White O'Morn Cottage

Freecycled, Crafted and Thrifted Treasures!

 Vintage gas cooker find

Today I sourced this fabulous vintage gas cooker on our freecycle site www.jumbletown.ie  I never thought I would find a working original cooker circa 40/50's, never mind that it would be located withing a few miles of home! It will be perfect in the cottage kitchen instead of the ..."on its last legs and missing two burners and a broken oven door" cooker I have at the moment. Not only that  -but a very kind member of the site who lives nearby and knows of our present difficult circumstances has offered to collect it and store it if we can't get down to collect. How lovely of her!  Thanks you Misstake (aka Bernie)

I first met Bernie when she gave me some fabric and a sewing machine and I gave her a collection of rock videos! We have been firm friends since and she has contacted me several times to ask how Paul is doing and even offered to pick up the cooker for us. Thanks Bernie, much appreciated.

Sock News....

Well, I have just about finished my first sock and started my second! I could not figure out the finishing instructions for the first one so left it and started on next one. I will get to grips with it as I am so near to finishing...Wheee!I love sock knitting now and can't be stopped. More to come when I get them both finished. How's it goin' Kimme?

Thrifted Wool

I found a big bag of mohair wool in my local charity shop. It is called Kinnair and is made from goat's wool. Pic to follow. Don't know what I will make from it but it sure is gorgeous...any suggestions?

Well, The Cat, Pants...has settled in and peace reigns once more in our little home...she sure looks contented don't you think? She doesn't look like a moggie who is besieged by three doggies!

 

Next I have a pic for you of a lovely shabby chic piece of vintage Irish wool cushion cover I have just listed on my website White O'Morn Cottage Shop click on link or see side bar

It has a little hole in it and I am going to crochet a cute shamrock to cover it.

And how cute is this baby's aran cardigan? Doty! It has just been listed too.

...and while on the subject of cushion covers...here are two I made for my son, Steve and his girlfriend Marie. Deep orange is their accent colour so I made these from my stash of fabric sample books. I finished them off with big plastic toggle buttons. No frilly frou frou, shabby chic for this cool young couple!

 

...and here is one I made for my sister in law's new home. One side - the patchwork,  is made from Moda cotton fabric that sisTeeda gave me and the other  is made from handmade silk I got from a book of furnishing fabrics Angie got for me. Fully reversable and finished off with a vintage button closure...clever me!

 

 

Paul is keeping well and is getting ready for his next session of treatment in Sep. I am delighted to have my oldest son, Chris, home for  a while. He will be good company for me when Paul is in hospital (and can't have visitors - as he will be radioactive)

I caught a nice photo of Chris today when he was not expecting it...the best kind I think..."Are you growin' a beard son? ...or just acting the goat?" Love ya'!

 

Festival Fun

Just back from Ballinamore where they had their annual festival last week. Paul was tired so we only got out to one night of fun. There was something on every day and every night. We did a bit of a pub crawl on Wednesday night so as not to miss anything!

In the open air in High Street there was a great band on called Simply Tina....can't guess why!!!

 

We then headed off to Bobby Joe's Bar...Zinda, Paul and Angie getting into the spirit of it.

 

Next we went to the Poor Scholar...they were having a karaoke night...One drink, a good girlie giggle and a quick exit before we were tempted to sing!

 

Next one shows Paul having a scoop in Jackie's Bar where there was a country and western singer on.

He was good too and Angie and I got up to do The Tush Push (line dance) and made a holy show of ourselves and Angie pulled a hamstring......so it was off to Priors to see a Jazz and Swing band. Also pretty cool. We finished the night there.

 

The next day was Ladies Day but we could not get a ticket - sold out!

We had our own ladies day in Carrick-on-Shannon (shopping) and later in the Old Schoolhouse (party and craft night) Hmmmm....lots of party and not much crafting!

Katie arrived and showed us her gorgeous range of handmade, by her, bridal jewellery collection.

Talented lady Katie, she is a hairdresser, teacher, mother and jewellery maker! Well done Katie! More details to come over on Angie's blog The Old Schoolhouse (see sidebar)

 

Thrifted Finds:

Found some lovely goodies in Carrick - like this "Cross stitch" Home Sweet Home plate.

 

A sweet cake stand with...roses

 

 

Not that it was all fun and games...no, no, I had some home improvements planned. Above: Me shiftin' a mountain of sand and gravel to make what is locally known as a "street" to park on.

Talk to ya soon...Pam

 

 

 

Thrifted Treasures, Fairy Stitches and Woolshop Garden

First let me say to Twiggypeasticks "Have a wonderful holiday inWhite O'Morn Cottage!"

 Twiggy won my giveaway for a week's  holiday there and is currently in residence enjoying good weather, the Ballinamore Festival and lots more! Wish I was there....er..well maybe not...it only has one bedroom and er well......Oh, you know what I mean. Twiggy and Co. ....have a ball!!!!! Go girl!

Lots of love to you and your branch and your twiglet (husband and son)

Paul is not allowed out of range of his hospital so we have to have our "holidays" here at home as best we can. So every day we try to go somewhere and make an outing of it for ourselves. Lovely they are too. Always enjoy the simple pleasures - that's one thing his illness has taught us.

So off we went the other day to Stitch wool shop in Beaumont, Dublin. While I was browsing all the goodies in the shop Paul was able to go out to the garden at the back to have a cup of coffee. I joined him for a nice cup of tea. They serve it in a selection of mismatched vintage china and all the teapots have a cute hand knit cosy. So very civilised! 

 This is a fab little shop where you can sit and knit, meet other knitters, swap ideas and patterns, ask for advice, take lessons and hang out and have tea and such and so can your menfolk.

Here are some pics I took of the wool shop garden....a haven of peace and tranquility.

 

 

 

 

Even found a frog friend for Paul!

 

 

 

Not Rocket Science - Sockit Science

I have finally got the courage to have a go at knitting socks on 4 needles. I asked for a simple pattern and some wool. I'll keep you posted as to how I get on.

 

The lady assured me that if I could knit and follow a pattern then it was not difficult...so not rocket science but sockit science!

 

Stitched by Fairies I think!

After that we had time to take in one of my favourite charity shops where I found a stash of oddments of wool, needles (I must have a full set by now) embroidery thread, wool embroidery thread, sewing notions and more.

While there I found some lovely old table linens: a full set of tablecloth, napkins and traycloth. All of them hand stitched with minute, impossibly neat stitches. I took a macro photo of them to show you. Women had patience in those days!

 

I think I will keep these for the cottage as they are too beautiful to part with. I'm always doing that - even though I buy them to resell on my vintage website. I find that I can't part with them. Oh well, confessions of a hoarder! 

 

Sharing my TITAWICS with you and more good news!

 Good news is Paul is coming home tomorrow! I'll sit him in the corner and throw sugar at him! Happy days!

...now - I bet you are wondering what a TITAWICS is. Nope. Not tellin' you until the end of this post. So you have to read all my boring knitting bits first.

I was given a bunch of 80's knitting patterns this week. I got them from a woman on the Irish freecycle site, see link below.  They sure brought back that decade to me and made me smile...Ahh, the big hairy shoulders era (sorry, I meant the big hair & shoulders era) 

Some of the patterns were so complicated I just culled them and put them back up on the freecycle site www.jumbletown.ie  and I got a taker in two minutes flat!

These are the ones I kept...This one is for an Aran that I can't do so I am giving it to John in work 'cos he can and does and will (yes, you heard me...John. He is a very skilled knitter and makes all his own knitwear)

Hey!  is that straw sticking out from under his arm? Why can't he have hair like the rest of us?

This one below looks easy and I WILL be giving it a go. Batwing sleeves are back (well

they will be when I have made this)

I love the eighties styles in these books. God be with the days when you could tie an 'oul dishrag on yer head and off ye' go looking gorgeous.

The one on the right reminds me of YOU Colleen...OMG! I think is IS YOU COLLEEN! (I am going to go to your blog and rip that pic of you in the 80's to prove my point)

 

                                  Colleen in the Eightes! Main Street Memories Blog - see my sidebar.

Now TITAWICS...are very interesting and you should keep reading to find out just how interesting :-)

 Ha -ha,  you thought you were off the (crochet) hook but no...keep reading my head ramblings first.

This is one I would love to make but don't think I can manage it. Looks so cuddly and gorgeous. Ah well ....one can dream!

...and THIS one is also gorgeous and I would love to cuddle up to this one but I don't think I can manage that either...but ah well..one can dream (and if I could  then he would not need any wooly jumper or scarf to keep him warm..whehey!)

 

Speaking of dreaming brings me neatly to ...TITAWICS = (Things I Think About When I Can't Sleep)

I could not sleep the other night so I came up with a plan for World Peace instead. It is devestatingly simple. That's what a good TITAWICS is and if I ever come up with a better idea than World Peace I will be sure to let you know.

Here is mine......What if all world leaders were women? One good meeting in New York and all would be well. Then it woud be off to the outlets stores to blow the respective national war budgets (which -let's face it - would be better spent on Jimmy Choos and shoes anyway) ...I rest my case.

Look What I Won in Blog Giveaway!

  I told you recently that I had won a giveaway on the blogs. Well, I had thought it was a sewing magazine and I was thrilled to have won it but look what popped in my letterbox this morning.....

 

Yes, the said magazine and I love it - I will definitely be making some of the projects in it. The gorgeous sewing machine cover (I bought that from Josie at Skyssillysite (see my sidebar) and she gave the money to Red Nose Day) It is made from heavy Sanderson fabric and is super for popping over your machine to make it look good whle not in use. Every sewing machine should have one! Her prices are VERY reasonable too. A must see

She makes the most amazing things. Go check her out.

But the best surprise of all was this gorgeous Morsbag she made and included in the giveaway. It is just PERFECT for my knitting. I am thinking of embroidering "Pam's Knitting Bag" on it!

Josie makes these Morsebags from recycled fabric and scraps from her stash and www.morsbags.com will explain all about the concept behind them. The label says "Morsbags.com sociable guerilla bagging".

I am a real tree huggin, earth lovin' greeny and just crave anything recycled or repuropsed so this is bang on for me. Thank you Josie..I love everything!

Close ups of the gorgeous applique fabrics. DIVINE!

 

 

And now for more lovelies - lovely to look at. A selection of photos I found that bring a smile to my face of a soft wisp of peace to my mind...

My latest craft project. I made this little bedside mat from some of the wool I got for my birthday. The wool is called The Big Softee and it was like knitting with candy floss!

   

I found these little pink hearts in my stash and threaded them onto the fringe

 

Here is little tip for when you are knitting and the dog keeps trying to kill the ball of wool. Just pop it into a pretty tissue box. This one is from Lidl and has the prettiest floral pics on it.

Yumm...cake!

 

I often browse this great book by Nicholas Mosse

 

The Grinning Plate! This is guaranteed to bring a smile to my face as I think it looks like it's smiling. The bottom half of a serving dish - the cover can be seen to the left.

 

An old musical figure - she plays Ave Maria. I think her hairstyle is so cute!

 

Well, that's it for now. I hope you enjoy some of my favourite things too....Cheers...Pam

Ring a Ring O'Roses A Cottage Full Of Posies....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pink, porcelain, paper or  painted ....you just gotta love roses.....

 

 

Sepia Memories in Virginia and other Head Ramblings!

 

While passing through Main Street, Virginia, County Cavan I came across some lovely old photos in G Fitzsimons shop. The owner has  a collection of her relatives displayed at the cash register and what a great set of photos they are! The shop is pictured in the photo below - taken in the thirties and the two romantic ladies are her aunts with a very popular local man! This one was taken in the forties. Aren't they fabulous!!

Be sure to call in and see them if you are in Virginia. The shop has some really lovely gifts and things and the owner is really friendly.

 

Virginia also has this wonderful original hardware shop. Unchanged since it was built and full of character and charm both inside and out..

Also in the same street is this lovely black and white former shop. I really like the old name over it. It translates as E O'Kelly 

Seachtain na Gaeilge 

This is Seachtain na Gaeilge which means we celebrate our national language.  So with that in mind I went about taking pictures of signs in Irish around Ballinamore....

first is the school bus - Bus Scoile

  

Siopa Eadai is a clothes shop 

 

Tailliur...Tailor?

TOURIST iNFORMATION 

 

...And the crest outside the Garda Station (Police)

It is quite beautiful with celtic scrolls, intertwined G and S and reads...Garda Siochana na hEireann which means Gaurdians of the Peace of Ireland

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cute Quill Pen!

While we were in Virginia we called in to Manna Charity Shop and were delighted to find these quill pens. They are actually modern pens or biros witha  feather fitted over it. Perfect for the guest book in the cottage! 

Macro setting on Camera

I love to get really close to patterns to really catch the detail on items. This is my vintage cake slice up close...very close And now - up close a soft fluffy throw in robin's egg blue that I got in Cavan. So snuggly and warm and the colour is just the business....  

Vintage Crafting Treasures and a Willa Pilla!

 I am still finding lovely old sewing notions that my son, Chris bought me for Christmas last. He bought me a large lot on Ebay and I have not really investigated them too closely until yesterday.

Above is a booklet dated 1954 and printed in Kansas. Aunt Ellen teaches how to do basic knitting, sewing, crochet, rug making, tatting, lace making and many more crafts.

To the right of it is a wonderful vintage sewing needle book...just look at the roses pattern...so in vogue right now. It reads "Golden Fleece - Perfection in needle making"  I love this and will actually use it even though the needles are rusty I will add some good new ones and use them.

and the front of it has a fabulous Rubenesque lady with cherubs. Check out her footwear...fancy flipflops!

 

 

 

 

Inside the booklet there is a pattern for a knitted shopping bag and again it could be made up today and be the bees knees of shopping totes!

 

 

While I'm on the subject of knitting...I have just turned the heel of my first sock!!!! Wheeeeeee!!!! I asked Ivy and Lace if it was possible to knit socks on two needles and she very kindly sent me some great patterns and I did it...(well I did one and now I have to do another -given that I have two feet you see)

I am using a white cotton ball of yarn and it was driving me mad as it was getting dirty rolling on the floor and Holly was trying to kill it every time it moved ...so I popped it into  this empty tissue box - Perfect!

Now to explain what a Willa Pilla is. My Dad (we called him a pet name - Willa) had an obsession with collecting neckties and he left hundreds when he passed at Christmas. He had lots of grandsons who chose the ones they liked, and we gave lots more to charity shops and still we kept finding them...so I was delighted to find this pattern in one of my craft books for making pillows (Pilla to rhyme with Willa) with neckties. He would be tickled pink at the idea of it.

I have started and it is looking well and is easy to do. I will make one for each of us in the family. It will make a nice momento don't you think?

Yes, I do hop from one craft to another - I have about six WIPs going at the moment. Wish I was an octopus and I could do all of them together!

Next is one I did actually finish. It is a white felt dove filled with lavender. I made it for Christopher, my student in my last post. He loved images of doves as I do. I love making these as they are so easy to do. (I like quick and easy too)

 

I have another one of these on my website www.suchprettyoldthings.com £3.99 including postage worldwide.

Well I am off now to make some more doves and felt hearts filled with lavender for Valentine's Day. Now that I have featured them on here there might be a run on them! See you soon.

Original White O'Morn Cottage Photos and Pictures of Locations for The Quiet Man Film

 

Many people visit this blog to find out more about the cult film The Quiet Man. I know from browsing the net that there is very little information to be had and it is frustrating for fans. It is of course my favourite film of all time and we watched it again last night.  I have found these pics of the original cottage above showing the owner at the time holding a baby and look at the chickens pecking just outside the half door and the roses growing in the flowerbeds.

Photo courtesy of Jack Murphy.

This is White O'Morn today.....

So sad that no one saw fit to preserve this lovely cottage for future generations. It is just a pile of stones now and even they are disappearing as tourists take them for souviniers.

Next is a painting of White O'Morn Cottage by Juhn McNulty. I love this and will be framing a print of it to hang in my White O'Morn.

 

Then we have a truly beautiful cottage that is still exactly the same today. It was the location for the Playfairs, the Church of Ireland reverand and his wife.

 

 Above is the Danagher house. It also survives and is located on the estate of Ashford Castle. Just the same except in the film there was no glass porch at the front door.

..and of course this is my White O'Morn cottage. I am working to make it as close to the original as I can. The big difference is of course the thatched roof. How I would love to have one. But alas they cost a fortune and I (unlike Mary Kate) don't have one yet. I am always hopeful of course!

Below is an old photo of Pat Cohen's Bar. It was actually a shop not a bar but now it has been refurbished and recreated faithfully as the bar in the film. I can't wait to visit it and have a "glass of black beer" Guinness. I don't like Guinness, but I'll lput some raspberry in it (if it's good enough  for John Wayne, it's good enough for me) No, he did not put raspberry in it but I will.

My husband met a lovely woman at a course he was taking and it turns out that a relative of hers outfitted the Pat Cohan Bar in Cong, county Mayo just recently! A small world. I am hoping to get some more info and pics from her as he got her email address.

 Click on link below for information about the reopening of this pub. They will be showing the film daily in the bar for tourists.

It was beautifully outfitted by Gus Martin , GM Carpentry, Dublin and is a faithful recreation of the one in the film.  Gus is a fervent fan of the film too so it must have been a labour of love. they used stills of the film to make sure they got it just right. I can't wait to see the results.

http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5008&Itemid=38

The tourist board are trying hard to make the owner of the derelect White O'Morn see the sense of restoring the ruin to it's former glory. That is something I would dearly love to see. The owner is an American and has so far not agreed to allow restoration to go ahead. The film brings thousands of tourists to Cong, Mayo every year and most of the buildings used are still in good to perfect condition.

Below is the Quiet Man Museum, Cong. It is in the centre of the village and is a faithful recreation with clothes and props too and a souvenier shop and a short film show upstairs. The haunting music of "Innisfree" plays all the time.

 

This is the pretty little church where Sean Thornton and Mary Kate Danagher played "pattie fingers" in the holy water font.

I am planning another trip to Cong this summer and will of course be posting ooodles of photos. Watch this space!

...WHAT???? Did I hear right??? ...you've never seen it!!!??? go right now to this link from Youtube to see scenes set to lovely music...and then down to the nearest video shop to treat yourself to a great classic romantic comedy.

 

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=GcHknRxRpxQ

This is the link to the Quiet Man Fan Club http://quietmanmovieclub.com

 

Mary Kate so loved her crockery and such. She used the beautiful Willow pattern dishes and so do we. This dresser is in the living room of my cottage opposite the door just as she had it in the film. I noticed she had some white cups hanging so I must get myself some of them too.

Below: we never got to see that end of the cottage but it must have been the kitchen end as is mine. My cottage has exactly the same layout as the original (but then most of the three roomed cottages were laid out like that. I wonder if it looked anything like this. This is an original 1920's handmade dresser and it came from an old cottage in Ballinamore, Leitrim. It was taken out about 8 years ago and place in a damp shed. It was to be used in another cottage in Aughvas but the owners got a new kitchen and it was never used. When I got my cottage and needed furniture they very kindly offered it to me. The feet/legs had rotted away on the wet floor but I managed to prop it up and give it a painting and it is my pride and joy. 

PS...I have just listed some of the lace shelf edging you see on the dresser below to my website www.suchprettyoldthings.com  for £5.99 per metre including shipping. It is vintage Irish cotton lace trim, new unused. Limited quantity available.

 

 

The view from inside the half door. I never tire of looking at this view as it keeps changing. Another of the many pleasures here is to lean over the door and contemplate the scenery. Very relaxing.

Cuddly Buddies and stuff...

  

These are two of my favourite males...Paul and Mick.

Paul is my lovely cuddly hubby, my rock. Love ya' Flynner!

...and Mick is my dog nephew (huh?)

...yes my nephew dog. Angie's mutt. This dog is the dogs world version of a comedian/clown.  Angies says " Mick makes me laugh every day"

He does the Dino/Fred Flinstone thing when we come in to visit and indeed even opens the hall door for us! He is a complete nutter but we just love him.

When Angie asked me what Liz Biz's dog, Coco, was like I said "Just think of Mick in black and white!" Imagine that...another Mick! Liz has featured me and Angie on her blog and I am chuffed. Liz, you are now my official photographer as I always hate pics of myself (convinced, as I am, that I am much better lookin'"!) Liz Biz Ballinamore is at the top of my bloglist on right hand side.

A much needed belly laugh...

I just had one!... thanks to Karen Siddiqi's blog, No Guts, No Gory...(I'll get the link for you) It was about having a colonoscopy, believe it or not!

 I found her on Kimme's Irish Cottage Dreams comments list (on sidebar, I will learn to insert links, promise) http://ucjpouch.blogspot.com

 Thanks Karen, I badly needed a good side splitting belly laugh and I felt like I'd never be able to do it again (Due to recent sad events nothing seemed funny and I thought I'd lost my sense of humour)

Vintage Light Switches

Now, I have to share with you these doty vintage light switches my son, Stephen gave me for Christmas. One is porcelain and the other is porcelein and brass.  They are going into White O'Morn Cottage and I am going to buy some more for the rest of the cottage. Thanks Stevie..I love 'em

 

Ma gave me some gorgeous patchwork squares for Christmas and I have started my quilt. It will go on to my bed in the cottage.  Here is a pic of the squares to give you an idea... and here is the corner of the bed it will go on...I love getting into a lovely freshly made bed in a softly lit room. This is one of my favourite rosebuds. Ahhh, lovely....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz