Penny Sanford Porcelains

Those Curious Applique Plates

The storm that is being talked about on national news all day is about to hit the farm.  It has been one of those Manic Mondays (but good and productive).  Gordon may unplug me at any minute, so I will start this post, upload it at some point and then finish it as I can later tonight after the storm has passed.

The van is parked in the big barn to protect it from the hail that is forecast.  The dogs are all passed out from their busy "work" day, so that is a good sign that dangerous weather is not on top of us at the moment.  Tornado watch as close as the adjoining county. 

So, I've been hearing from a surprising number of you about these Applique Plates.  That is what I am calling them until someone suggests a better name or until we find some publication that printed a pattern and directions. 

At the first speech in Brookhaven, MS, on Saturday, our friend Natalie Herndon Howard and her mom squeeled at a picture of Miss Maggie's plates.  Natalie's grandparents were given a set of the applique plates in the 1920's.

Natalie sent me photos when she got home.  I love how the plates are named for the newly married couple.  That fella is adorable!

First thing Saturday morning, Mississippi quilt artist and friend Rhonda Blassingame shared photos and known background about her set of inherited applique plates...almost identical pattern... on her blog.

Rhonda's set of plates come from her husband's grandparents.  Rhonda's description of the techniques used to make the plates is far more detailed than I have been. 

I'm not sure how to find the specific link to that specific post from Rhonda's Blogspot blog, so it is the March 1, 2008, post (if you are reading this months later and have trouble finding her specific post on this topic from my link).  Typepad calls it a "permalink". If you know, please tell me what to do to share the specific link to her post on this topic.

Next afternoon---now where was I?

Michelle commented on the previous post on this topic that her mom has a set of these plates.  If you can, Michelle, please share the photos. 

The differences in these three sets of plates pictured are rather fascinating.  For example, I bet Miss Maggie did not like the smell of a man's pipe which is why she made her man (red set) without a pipe. Natalie's set and Rhonda's set of plates give the man a pipe! Just little curiosities!

If I have a few minutes this weekend, I may start a Flickr group for photos of these little plates... just to see if we can find others with these little applique plates and eventually learn the background.

Do you think the plates shapes (called "blanks" in the world of porcelain dinnerware production and china painting artists) look similar...as if these were some kind of kit?

Rhonda's female plate (green) is quite the femme fatale, isn't she? Natalie's female plate (blue green) has blond hair (when Natalie and her mother have drop-dead-gorgeous-natural-red hair!)

Miss Maggie's female plate (red) looks like a prim little thing.  The little nerdy bald man is so appropriate for our family.  The bald gene is quite prevalent in many of our family lines.  LOL

Ok...the mind is spending too much time on nonsensical minutia! Sleep should cure that! 

1950's Kitsch or Craft?

We did some stream -lining in Mama's room when we brought her home from the hospital last month following her second stroke.  Look at what we found deep in her closet!

Miss Maggie, the sweet little house -keeper for a great -uncle made these for a wedding present for my mother and father in 1959.

The fabric is just glued to the plate, and she painted the red border around the plate.

The ric-rack and the netting and the tiny gingham just charmed me. The man's mustache makes me giggle.

I wonder if these were a typical little crafty project for the 1950's.

There were plate hangers attached when we found the plates in the closet, but I removed them to protect the painted edge.  It is simple paint, not china paint and not fired into the glaze.

The fabric and other embellishments are glued, and we stopped short of cleaning up all the glue residue around the fabric.

Other than that, the fabric and other stuff is remarkably adhered for 49 years, assuming Miss Maggie made these in 1959.  She may have made them in a previous year. 

Mama said Miss Maggie began as housekeeper for Great Uncle John in the early 50's, and Mama remembers her making stuff like this from the beginning of her tenure.

Would you call this kitsch or craft?
Have you seen similar plate craft like this? I very much doubt these are original designs by Miss Maggie, so the little patterns must have been published in some magazine or newspaper.

Cute little buggers, but they don't fit the decor anywhere here on the farm.

Well, it is 4:10 am. Time for a few more hours of sleep before we head out to Brookhaven today. 

Gordon and I are giving two power point programs today on the History of Quilting, the Historic Quilts in the Museum Collection of the National Daughters of the American Revolution, plus Historic Quilts in Mississippi.

You are right, this is one fast paced, picture-rich program that covers a lot of information! It is my favorite program that I give right now, and I am genuinely looking forward to sharing it twice today.

There will be some stitching time during the 2.5 hour drive to Brookhaven and back.  I've picked up needle and thread only once since Mama's stroke, so I'm looking forward to the "reunion".

Annie and Elvis are snuggling against me, and the nap attack has won over this little spurt of blog chattering.  Gee, I just adore going back to sleep early in the morning like this...relaxed, enjoying the snuggles and feeling like I've somehow "discovered" a few more hours to splurge in delicious sleep.