civic innovation and social progress — better food, better gardens, and better cities. It is design, politics, and whimsy for the modern home front.” Drawing inspiration from the Victory Gardens of WWI and II and the 1939 New York World’s Fair (“The World of Tomorrow”) he developed the name of his campaign. “... like a lot of nerdy kids of my generation, I was enthralled with the idea of space exploration, loved the images and stories of moon landings, and just loved the idea of heroic, capable explorers. I imagined our mid-century economic era as a kind of fork in the road where America sort of chose the industrial path. However, the world of tomorrow could have been, and still can be, the path illustrated by the Victory Garden and waste-reduction movements.” He began to imagine the “Victory Garden of Tomorrow” as an “exciting new 21st century place of discovery, innovation, and excitement. A place where young people are needed to urgently man the gardens and consider creative, imaginative ways to solve contemporary problems.”

Then Joe designed atomic lettuces, atoms spinning around the leaves in mid-century simplicity; pickles
in space; and heroic chickens standing guard like B5-2 bombers over the airstrip. Taken out of the posters are airplane hangars, rockets, and industrial powerhouses pumping out wartime munitions. Common everyday backyard heroes now take their place. In his design about compost, a father and son peek into a compost bin watching the micro-organisms doing all the dirty work. Another, emblazoned with the words “Break New Ground,” calls to mind a soldier’s boot on the edge of a shovel digging a trench, but instead urges “Plant an Urban Farm Garden.” Even the flying bee in the poster’s background is reminiscent of a warplane, whimsically crafted into the modern, backyard air force.

Each piece calls to mind the strong imagery and text of the old propaganda posters. Bold, normally few colors, heavy strokes, and implied detail make every design speak with the same intensity as the originals. Joe loves the idea of “... turning the hero into something that is common, that is understated, and right in the backyard. To me, chickens, compost, [and] lettuce all speak to the idea that there’s more power in small and ordinary places. Our society has been all about industrial sized power moves, and I’m just thinking that the future might be a place that’s smaller scale, more human, er, chicken powered.”

A whopping 1.5 million people contract either e. coli or salmonella per year. Many of these cases involve large- scale industrial farming and crops that should never be exposed to those bacteria. Type 2 diabetes (which was once an adult disease but now is found in 1 of every 400 children), obesity, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer are all on the rise. It is thought that the current generation is the first generation that will have a shorter lifespan than their parents—the first time in American history. Our food plays a direct role in all of these diseases as well as our mental states and, it has been said, our general state of happiness. Millions of Americans are sick and the food they eat has a lot to blame for it and Joe Wirtheim is trying to do something about it.

“I believe that ... America needs a culture change around food and eating. People need to set examples for each other, begin discussing these things in their community, demand better foods from their grocers, demand variances for [egg-laying] hens from their municipalities, and so on. We need critical mass of demand before government programs are successful. I’d like to see more support for local farms and gardens, while seeing a reduction of government support for the industrial corn and soy based products. But to get the ball rolling, folks have to demonstrate this is something they want, not something imposed. That’s why I make the art I make; I want to charm while accessing people’s imaginations as to what is possible.”

SHOP

A Cast Iron Primer

The Little Black Dress of the Kitchen

By: Jen O’Connor of Earth Angels Studios

Cast iron is like one of those ancient species, so ideally suited to its environment, that its need to evolve was forgone forever ago. It is one of the most versatile objects in any kitchen and can be used for everything from frying the perfect egg to baking a cake. Cast iron can take the heat on stovetop or oven, transferring from one to the other with aplomb! So, if you have a cast iron skillet, you could use it, and it would keep coming back from more. It just doesn't wear out; indeed many of them in active service have been on duty for more than 100 years. So, if you have a cast iron skillet in your kitchen, and you are not pressing this dedicated workhorse into service, you should be wondering just why not?

Cooking is a learning process—an art form that constantly absorbs the new. So many cooks are forever on the prowl for the new gadget, the more convenient appliance or a utensil that will make some task easier. In the hunt for the new, there are those among us that might just be guilty of setting aside a three or four pound cast iron pot for something more lightweight or easier to store. In the era of super non-stick surfaces and the age of anodized aluminum, cast iron may have been overlooked for commercially promoted brands and sleeker lines of cookware promising efficient and specialized attributes.

But, like all truly beautiful things, cast iron feels no threat. It has no need to waver from its perfection, and that little skillet will wait in quiet confidence for renewed appreciation by the cook who decides to use it. Fortunately for cast iron and its devotees, there's been a recent celebration of its merits among those who pursue slow living. In its versatility and simple charms, it appeals to cooks who treasure its humble beauty. Cast iron is affordable and versatile…it’s practical and durable…and the art of slow living celebrates these qualities. Like the little black dress that hangs in your closet just perfect for any occasion, cast iron stands at the ready to save the day by simply doing what it does best…cook like nothing else in your kitchen! 

Cooks love cast iron for what it does for them with regard to handling temperature. It does not heat evenly, but once it's hot, it stays hot and will cook something evenly by retaining the heat more consistently. As such, cast iron lends itself to baking and was fashioned into inset ovens as well as the tightly lidded pot—or Dutch oven—that we picture baking biscuits over a campfire. Conversely, on the stovetop, cast iron sears meats in a way no other cookware can.

Origins of the Alloy….

Cast iron has been around forever…well, almost forever. There are archaeological finds that date cast iron to 400 AD in China where the alloy was first made and used in the production of agricultural tools, architectural ornaments and pagodas, and some weapons. The knowledge of this metallurgy production, along with cast iron objects and tools, slowly made their way from Asia to other regions along trade routes. By the 1400s, cast iron was well ensconced as an alloy in Western Europe and was used widely in the production of household goods and weapons. Some cooking vessels were used in the early years of cast iron production, but it wasn’t until the 1700s that the cast iron “Dutch Oven” became the ubiquitous cooking pot.

That said, it's safe to say that in the past 300 years many kitchens had a cast iron skillet and a cast iron Dutch oven to manage the meals of the day and perhaps a cast iron oven—set into a chimney—for the baking. When the Europeans brought cast iron to the Americas during the colonization, the pots populated the hearths and homes of the early settlers and took them westward working their way one meal at a time. Cast iron has always been decidedly at home in the US. Over time manufacturers have added a glass enamel lining and coating to cast iron, and also made cast steel, but cast iron is much cheaper and its proletarian appeal warrants celebration!

Using cast iron…

Cast iron deserves a spot in everyone’s cabinets. And while it might get moved to the back of the shelf, its form and function will never go out of style. It’s durable—and it’s practically indestructible—but it asks for a few simple things to assure its functionality. After use, it should be washed with mild soapy water and dried, THOROUGHLY. If you really want it to love you forever, give it a quick swipe with oil on a paper towel and pop the pan back in a hot oven to dry it completely or heat it for just a bit on a burner so the oil will not go rancid. This preserves the seasoning.

You can’t put a cashmere sweater in the washing machine, and you can't put cast iron in the dishwasher. Period. If you do, the seasoning will be gone, and while you can "re-season" it, this can easily be avoided.

Find these US-made vintage lovelies for your kitchen…

Griswold and Wagner are the most sought after of the manufacturers of cast iron cookware. Griswold manufactured in Erie, PA from 1865–1957, and Wagner in Sidney, OH from 1891–1999, but the companies’ success waned in the late 1940s and continued to decline after these family businesses were bought and subsumed into a larger housewares brand. Griswold is usually marked, and it's easy to spot, with “Erie” or the well-known logo featuring a blocky cross in a circle logo on the bottom of pots. Wagner used a variety of logos—and sometimes none at all—so its provenance is more difficult to document. Pre-1890s cast iron may have what is called “gate marks” on the bottom—this slash mark is a remnant of the casting process.

Lodge—a company, based in TN has been making cast iron—and cast stainless steel—since 1896. They're a great option if you prefer new to vintage, and since 2002 they've been selling "pre-seasoned" pans…a game-changer in their appeal and capacity for immediate use. If a cast iron pan is not seasoned, there is time and patience involved with imparting the seasoning to the surface so that the pan can be used and a natural non-stick coating develops with use.

All The White Horses - A Whimsical Christmas

Styling: Jana Roach, Vanessa Pleasants of The Vintage Whites Market,
www.vintagewhitesblog.com
Photography: Alicia Brown, www.aliciabrownphotography.com

Christmas is a magical time, especially in northwestern Montana when the snow is falling. Vanessa and I are both incredibly inspired by the colors and traditions surrounding the season, and we translated that into this bright and whimsical vintage Christmas shoot.

Carousel horses, painted white and glittered, adorned the table. Antique clocks ticked away in the tree, and sweet teddy bears kept us company as we ate. Candles flickered, and the smell of fresh juniper branches and spruce filled the air, rising from under our thick rope table runner. Our linens were wrapped with velvet bows to add warmth to the room. Vintage mismatched china in blue and gold create a warm Christmas tone for dinner. Blue is one of our favorite colors, especially for winter. We love a white winter wonderland, and blues add color without being too harsh or overpowering to a clean white palette. Nearly every Chirstmas, Vanessa decorates with some sort of blue in a house full of whites. This year, her Christmas is inspired by the vintage dishes she found, patterned with a very unique blue wheat print. While searching for vintage finds in a thrift store, Vanessa came across a carrousel horse and had a vision of one under a tree. That vision sparked the theme for the tablescape, and she later realized that the vision stemmed from the classic movie White Christmas, when the lead character opens a gift and inside is a beautiful white horse.

We used thick rope to create a runner that added great texture to the table. Simply trim a piece of cardboard to the length and width you want your runner to be, and hot glue rope strands to the cardboard until it is completely covered. You can vary your thickness if you want, but we love the look of thick rope in contrast with the soft, navy velvet bows.An old, painted dresser made a perfect buffet in the dining room. Since it is smaller than a buffet or hutch, it is the perfect match for a snug room. Store linens and silver in the drawers, and hang a wreath or garland on the mirror. Presents wrapped in craft paper, ruffled crepe paper, and velvet make for a beautiful landscape under the tree. Ribbon strung through an old watch adds a unique touch to the wrapping. Leaving bigger vintage toys unwrapped under the tree reminds us of the childlike joy and happiness of the season.

I’ve spent a majority of my winters in the northwest, which means plenty of cold weather and big winter coats. I remember the first year my family moved to Montana, we couldn’t see out of the windows because they were covered in snow. We had nine feet that year, and could sled off of our roof on to the thick piles of snow below. I can’t remember a Christmas where my parents didn’t do something special for us. They never start Christmas morning without a pot of coffee, thick pieces of bacon, or fluffy pancakes. For my brothers and I, this was torture because we had to wait until they were done eating before we could open presents. Everything was always wrapped in gorgeous coordinating colors, which inspired ideas for wrapping presents for this shoot. We always had a note from Santa hidden in the tree, and often one more surprise after all the gifts were unwrapped. I’m so thankful for the things my parents did to make Christmas special for my brother and I, and I am so excited to pass those things along to my kids one day.

Bringing the past to life with vintage touches made this shoot one of our favorites, and we were honored to use decorations that someone cherished years ago. Whether you’ve inherited or collected vintage over the years, recreate a Christmas from days gone by for a special holiday season! Wishing you and yours a merry Christmas from Vintage Whites!

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Christmas Tree Shopping

Coat by Stock Mfg Co. 

Boots by Mark Albert Boots. Socks from Domestic Domestic.

Hat by Ball and Buck

Eva Kosmas Flores + Adventures in Slow Living

this story originally ran in Slow Living by Where Women Cook

A native Oregonian, Eva Kosmas Flores currently resides in Portland with her husband, cat, two dogs, seven chickens and hive of bees. She shares recipes, travel guides, and all-around how-to's on her blog, Adventures in Cooking. When she's not working in her garden or baking in her kitchen, she can be found with her nose buried in a good book. She has a soft spot for stinky cheese, her beagle’s muzzle, kneading dough, and Rumi.

“Whatever lifts the corners of your mouth, trust that." –Rumi

Food is my passion AND my livelihood. I launched my blog, Adventures in Cooking, in 2009. From that journey grew the publication of my two cookbooks, Adventures in Chicken and First We Eat written in 2016 and 2018. Since 2014, I’ve hosted travel-based food photography workshops through my company of the same name, First We Eat.

Oregon has always been my home, and food and cooking have always been a huge part of my life. I live in Portland, and I grew up in Hillsboro where my parents ran a Greek deli and restaurant. Every Saturday of my childhood was spent there helping out, and I was there on school breaks too.

My mom is American, and my dad is from a small Greek island called Aegina, and they're very yin and yang. My mom is the social, adventurous extrovert and my dad is the reserved introvert. At the restaurant my mom would be in the front, taking customers' orders and making them feel welcome, while my dad was in the kitchen cooking. I'd Ping-Pong between them, wearing an apron folded in half so I wouldn't trip over it because I was so small! It was hectic, but I loved it, and I learned so much growing up among the many meals and customers.

Food defined my childhood; it's always been a deeply rooted love and fascination. I've been in the kitchen cooking as long as I can remember…when I was very small, my mom would pull a chair up to the stove so I could stand on it to help stir the pot. I wanted to help whenever she cooked anything—the transformation of ingredients through cooking was so mesmerizing to me as a kid—and is to this day!

My parents are both avid gardeners and growing up we always had fresh produce from the garden. They were composting back in the 90s and used produce from the garden in the restaurant. I learned about the many merits of farm-to-table before it was a marketable thing when food was seen differently by most in the industry.

While I learned to cook from both my mother and father, they have very different cooking styles. My mom was more creative, she'd just look around the cupboards and refrigerator for whatever we had on hand and could create a beautiful meal. My dad had to cook everything for the restaurant, and it had to taste the same every time so that the menu was consistent. At the restaurant, he was a perfectionist.

It took me hours until I learned to peel a cucumber "correctly." Between the two of them, I learned a lot about cooking with improvisation, but also the importance of precision, especially developing written recipes for the blog and my cookbooks. 

The importance of food in my life really hit me when I went to college in Los Angeles. The food on campus was prepared by Sodexho (it's a processed food company that also caters many prisons), and after eating that for the first month and not having access to a real kitchen I felt really, really depressed—disconnected and out of sorts. I think that's when I realized what a tremendous role food had in my life, and the positive impact of cooking and the joy of preparing and eating good, fresh food. Luckily I was able to get an on-campus apartment with some roommates the next year; that kitchenette saved me!

I’ve also realized that food connects us to community and memory. I love that you can share moments and sensations with other people through a recipe. For example, if I follow Julia Child's recipe for beef bourguignon, I know that I'm enjoying the same flavors, smells, and textures that she did many years ago—along with all the others who have cooked it over the years! 

The same special connection follows with family recipes; it's an incredible way to connect with loved ones who aren't here anymore. My yiayia lived in Greece, I only met her once when I was one, and so for me being able to cook recipes that she used to make for my father helps me feel connected to her.

Slow living with the seasons is a win-win. Ninety-nine percent of what I make is seasonally based. When we eat seasonally and support local farmers and growers, there are SO MANY AWESOME things that happen. Our meals taste infinitely better, your local community's economy grows, you're eating nutrient-dense foods, and you're helping the environment by reducing carbon emissions that come from shipping food all over the world. It's a win-win for literally everyone involved from the grower to the consumer…

Growing your own food also instills a sense of patience within you, and forces you to slow down. You get to watch your meal be created from a tiny seed to a bubbling pot of tomato sauce over the course of several months. If you can start a small garden, even a container herb garden on your windowsill, I highly recommend it. There's nothing like the connection that's created between you and your food when you get to nurture it, care for it, and watch it grow into something big and bountiful—and then the plant gets to nurture you right back with fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables. It's incredibly grounding.

As someone who has a very busy mind with lots of random thoughts flying through it all the time, being out in the garden or cooking in the kitchen are the two times when my mind really quiets down. I just get to focus on the task at hand, there's something very meditative about it. Seasonal living is the best for so many reasons!

— adventuresincooking.com

Kayla Haupt + Homesteading in Iowa

Kayla Haupt

Originally from WHERE WOMEN COOK — SLOW LIVING

Homesteader, a first-generation farmer, and single stay-at-home mother, Kayla Haupt, lives in rural Iowa on a small farm that sits among one of the largest Amish settlements west of the Mississippi River. This master gardener spends her days close to the land, working to instill the idea of sustainability, creativity, and seasonal living in others through her blog and the business, Under a Tin Roof, she launched with her mother, Jill, in 2015. 

Growing up it was just my parents and me, so I spent a lot of time imagining elaborate storylines for my dolls and pretending I lived in the woods behind my house. That led me to writing, and I planned to pursue a career in film directing and screenwriting. That changed when I found out that I was going to have my son! He was a pleasant surprise, and he started a domino effect leading us to what we now do for a living. 

I never knew much about food, nor did I care much about it. It was an unhealthy relationship…sometimes I’d skip, sometimes I’d gorge, and I ate fast food and processed groceries. That all changed when I got pregnant and started cooking. I knew what I ate would affect my son, and I did not want him addicted to junk food! But, I still didn’t really understand real, whole food.

I began to experiment and learn. I fell in love with growing vegetables and collecting eggs from our backyard chickens. My family realized that whole food with minimal processing was important. Fresh tasted better and was healthier for us—this made an enormous impact on our lives.

It was a huge accomplishment to convert our kitchen from processed foods to whole food and to eat by the seasons. We now eat meat that is butchered at that time of year and cook with the vegetables and fruits that are growing. In the cold months, we eat the food that I put by in the summer.  

In December 2017 we moved to our small three and a half acre farm. We were living in a nearby town for a few years before that—after a bigger move from Houston in 2015 when I was pregnant.

We were feeling our way into a new lifestyle, I was blogging, and we had started our business making and selling useful, handmade goods, learning as we went. Moving to a farm was not our plan, but when the property went up for sale, we were drawn to it. With more than 800 mature aronia berry bushes, a large garage we envisioned could be a small store to sell our creations, and a gorgeous 20th-century foursquare farmhouse...we made the leap! 

It’s been a whirlwind working to grow produce and cut flowers and expand our business to include farming. My mom is a talented illustrator, and I am a writer—so the combination of our skills works well, and we are dedicated to living an inspiring lifestyle on our homestead and through our business…so encouraged by the opportunity of more farming!

We now grow and sell vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers, and our shop hosts a small country store where we sell various useful, handmade goods that we design and make ourselves like sustainable apparel, household items, hand poured beeswax candles and embroidery kits. We offer pasture-raised eggs from our hens and fresh baked goods that I make on special occasions.

We also participate in a seasonal Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program where customers can purchase a share of our farm among others and receive fresh produce, flowers, and meats to enjoy during the summer and autumn seasons. 

It's the history behind slow living that draws me to it; my ancestors lived this way not too long ago. Somehow that art was lost in more recent years with advanced farming technology. But, I no longer want to buy useless products or ones that make us unhealthy. I love the idea of creating my own economy by growing and raising food! My most profound goal in this entire lifestyle change is to share these tips with my son, Tad, so he can pass them on to his children.

There has to be a balance—I cannot be a total purist. Sometimes I eat a box of crackers and some days I buy meat from the grocery store. So, while I strive to do it all; shear the sheep, spin the wool, and knit the sweater, that's not possible. We do the best we can, and we're changed people because of the small yet substantial steps we've taken in just a few years. We want to encourage others to do the same.

Our website offers info on homesteading topics like keeping chickens, growing and eating your own food, living a waste-free lifestyle, herbal healing, and natural cleaning. We want our readers and customers to feel as if they can make a difference in their own lives with wholesome, simple, seasonal living.

My cooking style is old-fashioned—rustic and simple. I’m inspired by recipes of the 18th and 19th centuries—I love reading them and putting my spin on their elements. 

If we have friends over for supper, I like to make a chicken noodle soup, a black bean and sweet potato chili, or a beef stew—with fresh bread. My family’s favorite meal is pasture-raised chicken roasted in a cast iron skillet and basted with butter and rosemary. I add some chopped potatoes and onions, and we’re set!! Simple and good is the way to go for us.

Eating seasonally has taught me about where food comes from and how to live in harmony with the land to find fulfillment. Every year I feel the same way that I did the first time I ever grew my own food. When you bring that initial harvest into the house, clean and chop it, you feel this incredible sense of accomplishment and pride, humility and reward. I want as many people as possible to know that feeling, and I will continue to farm, work, write and cook to share it.

— underatinroof.com | — wherewomencreate.com

Jenn Davis + A Slow Living Conversation

JENN DAVIS

Originally from WHERE WOMEN COOK — SLOW LIVING

Jenn Davis is the creator of Two Cups Flour, a baking blog that showcases classic breakfast, bread, and dessert recipes with her own twist. She shares these food stories through inspiring photos styled with a southern, rustic spin from her Nashville, TN studio kitchen. As a foodie, photographer and baker, Jenn’s work has a nostalgic approach that ignites a love of baking in her audience. Her inimitable artistry captures each recipe with a mood that inspires home bakers to experiment with exciting ingredient combos and helpful—and often humorous—tips.

“Embrace the glorious mess that you are.” 

As a child, if I wasn’t learning about art, I was being instructed on the beauty of nature—my mom was a designer and my dad a horticulturist. I inherited my mother’s creativity and my father’s sense of humor…and I call upon these traits in my work! 

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Food was “hands-on” in our family; my parents both shared in preparing meals. Dad had a garden and Mom canned the vegetables, Dad hunted deer and doves and Mom could turn them into a three-course meal, Dad made Sunday morning pancakes and Mom made pies and bread. With no formal culinary training, just good old trial and error home-style techniques, I learned from watching them and grew from licking beaters to being a helpful sous chef.

We were a suburban family, with deep, country roots. Growing up, preparing food was a special art form, a way to bring people together. Meals were—and still are—a time for us to spend quality time. Even though my mom worked full-time, she prepared everything herself. I learned early that homemade tastes best…and it’s worth the effort! 

In my twenties I was caught up with other things…eating takeout for the umpteenth time, my friends and I decided it was gross and we could make better. This revelation turned into a weekly recipe night with wine, endless chatter, and mini feasts. My renewed interest in cooking and baking grew from there. I bought new cookware and a few cookbooks. We tried new flavor twists, pigged out on warm cookies and cultivated lifelong friendships over the food we made.

Years later, after college, I was living on a horse farm when my passion for baking re-ignited. I wanted to smell and taste all the food from my childhood and I began baking for joy, when time from my equestrian duties allowed. 

Then, just after my 33rd birthday, I really started missing the artistic side of my life. So, I gave up my career with horses and started over as a photographer, but something was still missing. I wasn’t passionate about what I was shooting, but back in the kitchen I was trying new recipes, perfecting old ones, and enjoying every minute of it! 

So, I started pointing my camera at food. Like magic, creating in the kitchen turned into capturing food images. Now, I bake almost everyday and share how I see it. I live slow and share it.

Slow living speaks to my heart. I’ve done the fast paced, stressful, cluttered, and insatiable lifestyle. It left me feeling tired, unfulfilled, and lonely. I want to have a life full of experiences, not things, I want to eat food made from ingredients I’ve grown or harvested, and have the luxury to soak up the world around me. I want to live an authentic life at a slower pace…without the regrets of—if I only had time, visited, or enjoyed—lingering in my mind.

Slow living is reflected in my work. I encourage my readers to take time for the things they love. Follow their passions. Pursue curiosity. Slow down. Be patient. Soak up the moment.

To live slowly I had to first acknowledge what I value most. I prefer to make choices about my schedule, so I choose to live a creative life and work for myself. This comes with challenges and rewards; I work hard to achieve my goals, but balance work with down time.

Everyone can relate to enjoying something delicious. Whether you prepared the recipe, shared a slice of cake with a friend, or handed a bag of food to someone hungry, food connects us in its traditions, its possibilities and its joys. 

So, I work hard to share that cooking or baking doesn’t have to be perfect; you just need to enjoy it. Anyone can make something from scratch; it just takes a little patience and a willingness to try…and acceptance of the occasional failure! Sometimes I have to laugh and throw an experiment in the trash, other times I do a happy dance in surprise. I want my readers and followers to do the same; I want to inspire them to head into the kitchen to have fun and enjoy the results!

“Live a life driven more strongly by curiosity, than by fear.” –Elizabeth Gilbert

— twocupsflour.com | — wherewomencreate.com