~raggygirlvintage french grainsack style pillows~

Hello peeps, before we get to the french grainsack style pillows, let me show you my view the past 10 days....

Pretty sweet hey! I was sunning it up with my family in Palm Springs, we were l-a-z-y!!

I had all kinds of plans for how I would use the time, but sometimes a body just needs a rest, so I swam, read, played games with the kids, shopped a little, looked at the stars, and watched humming birds! Do you know I can no longer beat my 16 year old at Scrabble. It’s a sad day I tell you.

I tried blogging from my ipad while I was gone, but it went all squirrely on me and I even managed to lose my last post. I took it as a sign to just chill and spend my time reading all your blogs instead!

We almost missed our flight home, but not quite, they were closing the doors behind us and we lost our seat assignments. As I’m not a good flyer to start with I think I handled it all very well! So now I’m back in the rain up north wearing three sweaters, with the fireplace going, but spring is a-coming, I know it, and I have so many things to work on and share with you here at raggygirlvintage. 

~raggygirlvintage french grainsack style pillow~

So first up, with us all fluffing our homes for spring, I wanted to show you some pillows ideas. I’ve been making these french grainsack style pillows for a while now, but I don’t believe I’ve ever shared them with you here. Here I have a french grainsack pillow stacked with a blue stripe ticking pillow and two of my budget Ikea white pillows. They almost redeem my awful navy sofa. Almost.

The grainsack style pillows are really fun to make, I use a heavier, nubby fabric and handpaint the stripes. The fun part is you can vary the width of the stripes for the look you want. 

I prefer to do a lighter coat of paint so it’s a little patchy here and there, makes it look more like a weathered grainsack.

This pillow closes with two twill ties on the side, so it’s easy-peasy to remove and wash, and I love the look of the side ties.

I finally got to list my french grainsack style pillow in my etsy store, so if you’re not up for making your own, head on over and check it out! I have a couple more new graphic pillows I’ll be listing there soon, including my all time fav. Here’s the link:

~french grainsack style pillow~

Happy spring fluffing!

linking up to these awesome parties:
 Feathered Nest Friday 
Air-your-laundry-Friday 
Home and Family Friday
Frugalicious Friday
Frugal Friday 
Show and Tell Friday

Tracey

 xoxo

~raggygirlvintage french farmhouse stylin’~burlap~

Hello friends,

Well enough about blogger issues, let’s get back to the fun stuff! Ready for some more ~french farmhouse stylin’~ 

raggygirlvintage syle?

We can’t talk about ~french farmhouse stylin’~ without including a feature on burlap. Burlap is one of the most versatile decor fabrics. Of course if you can get your hands on authentic burlap sacks all the better, but there are also great burlap fabrics out there that still have that rustic, vintage feel and look.

I haven’t yet been able to bring myself to cut up the few vintage sacks I do own, but they make great “props” folded or rolled and tucked here and there in your decor. {I think they are going to look awesome hanging on my whitewashed ladder when I am brave enough to smuggle it inside the house!}

You know how I love burlap table runners, and if my etsy sales are anything to go by, I’m not the only one! I love to make plain burlap runners, runners with white ruffles, ticking ruffles, vintage ruffles and runners with french graphics. They have all featured in my home decor at one time or another.

Whilst I am a big fan of decorating with burlap, I have to tell you I don’t enjoy working with it. If you’ve worked with burlap you will know what I am talking about!! By the end of a sewing session both my home and I are covered in fluff. and I have itchy eyes and skin for days. But every now and then I roll up my sleeves and work with burlap, ‘cos it’s worth it for the final product!

This is a pillow I recently made out of a printed burlap, it has french script and graphics all over it.

I backed it with plain burlap, but next time I would back it with a heavy cotton. It is hard to sew burlap on burlap and not have the seams part, as it is a very loosely woven fabric. For this reason it is not my favorite fabric for pillows, and for this same reason this pillow resides in my home : it did not pass my somewhat perfectionist standards for sale!! I’m okay with that, it looks kinda cute on my little bench, don’t you think!

The great thing about burlap is the neutral color goes with pretty much anything, and it adds that rustic lived-in touch in a home. You can get it in a variety of colors nowadays, but I prefer the traditional light brown burlap, or the off white.

 

 This is a small runner I made in the off white, with white ruffles and broderie anglaise lace. 

It fits well on a bench or end table and looks equally cute folded up.

And of course you may remember my Queen Anne chairs which I painted white and reupholstered with burlap.

So there you have it, ~rgv french farmhouse stylin’ a la burlap~

How about you, do you like to decorate with burlap?

linking up to:
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Primp your Stuff Wednesday
We Did It! Wednesday
Wow Us Wednesdays 
Wednesday Wowzers 
White Wednesday

Tracey

for more posts on ~rgv french farmhouse stylin’~ see here:

vintage milk carrier

ticking and lavender

~french farmhouse stylin’~blue ticking and lavender

Hello friends,

Ready for some more raggygirlvintage french farmhouse stylin”? I sure am!! 

Although french farmhouse stylin’ suggests a more neutral palette, it’s okay to include some color. Really.

And what is more french and farmhousey than striped blue ticking {or any ticking for that matter}.

Use as a feature pillow...

 or stack together with white pillows.

Doesn’t ticking look yummy with lavender, I cut this fresh and it dried out in the the jar.

There is something so classic and vintagey about blue striped ticking.

 Of course I couldn’t leave you without a ruffle too!

Happy french farmhouse stylin’

linking up to Penny Pinching Party @ The Thrifty Home 
Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts 
Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style
We Did It! Wednesday @ Sew Much Ado 
Primp your stuff Wednesday @ Primp 
Wednesday Wowzers @ Oopsey Daisy 
Sugar and Spice @ Seven thirty three 
Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Tracey

 

other RGV french farmhouse stylin' :

~vintage milk carrier~

 

~french farmhouse stylin'~ vintage milk carrier~

Hiya, I wanted to start talking about a few ways you can introduce a french farmhouse feel into your home and decor, and we’re starting with a ~vintage milk carrier~

I shelled out a pretty penny for this one, but I had passed up one too many and knew it would be one of those “I wish I woulda” deals.

Sometimes this vintage carrier sits on top my kitchen cabinets with a couple old milk bottles inside, but quite often I pull it down and fill it with flowers.

Currently my runner is just an old floursack on my family farmtable. We use this table all the time, so I like to have something that is quick and easy to move on and off. Even everyday spaces should have something to pretty them up and make you feel ~happy~

I popped in a few of my favorite blue mason jars and white tulips, and instantly have a pretty focal point in front of the window that shouts to me “french farmhouse stylin’”!! 

I closed the blinds to shoot these photos but typically the light floods in the back of the house in the afternoon.

Heart the old wooden handle and worn metal.

It’s a quick and easy decor item that you can change up in so many ways, with BIG impact, so next time you see a vintage milk carrier, don’t pass it up!

linking up to Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Home and Family Friday at Home is Where My Story Begins
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday over at Coastal Charm
Take-a-look Tuesday at Sugar Bee Crafts
Cowgirl Up at The Farmhouse Porch

~Tracey~

~ruffley lavender petals~

So, how was your weekend? Mine was wet, wet, wet!! At least it is washing the snow away. I didn't find any peonies like I had hoped, well who looks for peonies in the middle of winter? A gal can always hope, right!

o

I did find these beautiful baby ruffley roses though, in the most gorgeous shade of pinky lavender, with raggedy, ruffley petals, which I love, and I thought I would share them with you! 

Aren't they pretty!

Tracey

~making french decor bottles~

Hello peeps,

I wanted to show you a really easy and effective way you can transform ordinary thrift store glass bottles into elegant french bottles. I had fun making these ones up for a vintage market. 

I don’t have step-by-step photos for you, but I’ll describe how I did it.

1. Keep a look out for nicely shaped glass bottles on your thrifting adventures. I especially like bottles with a squareish shape, but you can use any really. Give them a really good wash, I run mine through the dishwasher.

2. Make friends with someone who has an awesome vinyl cutter or buy yourself an awesome vinyl cutter. As I don’t own an awesome vinyl cutter I went the friend route! Decide what you want and pick out your fonts, sizes etc. I chose eiffel towers, fleur de lis, paris…..You could also use premade vinyl stickers if you find some you like.

3. Apply the vinyls to the bottles.

4. Wind jute tightly around the bottle neck and secure with a knot. I also added some wrinkled seam binding to some of mine for a more romantic look.

And that’s it, they look great with a couple of different sizes grouped together, or a single bottle on a mantel, and they also make a fab gift!

Have a great weekend!

Tracey

linking up to Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
wow-us-Wednesdays
Good Life Wednesdays

~french grainsack style pillow~

I made up some french grainsack style pillows for a recent market

and they were such fun I just kept going!

~so now I'm listing a couple in my etsy store~

don't you love my vintage wire shopping cart, one day I'd like to make a pretty liner for it

anyways, back to the pillows, they have

barn red stripes front and back and a french graphic in black on the front

side ties, just because that's how I pictured them made up

they're a nice heavier weight fabric

$25 including the 12x16" insert

available at my raggygirl etsy store

i love them so much i'm keeping one for myself!!

Tracey

~fabulous fieldstone~

well the fieldstone vintage market was just as fab as we'd hoped

we were blessed with a balmy summer's day once the fog burned off

and the collection of vendors were awesome, WISH i had had time to shop!!!

i didn't have a chance to get around and take photos of the other booths, but there are lots of photos posted by other vendors and visitors at the market

i just have some of my booth to share with you....

{try and ignore the writing on the tent, unfortunately there weren't enough white tents for us all}

a large chalkboard at the entrance, i meant to get back there and write something a little more inspiring, oh well, you know how it is! i loved the petticoat hanging there, it was part of my "decor" but i did sell it to a gal who wanted it real bad!

in the back corner you can see the rusty old screen i set up and i draped a loooong swag across the corner too

other than that i kept it pretty simple

lots of vintage goodies

rusty old birdcage on my paris bench, cast iron bathtub feet

the vintage wooden rolling pins were a hit! i had so many they just had to go...

i stencilled "paris" onto this chair, it looked really neat

it was painted with ASCP old white

had a lot of fun with my stencils actually....

kiddie chairs and rockers were a big hit

cute wicker picnic hamper

sold lots of frames and chalkboards

repurposed glass bottles au paris

love them

hey, did i even keep one for myself??

gonna have to check my boxes!

blue mason jars were a hot seller, kept my own collection of them safe at home!

pillows weren't such a hot seller this market, but they looked neat in my booth, loving the french grainsack look, the striped one at the back I hand-painted, maybe I'll have to put a tutorial together, such an easy way to get the french grainsack look

i used ruffled bedskirts on the tables

~thanks, i thought it was pretty genius too~

and how cute are these film reels hanging in the corner

finally i wanted to show you my awesome banner that sweet Janis of rust and ruffles put together for me in a crunch

 isn't it gorgeous!!

well hope you liked the tour of my booth! i sure was happy to come home without any of the furniture i hauled out there! this was the first time i have done an outdoor market, it was a huge job and the morning fog was challenging as we tried to keep everything dry. if i do anything on this scale again, i definitely will take a partner along to share the load and so i can go SHOP!!

thanks to all the fantastic shoppers and bloggers who came out to visit the market

hope you had a fun weekend!

Tracey