Love this #88 The Bonnie Potter

I’ve been meaning to share this for a while, after discovering it in a magazine - I can’t remember which one, but I know seeing Bonnie Scoggins’ work was enough for me to head over to her website to discover more about her and her work, and to drool over more loveliness.

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Trying out a different color combo. This pineapple stitch doily impression has a green base with lots of blue tones. The purple doesn’t come through as I had planned but I still really like it. #chattanoogamarket #doilyimprint #thebonniepotter

A post shared by Bonnie Scoggins (@thebonniepotter) on Jun 7, 2019 at 7:00am PDT

I wasn’t disappointed.

As she says on her website her work “revolves around imprints from her great-grandmother’s handmade doilies” which she inherited in 2012, and she sees these imprints as a way to honour the “artistry that goes into crocheting doilies.”

The process doesn’t damage the crochet and she has used other families’ heirloom doilies to make one-off pieces for those families. The work in her gallery is just stunning, and while the crocheted doilies are lovely, these platters, trinkets and mugs are something else - it’s just as well she’s based in the US, or I’d be creating a wish list right now….

Oil and vinegar

Or as my new bottles say Olio and Acete, a recent purchase as a momento from our break in Italy along with a new butter dish. And not surprisingly I’m embracing the yellow, so where better to photograph them than on the dresser in a particularly yellow spot.   

We often bring something home from holiday to remind us of our trip, and quite often it’s something that catches our eye, rather than something that’s planned. But it’s always something we’ll use, or have a use for. 

On this trip it was very nearly a decorative plate that I fell for on our visits to the local town of Todi. In the maze of a town, or our circuitous route around it anyway, even I was surprised I managed to find the shop again on our second visit. But of course I managed to.  

After some longing and oohing over the ceramics, we asked the price and tried not to look too shocked. It was pricier than we expected, and I wasn’t sure if it would fit where I had in mind at home, let alone in our hand luggage. So with a last look we walked away, but even MOH was getting smitten and said to buy it if you want it.  

But I resisted, as I really wasn’t sure on the size. Although a new plan was forming, so back we headed to the shop again.  Only this time it was our final purchases that I had in mind.  

We’d seen many sets as we perused the shops in town, but none this colour and none squished like this so they nestled together. Clever, huh?

And then came the breakthrough.  We needed a new butter dish.  Yes, needed. (The glaze on ours has gone and butter seeps through the pottery and leaves a greasy mess on our kitchen worktop - so I mean needed).

But, I didn’t want to be without one. I’m a butter fan, and don’t like it fridge cold and so our butter is out and at room temperature year-round.  So when the butter dish hd been decided on too, and I’d agreed to get rid of the old one, MOH couldn’t quite believe his ears. He’d proffered replacement butter dishes over the years, but all had been rejected. Until now. 

And it was worth the wait. It’s quickly replaced the seeping dish in my affections, but sssh! don’t tell MOH, I think I’m only going to crock** half of the dish, as I realised the top half would make a great cover for cheese...

** and yes, to crock - that’s a verb, to break crockery to use as drainage “crocks” in plant pots. A great way to use old crockery as it’s satisfying to smash (as long as you look out for flying pieces) and when you next empty your pot, you never quite know what memory you will quite literally unearth! 

Patterns from Porto

It was the patterns of the tiles in Porto that I found myself fascinated by. Whether it was the 3D-type, like the ones below, or the intricate almost Moorish designs. I found myself seeking out the tiles as we walked around the city, and mostly my phone was out ready to snap their delights. 

Bright yellows and faded yellows, the tiles were inset into many of the buildings. Some bold, some delicate, but all very pretty.

And variations on a theme. These are different to the ones at the top - the flower is slightly different - it took me a while to confirm that, I couldn't decide if it was just the layers of paint that made them feel different.

Blues featured too, and often mixed with yellows. The ones below have a touch of kaleidascope to them don't they?

And it looks as if many of them have been patched up and that just adds to the charm.

The patterns are mixed, the tiles are chipped and faded. But they are full of character and just work.

The colours are vibrant as often as they are faded, and I think there's almost more filler than tiles in the set below.

But some are in much better condition and this blue and white bold design in good condition almost looked out of place!

And every single one of these sets are on the outside of buildings, just for the record I haven't gone on my biggest snoop ever! 

Aren't they great?