Thelma and Louise hit the road again… Part 4, More Ohio!

After a week on the road, we were bubbling over with excitement… our new cd of foot stomping, knee slapping Appalachian music playing loudly in the truck (compliments of A Simple Life Magazine’s winter issue)… we were psyched!!!

Our first view of Mount Vernon was delightful… a quaint mid-western town with well-kept historic buildings.

How sweet is this!

Buckeye Candy and Tobacco Co.

LOVE IT!

The Comfort Inn was just around the corner, we checked in and went out for food!  Real food!  The one thing about being on the road is you miss real home-cooked meals.   We were lucky the first step of our journey with our sweet friend, Cecilia, cooking for us, but were ready (after 2 days on the road) for a real meal!

Food, a good night’s rest and we were off exploring.  The first person we ran into outside the hall was Max Squires, one of the promoters of Simple Goods and her husband… what sweet people, we totally enjoyed them!  Before long, her sister and co-promoter, Candy Looker, showed up and we visited for awhile.  Candy has done a lot of the art work for the show and her signs and t-shirts are fabulous!  Especially our Walker Homestead sign with Miss Chickie on it!

Miss Chickie had been invited by Candy and Max, but we were afraid that 2 weeks on the road would be too much for her… and would hotels let her stay???

This was the sign for the new building, where our booth was located…

It was exciting to see signs for some of our friends’ booths…

and how each one suited the individual vendor…

such attention to detail…

is what makes this show so special~

We checked out the Salvation Army building and found our booth location…

the guys were busy at work already!

Our next chore was to straighten out our truck… the 2 previous shows had created havoc… between the snow, mud and bad weather, our packing was not exactly organized…

Our work was cut out for us!  We made a big mess in the parking lot, reorganized, re-packed and were ready for set-up the following day!

We went back to our rooms to freshen up and head out for dinner.  In the parking lot, we ran into friends and joined them for a decent brick-oven pizza… what fun!

SET-UP DAY.

We worked all morning on setting up our walls… the porters were awesome!  Such gentlemen and they actually helped us with set-up as well!  Great guys, can’t say enough about them.

This was our trial run setting up the walls at home… it was a little easier with the guys and no real walls behind us!

We spent all day setting up, finishing up around 9 pm… we missed lunch altogether and the lady in charge of our building was nice enough to make sure we got dinner!

Our finished booth… more or less… a little tweaking to do in the morning, but we finished up in time to go pick up our friend (and helper), Judy Coffey of Country Plus, at the airport in Akron!

Doreen’s beautiful mural over our fireplace~

We were amazed at how quickly our linen short gowns sold!  We even took orders for them… for regular wear, too funny… guess we’ll have to make more next time!

We took a quick walk around the booths set up on Friday in the main building…

So neat, love this wig stand in Carolyn Thompson’s booth…

Pretty ladies… Carolyn Thompson and Judy Coffey… so excited to finally meet in person!

LOVE~

Jill Peterson’s Frontier Homestead booth… that trencher came home with us!

Matthew Ehresman Antiques

James Cramer’s booth… what a great guy, we enjoyed him immensely!  We came home with some of his great decorating ideas as well.

A Simple Life Magazine‘s booth where Jill Peterson and her husband, Todd, handled book signings.

Christina & Scott Hummel of Primitive America talking with Molly Garland of Tinkertown Antiques during set-up.

Primitive America‘s unfinished booth… came out fabulous!

Richard Fuller Antiques

A few more shots of our booth~

Soooooo, there are lots more photos from the day of the show and our other escapades which I will save for the next segment…

Advertisement

Thelma and Louise hit the road again… Part 3, Ohio!

Maryland and southern Pennsylvania faded into the distance and

WE WERE OFF!

OHIO, here we come!

Let me preface it to say, neither of us had been to Ohio before…

or even western Pennsylvania for that matter.

First, a quick stop in Lancaster County, PA…

You wouldn’t think it would take us long to stop and buy gourds at an Amish gourd farm,

WOULD YOU???

Sure, no time at all!

After a perusal of all the gourds in stock in the showroom, we knew we were in

 DEEP TROUBLE!

There was only one problem…

ALL the gourds were clean and shiny!

Our dear friend, Connie had given us the contact information for this farm through one of her friends.  Low and behold, this fellow was at the farm this very same morning AND

THEY WERE EXPECTING US!

He likes pretty shiny gourds… shyly, we asked,

“Do you have any uncleaned gourds?”

The sweet fellow behind the counter said,  “you want dirty gourds?”

YES!!!!

He took us outside to bins and bins of dirty gourds AND

more boxes and boxes of dirty gourds inside this HUGE barn!

GOURD HEAVEN… a couple of happy campers!

So, with smaller purses, we were off…

OHIO, HERE WE COME!

The hills of western Pennsylvania were beautiful!

BUT, hours and hours later, we were very grateful for the sign

WELCOME TO OHIO!

We were supposed to visit a shop in Alliance, but as it got late and we got a little lost, we called and postponed our visit for the following morning.

Let me tell you, finding a hotel room without a credit card can be a little daunting!

It seems that CASH isn’t accepted at the Holiday Inn Express…

so, in search of a room, we drove 15 miles to a skanky place in Warren, Ohio…

one quick look and we kept on going!

We decided to go on to Alliance and see what we could find there, tired and hungry by this time!

We ran into a little accident along the way, which left us sitting and waiting for a half hour or so… lucky for us, we weren’t involved in it!

Finally, a good night’s sleep at the Comfort Inn in Alliance!

Nothing prepared us for our stop at Bridgewater Primitives!

An unassuming warehouse building with some primitive decor outside

OPENED UP to

ONE OF THE MOST AWESOME PRIMITIVE SHOPS WE HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE TO SHOP!

We were welcomed by Lesa Green and Scott Miller and given the royal tour!  What a great place, fantastic finishes on their primitives with a sprinkling of antiques and other stuff~

A real log wall in the middle of the shop defines the space and atmosphere… you’d never know you were in an industrial building!

Believe it or not, this is the bathroom!  I just love the old tub!

Beautiful things in every corner and reasonable prices!

We were given a tour of their workspace as well… it’s amazing the amount of merchandise they pump out each day!  Talent, talent, talent… and nice people.  They even stopped by to visit us at Simple Goods later in the week.

After picking out some new merchandise for the shop and saying our good-byes, we were off!

Much to our surprise, just down the road, we had to wait for a train crossing (don’t see that back home anymore)!

Seville, here we come!

We were really looking forward to our first visit to Seville Antiques!  So many people told us it was a MUST DO for any country antiques lover…

Again, the exterior was deceiving…

Joyce was wonderful and graciously allowed me to take photographs and gave Doreen a tour of all her back rooms.  What a fabulous collection of country antiques dealers… ALL IN ONE PLACE!

The girls told us the music playing was the gift cd included in the new issue of A Simple Life Magazine which had been delivered that very day!  Of course, we had to buy one since we knew we wouldn’t be able to wait until we arrived home for our own issues.

special things in every booth~

love this cow!

the crewel chair pad really works… ideas, ideas… mind is buzzing!

every corner was a delight~

I LOVE hetchels… saw at least a half dozen in this shop!

Doreen bought this little treasure… sold it, too, at Simple Goods!

flax… linen warp in 3 widths… be still my heart~

Loved the sweet painting on this cutting board, reminded me of my sweet Miss Chickie~

Missed her enough to talk to her on the phone… am I nuts???  Yep.

One of the sweetest baskets I’ve ever seen… wanted to take it home with me in the worst way, but alas… I wasn’t buying for me~

What a treat, what a treat… I know I’ll be back again and again and again!

Our damages were tallied, and new cd in hand, we popped it in and with toe tapping, knee slapping Appalachian tunes to drive by, we headed on to Mount Vernon and Simple Goods!

To be continued…

Simple Treasures from the Past – Antiques & Primitive Goods Show

Walker Homestead will be hosting its 4th Simple Treasures from the Past – Antiques & Primitive Goods Show on Saturday, September 24, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 19 Martin Road, Brookfield, Massachusetts  01506.

Walker Homestead is set around a 1698 New England saltbox on 30 acres at the end of a country lane featuring a quilt shop, antiques & primitive shop & garden shop with heirloom gardens for you to stroll through.

For the show, our tavern room will be set up as the Homestead Tavern offering dining for the event catered by Haymaker’s Grill of West Brookfield, MA and there will be simpler fare out back at the chuck wagon.  The Podunk Ramblers will be playing live bluegrass music throughout the day, and there will be demonstrations in bookbinding by Paul A. McClintock of Whidbey Island, WA and basketry by 15 year old Dakota!

Scattered across our lawns and back fields you will find an amazing group of country antiques and  craftsmen of handmade primitives!  Truly an amazing display of wares and a wonderful group of people.

Parking is free in our front field and admission is $5 per person at the gate.  We sincerely hope you can make it!

Below are some photos from our June 2011 show… enjoy~

Mary Elliott of Pepperell, MA

Best Booth Winner June 2011 Show – Robin Rock & Milltown Primitives of North Stonington, CT

Pied Potter Hamelin & Kulina Folk Art of Warren, MA, photo by Bonnie Lucente

For more information and a list of our vendors for the September 2011 Simple Treasures from the Past – Antiques & Primitive Goods Show, visit our website www.walkerhomestead.com or call the shop 508-867-4466.  We look forward to seeing you!

~ A Birthday Blast for Comstock, Ferre & Co. ~

We first heard about Comstock, Ferre & Co.‘s 200th Anniversary Birthday Bash when their seed catalog arrived in the mail way back in December… or was it January?

In any event, it was cold and there was lots and lots of snow…

the perfect time to start planning our gardens, devouring seed catalogs, making just the right choices to get us through the cold, bitter New England winter months…

the perfect time to make plans to visit the Comstock, Ferre & Co. in Wethersfield, Connecticut for their 200th Anniversary Birthday Bash!

Jere & Emilee Gettles, owners of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds of Mansfield, Missouri purchased the 200 year old seed company with the intention of restoring it to its former glory and continuing its heritage by carrying heirloom seeds to supply small gardeners and retail operations as well.

A dream come true.  The Gettles brought an Amish crew from Missouri to restore the historic buildings and barns and I can’t think of a better owner to understand the value of such a place and its heritage.

The day dawned clear and cool, a nip to the air, promise of a beautiful day to come… we headed out to Wethersfield (about an hour away from our Central MA home) with the excitement of a day out, surrounded by plants and history!  Nothing prepared us for such a lovely day… a lovely day indeed!

Here are some photos of our day… LOTS and LOTS of photos of the day, but it was hard, very HARD to eliminate them… we so enjoyed ourselves!

The Belden House at Comstock, Ferre & Co.

We arrived on Main Street, Wethersfield… parking was full, had to take a ride around the block in order to find a shady spot to park (the dogs joined us).

We arrive at Comstock, Ferre & Co.

Our first view of the festival… where to first???  Re-enactors in every corner… way too much fun!  A recent trip to Fort Frederick Market Fair had given us a taste for this, so excited to find more… AND so close to home!

A blacksmith selling his wares… and demonstrating in period costume!

Heating up the iron… a portable forge!

Working the iron…

… and getting the curve just right!

Just the right amount of twist!

Using the bellows to heat the coal…

This fine lady was demonstrating various needle crafts and her skilled weaving…

Tools of the trade… a lady would have had many of these implements attached to her waist (or girdle) holding her needles, scissors, thread and the like.

This little loom was for weaving cording.

Equivalent of a sweatshirt, back in the 1700’s… this shirt is a linen-cotton mix, hand-woven and hand-stitched by this fine lady who gave me instructions on how to make it without a pattern.  Can’t wait to give it a try!

Every seam was a “French seam” which covers up the raw edges and reinforces the stitching… at the shoulder seam, cotton twill tape was used for strength.

Triangular gussets were used where the shoulder meets the neck for additional strength… keeping the fabric from fraying or tearing.

Just LOVE this gusset at the bottom of the neck opening!

Detail of the turned under edge along the neck opening.

Jere Gettles talking with a few visitors.  Both Jere and Emilee were wandering in and out of the crowd, talking with visitors and taking photos… I wished I had more time to try and chat with them!  Jere’s recent interview with Zan Asha for The Renegade Farmer was so interesting and gives you a feel for what they are all about!

These guys were fun to talk to!  Great information on this replica cannon (casting of an original untouched 1750 cannon given by the British to us, hidden away and recently discovered)… so cool!

Officer’s field desk, with everything an officer would need…

This nasty little weapon was pretty neat… no mater how you throw it, it always ends with a point up… imagine the damage this baby could do to a hoof or soldier’s foot???  Evidently, they were used up to the Vietnam war.

Paul discussing the cannon with its owner…

I absolutely loved the wheels!

The type of shot which would have been fired from this cannon.

… and a close up of the cannon itself.

This fellow was displaying 18th century tools that were found on his family’s farm in Windsor, CT…

…a great collection, used by his family for generations!

So cool!

Ice saw and tongs used for harvesting ice which was stored in sawdust in the ice house for summer use!

Blueberries… yum!!!

LOVED this arbor/trellis… new project for Paul to add to the side of my new arbor!

It’s the little things that get me excited!  Can you believe they were selling plants like this???   CHEROKEE GREEN TOMATO… awesome!!!

Inside, there were lots of vendors, seeds and great things to buy!  Here are Baker Creek cups, t-shirts and hats!

A great selection of books relating to heirloom gardening…

… honey and beeswax products…

… natural fertilizers and insecticides…

… and SEEDS…

… great displays, vintage design cards…

… and candles…

… birdhouses…

… and all sorts of gardening gadgets, supplies and information!  LOVED the twine holder!

Old seed boxes and crates were everywhere… so cool!

Looks like old seed packets, but they’re packaged for 2011!!!

Walls of old file cabinets, bins and equipment!

Great twine!

You wouldn’t believe how wonderful these Swedish natural bristle brushes were!  They had vegetable brushes, nail brushes… you name it!

Pysanky eggs!  I hardly ever see them out and about… we’ve made them, a lot of work, but so worth the effort!

There were beans in jars, lots of beans as well as all these lovely drieds… so sweet!

Catholic Charities immigration assistance had an area where they were selling these gorgeous rugs and knits!

… and SEEDS!

I just LOVE the packaging!

Samples of bread dipping mixes… mmmmmmmmm, so good!

… and more SEEDS!

A view across the main floor.

… and more SEEDS!

Paul checking out the amaranth seeds…

… now tell me, where can you find amaranth seeds… not one variety, not two varieties, but 5 VARIETIES!!!  So awesome, great seed selection!

How about this variety of eggplant… couldn’t get myself to try it this year, but maybe next year’s garden???

PURPLE TOMATOES, PINK TOMATOES, GREEN TOMATOES… whatever color your heart desires… they’re here!

Heirloom Gardener magazine!  The current issue and many back issues… we carry this back at our shop, it’s awesome!  Jere & Emilee Gettles do a great job with it!

Old signs…

… and antiques!

A view of the front yard festivities!

LOVED these old drug store bottles!

FANTASTIC sign!!!

Cases of old seed catalogues, packages and related memorabilia!

Not sure if these were measures or scoops or both, but they were AWESOME!

Sacks…

.. old crates…

… machinery used in the seed industry…

LOVED this machine… I have no idea what it was used for, though!

Here is another unknown beauty!  Look at that old paint!

Emilee & Sasha Gettles at the Farmer’s Cow ice cream booth…

… it was so GOOD!!!

One of the back buildings used for speakers… Jere Gettles on the left, talking with a customer.  There were food vendors, plants and more set up out back… great stuff!

Back out front, re-enactors were set up.  Here is a basketmaker’s display…

… this lady was showing visitors how people had to write…

… and this lady was spinning naturally dyed wool…

… all naturally dyed wool yarn, the red is from cochineal (a bug which was imported in the 18th century for red dyes), the brighter orange is from cosmos!

This young family looked so sweet!

Writing samples…

… and wares.

This lady’s needlework was AWESOME!!!

She showed me this great book with photos from Winterthur Museum and look what I found!!!  I have a sampler very similar to this that my great, great, great, great, grandmother’s sister made… same era, also from the Lexington Concord area!

LOVED this guy’s coat!

The band played on!

… and we reluctantly said our farewells!

A fabulous time, wish we had more time to stay and visit with everyone, shop and enjoy… SOOOOOO… if you ever happen to be near Wethersfield, CT, be sure to stop in at Comstock, Ferre & Co. – you won’t regret it!