Showing posts with label :: Midwinter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label :: Midwinter. Show all posts

Thursday, 27 September 2012

:: 'The Good Life'


Salad veg with chilli's and some strawberries.
 The veggie patch!
Yes... the Ouch's are doing the 'Good Life'
This is our first crack at it, it's a very satisfying venture and we look forward to picking the first salad from our garden!


Tomatoes and basil!

Shreck ears-succelent, replanted

Worker with 'The Cat' foreman.


After Goliaths need for recuperation and solitude, his pot was left unattended and these blighters moved in! 
Cheeky...skull and all!

New cactus pot with bird skull for a desert effect!

And a spot of thrifting has come up trumps!

A shadow box for my new Dansk candle holders collection.
'Graphic' Jessie Tait for Midwinter.
I'd say a successful week so far! :)

Hope you are enjoying yours or are making great plans, for your next break!
:Pippa

Monday, 18 June 2012

:: Midwinter Homage

Thrift finds-gasp!
 Now this is a going to be a long post, so go make yourself a cuppa and settle in!
Midwinter, popular for collectors due to the tireless designing of notable UK Designer Jessie Tait.

Spanish Garden and Country Garden 1960's
3rd edition of the Midwinter Pottery Book.
I have been hunting for this book for a while now, so when the 3rd edition became available, I swooped like a hungry falcon!

I have learnt from its glossy pages that the Midwinter Pottery was looking to boost sales after the post war gloom, they created the stylecraft shape (1953) inspired by a trip to the West Coast U.S where Roy Midwinter viewed the work of Eva Zeisel 
(psst linked to Mid2Mod, Dana did a great post here and this is where I first learnt of Eva)and Russell Wright.

These wares were rimless, organic in shape, no banding typical of traditional pre-war forms and the colour palette was brighter, cleaner!

The stylecraft shape was developed to have an "ease of cleaning and economic storage" for "smaller homes and tighter budgets" all to captured the younger generation.
This was the beginning of the "starter pack", 20 pieces- four tea cups & saucers, tea plates, dinner plates and cereal bowls.
Young couples could add to their collection and replace as necessary. 
Does this not sound familiar?
Do you remember buying your first set of crockery?

 Browsing through this lovely book I have selected the Midwinter ranges I will happily swoop on, if I found them in the wild!
Plant Life by Terence Conran.


The "Plant Life" design in the fashion shape 1956.
What a delightful design and still relevant to today's current market!


Vase-Caribbean
Caribbean.


 This design is in the fashion shape (1955)
again the colour combination and organic motif is timeless. I don't think I could handle the complete set, to use daily but a nice wee plate or vase or both would be nice!


Festival.

 "Festival" in the fashion shape was inspired by the Festival of Britain.


Savanna.
 "Savanna" in the fashion shape and the fancy shape (1940's-1960's).

Vase Collection-Tonga, Candlesticks, Bands & Dots.
  I fear another collection is going to start if I ever manage to get my hands on one of these beauties!

image via book.
These are the lovely showroom ladies  c:1960, look at those hairdo's, glasses and pins!
 If I was born in this era, I think this is where I would like to be, move over Jessie Tait!


 Thanks for reading!

:Pippa 

 In the book there are excellent images of the shape guides and pictures of the early design drawings for some of the popular designs, I haven't posted these because I strongly encourage you to buy the book...and I don't want to upset the copyright police either!

Images Via




Saturday, 14 April 2012

:: Collections #4

My lastest finds, Midwinter Stylecraft (UK) bowl (fashion shape) and a cake stand. 

I picked up the bowl from a garage sale and the cake stand via Etsy, all the way from Canada.
It took 3 months!

 I'm not usually big on florals but this pattern has a bit of a rock in roll edge, with the fine black crisscross pattern behind the roses.
The rose is a robust rose too not a soft romantic whimsical type...I do like a bit of an edge!
And I'm a sucker for Midwinter!

I was overjoyed to find this beauty at the op shop for $3.00.
I have admired Flensted Mobiles for a while now and these swallows retail for AUD $30.00.
I'm very pleased!
On another note, I'm now ready to fill my shop with goodies.
 I will work feverishly to create some new wares. 
A special thanks to those who have visited my shop only to be dissappointed, 
I'm so very sorry and stupidly thought no one would visit,
(not very bright)so off I go to do some knotting!

:P