A Spoon Full of Sugar

I am linking up with Wow Us Wednesday at Kimberly's.  Thanks for hosting!  To be transported to Wow Us Wednesday, just click on the icon on the right side of the page.  Have FUN!



Sugar was imported to America from England in colonial times.  It was named castor or caster sugar which is a very finely ground sugar.  It dissolves quickly in tea, coffee or cooking ingredients for cakes, icings, pies and other sweets.  Granulated sugar is a more coarsely ground sugar that is mostly used on American tables today.  However, the finer ground sugar can still be purchased for special recipes and use. 
                                                                                     

                                                                                   
Homemakers in the early times in America were proud to have sugar to serve their families and guests so special silver spoons and containers were designed by silversmiths to hold the sugar and were given special attention. 

This trio of sterling silver sugar castors were introduced around 1750 to hold the caster/castor sugar.  The sugar being ground so finely, easily sifted out through the decorative holes in the top of the shaker.  These are still being manufactured today for use in home.  Antique ones, such as these, are very costly and highly collectible.  They were, also, made in china or porcelain with sterling silver tops.

                                                                                

The two-handled vase style silverplate spoon holder (also known as “spoon goblet”) is uniquely American. Some were made to match silver tea services and were considered necessary to complete the service. Some were not produced to match tea services and sold individually.

Most had pedestal bases and some were produced with 4 feet. The vase shape was popular during the 1850s and 60s.   In antique shops you can still find examples of these and also some made in cut glass or pressed glass which I think were made later than 1860.

Then around 1870 the revolving spoon holder was designed and quickly became popular with the ladies.  They could be purchased in the one tier variety or the two tier type.  I think I prefer the two tier one.  I must admit, however, that in all of my years of "antiquing" that I have never seen one of these.

Next came the sugar bowl with the spoon holders around the middle of the bowl.  This type sugar bowl and spoon holder was very popular during the 1880's to 1910.  I am very fortunate to have one of these that I found in an antique show one time while visiting in San Francisco.

                                                                                                                                         

Technically, the spoon holder is for teaspoons, but I have used my collection of sterling silver souvenir spoons, more the size of demi-tasse spoons.

                                                                                                                    

                                                                                      
Note the silver plated foot (with the silver worn away) and the filigree with the Great Heron in the design.  We have a Great Blue Heron who lives in and around our back yard, so we are partial to Herons.

Note the art glass liner in the beautiful Robin's egg blue with the inverted thumbprint design.  I love the fact that my little treasure has this added bonus of glass and yummy color!

I have never used my lovely sugar/spooner at the table for actual use, but rather, display it on a table in my living room.  It is just an object from older times that is now a "pretty" to look at and definitely a conversation piece.  In Victorian times, however, this would have been used on the table.  I have read that Victorian ladies used only their best on their dining tables and liked to show their status in life via the china, crystal, and silver appointments set on their dining tables.   It was the norm to have at least four or five different type of forks and knives in the place setting of sterling silver flatware.  The following is a "must have" list for the proper Victorian dining table.

  I have to laugh as we sometimes dine so casually in our home with just the two of us.  If I were to pull out this Victorian sugar/spooner caster and expect Mr. B to use it, he would laugh at me! 

Thanks for stopping by !  Your visits mean so much to me, and I treasure your comments.   I wish I could offer you a cup of tea, but since that is not possible, may your week be a

Tea Party Everyday!!

                                                                                  

                                                                                    

Revolving spoon racks were introduced around 1870, a silver example shown here. Various spoon rack designs began to incorporate items such as vases, bells, & sugar bowls within the rack.

This silver plated sugar bow spoon holder was made between 1860 and 1899 by the Middleton Silver Company.

The Gift from Aunt Hattie

My dear Aunt Hattie was born in 1898 in Texas.  She was born to my paternal grandparents, Charlie and Mattie Hudson.  Her two older sisters died in early childhood, making her the oldest girl in her family of ten children.

 

My dad came along in 1916, and Aunt Hattie was a girl of 18 years of age.  She took care of the younger children, and my dad thought of her as a second mom.  Everyone loved Hattie.  She was fun to be around and loved life. 
She did not marry until later in her life but collected pretty things to use "someday". 

My aunt Hattie never had children of her own, and she always loved me as her own.  Each summer I would visit her for a week or two at a time.  She would open up her cedar chest and allow me to play with her German bisque doll.  I know that no other little girl ever got to play with "the doll".  It was my baby to care for on each visit in her home.

THE doll is another story to be told at another time.

Aunt Hattie gave my mom her beautiful Johnson Brother's Castle on the Lake china the year before she left this earth.  It is a beautiful set of pink/red with the romantic castle on the lake and delicate flowers decorating the edges of the dishes.  Johnson Brothers made this china pattern from 1939 to 1970 in three color combinations, pink/red, blue, brown/multi.  She had purchased it soon after it was introduced so it is very old.  The set consists of 10 place settings and a lot of serving pieces.

I have always loved this pattern, being somewhat of a dreamer, I think it fits my personality just perfectly.   Last week my mom opened up the china cabinet and handed me a plate.  While holding it, she asked me if I would like to take the Castle on the Lake home with me and call it my own.  Well, to own this set of china would be a treasure!

My eyes started to fill with nostalgic tears, remembering all the beautiful times my dear aunt and I had shared.  Visions of romantic castles on the lake, classical music playing in my ears, dreams of childhood

flooded my soul all at the same time, over-whelming me!

Needless to tell you, I brought the set of china home, and I can hardly wait to use it in my dining room with the cranberry painted walls.  I think my pink milk class collection will be a most delicate addition to enhance Aunt Hattie's china. 

Yes, the Castles on the Lake may now be mine, but not really, as it will always belong to my precious Aunt Hattie and her memory.  I will just be the caretaker of it until time comes to pass it on. 

Thank you, my precious auntie, from the bottom of my heart for your "GIFT" of love and your influence in my life.

Thanks for stopping by and oh, how I wish I could serve you a cup of tea and offer you some little cakes......maybe next time.....until then, have a wonderful week and remember to have a ........

Tea Party Everyday!

Restoration of 1910 Wicker Baby Buggy

Today I will be joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday, Skip to My Lou for Made by You Monday.   Thanks, to these two ladies  for hosting these  events!



Being a doll artist, I like to have "props" to display my work.  Recently, I found a 1910 wicker baby baby in an antique mall in Waco, Texas, about 175 miles from my home.  Dear Mr. B. graciously drove his pickup to the mall and delivered the buggy to our home.


This how the buggy looked when Mr. B. brought it home to me.

It is not in perfect condition but in good condition for its age. 

The buggy had the mechanism to hold the pram umbrella but sadly, it had no umbrella. 

Looking on Ebay, I found an antique pram umbrella that looked as if it would fit the buggy so I had it shipped from England.

(This is not the one I purchased, but it looks much like my black umbrella.)  I thought since the buggy had black wrought iron on the frame and the wheels, that a black umbrella would be best.

I went to work making the insides of the buggy so a baby could fit in it comfortably.  I made an ecru satin fitted sheet to fit around the pillows in the bottom of the buggy, a pillow, and a coverlet.  After researching photos of antique buggies of this era, this is what I designed and made.

Here are most photos of the completed little "treasure" that I want to share with you.

I had to have roses, lace and ribbon on a Victorian treasure.

This is now the "home" for "Lillian Camile", a toddler baby doll that I made.  She is dressed in an antique lace gown purchased in an antique shop.

I wanted to share the hand made crocheted bonnet displayed at the bottom of the buggy.  A dear neighbor gave it to me as an heirloom.  It had belonged to her mother as an infant, made by her grandmother.  The bonnet is 95 years old and I shall treasure it, perhaps, framing it in glass too preserve the loving stitches.

Thank you for visiting today.  It was such a joy to share with you my wicker baby buggy.  Last evening I was invited to give a presentation on my dolls at a Mother / Daughter banquet.  Around 90 people were in attendance.  I used this buggy and "Lillian Camille" as display along with two other dolls that I have made.  Everyone seemed to like the buggy, and some compared it with buggies of today.  No one thought it would have met today's standard's for safety!  And, I would have to agree!

May you have a wonderful rest of the week and may each day be .........

a Tea Party Everyday with lots of giggles.

 

You Are Beautiful, Lillian Camile (dolly)

Today I am sharing this post with Sunday's Favorites.   I have to add that I am presently making a new doll for a special order from one of the ladies who was present at the presentation I gave.  You will read about that near the end of the story. 

Lillian Camile is not a real little girl, but a baby doll that I created from a sculpt by Laura Tuzio-Ross.  She is a very limited edition of only 500, and her number is #279, making her most special.  Each of the 500 sculpts were done by individual doll artists around the world, so no two dolls will ever look alike as each doll artist has her/his own interpretation and levels of artistry.  Lillian Camile is supposed to represent a toddler doll.  She can stand along and be posed in different positions. 

Although Lillian is for sale on my website, she has taken up residence in my 1880 Victorian cradle.  I have loved seeing her in the cradle dressed in her cut velvet ruby dress with matching headband.  And I would have been perfectly content for her to continue to live there.  However...............

A neighbor of mine has asked me to be the guest speaker at their annual Mother and Daughter Dinner .  It is a part of their church activities each year in honor of Mother's Day.    She wants me to share my doll making with them and show some of the dolls that I have made.  There is a problem .......I have sold every doll I have ever made except "Hattie", made for myself, and Lillian Camile who is for sale. 

"Hattie"

This is "Hattie Mae" .  She sleeps all the time in the 1880's cradle. 

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After I retired from teaching little ones in public schools, I did not need to add to my list of hobbies and collecting.  Doll artistry just "fell" into my lap.  And it became a passion for me instantly. 

"The way to get good is to get interested. The way to get great is to get downright fascinated and passionate. Imagine being completely intrigued, and so passionate about something that you simply can't get too much of it. When you can do that in some particular field of expertise or endeavour, you can accomplish anything you choose to accomplish in that area."
Ralph Marston

Both babies will be going to the Mother/Daughter Dinner to be on display while I give my little talk about how I got started making dolls.  I thought I would  share with my blogging friends some darling  baby dolls that I have made along the way in the last five years .

This was a custom order this past Christmas.  As you can see from the photos, my dolls get nothing but the best of everything!

"Illaria"

"McQuire"

"Mabry June"

These are a few examples of my dolls.  Each doll takes me about 3 weeks to complete.  Each baby has mouth blown glass eyes from Germany and hand rooted angora mohair, rooted one hair at a time.  It takes me a week just to root the doll's hair.......truly, a labor of love.

I do want to share that sometimes the media portrays doll artists as eccentric old ladies who act as if their dolls are alive and take them out in public and talk to them.  That is not the case with me, and please, understand that I only make the dolls for the artistic qualities.....such as one would paint a canvas to hang on the wall and admire.  The dolls are art objects just the same as beautiful china is displayed in our homes, so are my dolls.   It breaks my heart that some people just do not understand this!  I have met some very famous doll artists in Orlando, Florida at the International Doll Shows, and I can assure you that none of them are "goofy".....just an exclusive group of talented artists who happen to love creating dolls. 

I hope that you enjoyed an insight to a few of my dolls and feel my passion to be as good at my craft as I can possibly be.

At the Mother/ Daughter Dinner, I will take photos and share the evening with you next week. 

Thanks for stopping by and oh, how I wish I could serve you a cup of tea and offer you some little cakes......maybe next time.....until then, have a wonderful week and remember to have a ........

Tea Party Everyday!