Contentment Farm

No More Bottled Water!

I don't usually get on my sop box but I've been bothered lately so I decided that I'd hop on up for a few minutes.  With the prices of just about everything on the rise and our home values plummeting many of us are left feeling rather helpless.  We wonder where we can cut back, how we can fill our gas tank and put groceries on the table without changing the lifestyle that we've all gotten used to.  I'm in that boat too but I've vowed to make at least one change in what I buy and use.  No more bottled water!

I can be rather thick at times.  It can take me a while to see what's right in front of me.  This week I had a revelation.  Why this week?  I don't know.  It's not like there is any new information that has not been said before, but this week I realized that drinking bottled water is just plain stupid and I really don't like to think of myself as a stupid person.

 

First of all, we've all heard about the negative effects of BPA which can leach from plastic bottles into the water we drink.  But did you know that it takes anywhere from 3 to 5 liters of water to bottle 1 liter?  Or, that enough oil to run 100,000 cars for one year is used in the manufacture of plastic bottles with more used to transport the water and bottles before and after they are filled?  And, 90% of all plastic bottles are not recycled!  Did you know that?  Neither did I.  There's much more that I didn't know and the articles on Wikipedia.org and Treehugger.org were eyeopening for me.

 

Imagine, for every plastic bottle or bag that we use we are causing gas prices to go up.  Well, maybe that's a little simplistic, but really, when I think of all the plastic water bottles alone that I've recycled since the January 1^st it's shocking.  Imagine all the other plastic products that we use and discard without even thinking twice about it.  I, for one, am ashamed of myself and I vow to change my wasteful ways.

 

I've begun with bottled water, no more for me.  I've always requested paper over plastic bags but even that is not good enough so I'm carrying reusable grocery bags from now on. There are many other things that we can all do and I hope you'll join me, starting with bottled water.

 

In this day and age there really is no excuse for us not to know what effects we are having on the world. The choices we all make have a direct effect on how we live, we're feeling it more right now, so let's all do something.  I think we can make a difference!

Vintage Sewing Patterns

So, I don't usually have vintage sewing patterns but I came across these vintage Vogue patterns, with a smattering of Simplicity mixed in, recently and just couldn't walk away from them.  It must be the inner wanna be seamstress in me that made me bring them home but since I couldn't sew to save my life I've listed them on eBay.  The last group of them will be listed tomorrow at some point, so take a look.  Maybe you'll find just the pattern you've been looking for!

The pattern pictured here is a Vogue Special Design of which there are a few.  You'll also see a few Vogue Young Fashionables, two even have their original labels intact.  All are complete and many are unused, so take your pick and start sewing!  Click here to view the collection.

Stunning Hand Embroidered Canton Shawl ~ Rare Yellow Color

A stunning hand-embroidered Canton shawl on rare yellow silk ground. The embroidery is worked by hand in silk thread depicting peacocks, pagodas, swans, animals, birds, butterflies and flowers.

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Flapper & Art Deco Clothing Updated

Finally!  The teen is at college and I'm officially an empty nester, so I'm settling in to get some actual work done.  Today additions have been made to Flapper & Art Deco clothing.  Below you'll see an example. 

These are some of the best pieces I have with more to come shortly.  The next page due for update is the Designer & Other Eras category, look for it late next week.  Other categories will follow in the coming weeks.

Isn't it amazing what one can get done without interruptions?

Knockout 1920's Lame & Velvet Reversible Evening Coat

Words and pictures just can't do justice to this spectacular 1920's coat. This opulent evening coat is fully reversible with a stunning, stylized rose patterned lame on one side and simpler silk velvet and gold lame on the other.

Click here to read more!

I'm so happy to be back!  This summer has been a whirlwind that started in June with my son's high school graduation and is winding down with his departure for college this coming weekend.  Yes, I'll be an empty nester, unless you count the dog.  May I just say, WOO HOO!

Oh, wait, I'm supposed to be sad, aren't I?  Well, I know that I'll shed my share of tears on the way home on Saturday.  If you're on the road between Bryant University and central Massachusetts on Saturday afternoon and see an erratic driver heading north, that will be me as I wipe the tears from my eyes, so just give a wide birth and know, I haven't been drinking.

Anyway, believe it or not, I have been working very hard on the web site.  Not that you'd know if by all the new pages I've published, but I'm expecting to have two categories updated by the end of the week with more to follow very, very soon.  After all, I'm going to have to do something to keep my mind off my newly empty (and amazingly clean) nest!

See you soon!

Out of the Office

For those of you who are trying to reach us, we will be out of the office from August 3rd through August 13th.  We expect to come back with lots of new treasures for you.  You can preview some expected additions in the Coming Soon gallery to the right, but there are lots more to add that are not available for preview yet, so stay tuned!  See you in a couple of weeks.

Update!

New items have been added to the Victorian, Edwardian and Textiles & Needlework categories.  To veiw the new items use the category links to the left, or view all in the New Items category.

Welcome!

Welcome to the blog of Contentment Farm, a web site dedicated to antique textiles and vintage clothing.

Contentment Farm is located in a small town in central Massachusetts where apple trees and horses outnumber people.  It is from a converted antique building that Candy Shiveley runs her business.  On the web site you'll find 18th, 19th and some 20th century clothing and accessories as well as selected textiles including antique quilts, samplers, sewing items and other interesting pieces of the past.

Here, we would like to offer articles related to vintage clothing and textiles as well as an archive of previously sold items.  In addition we'll offer tips for caring for your delicate textiles and recommended reading and links to other places we enjoy.  Come back and join in the discussion, we look forward to meeting you!

Rare Baltimore Album Quilt Top with Odd Fellows Symbols

Depicted in the center of this piece is a building that is recognizable as the Grand Lodge Temple of the Odd Fellows that once stood on Gay Street in Baltimore, MD. This lodge was built in 1831 and was the first Odd Fellows lodge in the United States. It was destroyed by fire in 1904. Landmarks in and around Baltimore were popular subjects for use in album quilts of the genre.

Click here to read more!