Monday, June 27, 2011

My Buttery

I subscribe to A Simple Life, A Primitive Place and Mercantile Gatherings.  It seems in each issue some wonderful prim home has this great buttery and I'm jealous!  If you read my last post you know that my home is not one of those great prim log cabins - it is your typical 1976 2 story home.  There is no addition out back that is or can even become a buttery.  

My solution - I can make-do with one created from the pantry off my kitchen.  


This pantry is in a wall at the end of the counter in the kitchen.  As you walk past this area you are headed to the 1/2 bath at the end of the house or the garage.  Originally the pantry had a bi-fold door, which when we redid the kitchen I painted the same cranberry as the trim.  I eventually got really tired of that bi-fold door and put up a homespun curtain. The curtain hung from a tension rod at the top and made it much easier to grab something quickly out of the pantry.  

I realize that I need to paint the inside of my new buttery - but I was just so excited to gather all my "stuff" and test out how it looked. 
 The 2 flour sack towels hide the shelf that holds cereal and other boxes that won't fit in the cupboard where I had to move the can goods to.  

Looking at this shelf, my friend Melissa, from Farm Field Primitives, made me the sugar cone and I stitched the "1803" pinkeep.  

This next photo shows an apron that I made from an old feed sack.  I wear this with one of my work costumes.  I thought it was very "make-do".  I'm sure that in the past many women used these feed sacks as aprons. 

I hit the jack pot one day in the consignment store - this handmade broom was there and had the tag with it that said it was made at Pleasant Hill KY, Shaker Settlement!  WOW was I happy.  The round wood container I found at an auction (I was with my friend Melissa) for $4.00.  It stores all our athletic type water bottles. 

So many of these items were stored in cupboards behind closed doors, as I don't like a lot of "stuff" sitting out.  Now it's great all gathered here on display. 


The bowl on the top shelf is one of the few antiques that I have in the buttery. It is a sponged piece by Red Wing Pottery.   My maternal Grandmother was from Wisconsin.  I believe that the bowl came with her when she married my Grandfather and moved to NY state in 1912.  


One of my favorite prim stores had the screen with hard-tack biscuits that I just had to have. Looking at the shelf, I will not need to distress this one much!  Lot's of wear and tear already.  

Another antique piece from my maternal Grandmother - the tin mold.  I've used this mold to make a pantry cake, has a neat pineapple motif on the top.  

I do have a few things from my paternal grandparents.  I do not know the history behind this firkin, other than it was theirs.  This grandmother was a rug hooker and used quite a bit of reclaimed, recycled wool in her hooking.  The firkin was FULL of buttons from clothing that she had hooked into rugs.  

When I was little, I loved digging through this firkin, sorting buttons and stringing them on a needle and thread.   My sister and I still use the buttons for various projects.  When she visits, she always asks me if she can look at the buttons and of course take a few home with her!   

I hope you've enjoyed my new Buttery.  I'm crossing my fingers that I will be able to get it painted this coming weekend - there's no baseball on the schedule.  

Have a great week ~Ann