Saturday, June 6, 2009

The Vintage Vignette Presents...Marionberry Cottage!

These days it seems that the Internet is saturated with everything cottage style. Now don't get me wrong as I am certainly not complaining. In fact, I love cottage style! I decorate my home and create art in this fashion. However, it seems that many cottage style artisans today are limiting themselves by only creating things with the standard cottage style color of pink. Pink is a beautiful color indeed yet there is so much more to the cottage style color palate to consider. It was for this reason I was so excited when I came across this marvelous website called Marionberry Cottage.

Marionberry Cottage is a cottage style website and marketplace that features some of the most breathtaking creations I have ever feasted my eyes upon! As I sat an viewed page after page, I was mesmerized by the beauty and wide variety of colors, textures, and techniques used in creating the pieces for sale. I had to know more about this wonderful place and with a little research I uncovered the remarkable source of this inspirational website called Marionberry Cottage. Its source was a lovely woman named Debbi Oeltjen.

The story begins many years ago when a lovely 10 year old girl named Debbi first discovered her love of sewing. She took every class that her secondary school offered and had aspirations of someday becoming an interior designer or decorator. As time went by, Debbi settled into a retail management position overseeing the home decor section of a major department store. As life would have it, her plans changed when she settled down and began to raise a family and nurture her career.

Debbi continued to sew during this time but not as often or as creatively as her heart had wished. That all changed one day 15 years ago when her mother gave her some beautiful vintage hankies. All of a sudden her creative muse was back! She took these precious hankies and stitched up some pretty pillows for her bedroom. They were and instant hit with friends and family! Before she knew it her mother was handing over piece after piece of Debbi's grandmother's stash of vintage linens to see what she would make of them. As the days went by, Debbi saw over two dozen huge damask tablecloths which she turned into tea towels, Rolls of hand made crochet; including pieces cut from vintage pillow cases and doilies, and vintage dresser scarves that she stitched into beautiful pillows and lingerie bags.

The ball was now in motion and Debbi began selling her creations on Ebay as Cottage Garden Treasures. She expanded her line to include impressive totes and purses. Next, she began selling her pieces on Etsy.com. This move opened up the floodgates of opportunity for Debbi. She began a blog called All In My Cottage and joined a fabulous social network of Cottage style artisans called Etsy Cottage Style of which she has subsequently become the administrator of.

The day finally came when she was ready to open her very own website. She named it Marionberry Cottage after her favorite Oregon blackberry. Today her website is a thriving business that features everything from gorgeous handmade pillows and linens, to vintage totes and tea towels. Nowadays, Debbi finds herself scouring estate sales and antique malls in search of rare vintage linens. She knows she will never limit herself to the standard cottage style color of pink. She prefers to use a variety of colors from kitchy retro reds and yellows to the soft and lacy beige's of her favorite French and Victorian inspirations. She happily resides in rural Sublimity, Oregon with her husband, family and beautiful cottage style garden.

Her grandmother's precious linen stash has long since been gone; with the exception of a few pristine pieces saved to pass on as heirlooms; but the creative muse it has inspired in Debbi will surely last a lifetime.

You can find Debbi's amazing work at Marionberry Cottage. There you will find a wonderful selection of decorative pillows, guest towels, tote bags and so much more. You can also visit her social network Etsy Cottage Style to mingle with other like-minded artisans.

16 comments:

  1. I have visited her before I jut love her stuff! What a great story you shared about her :)

    All the best,
    Allison

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  2. Thank you for featuring Debbi. She is just a treasure and recently designed two blogs for me. It's nice to see someone give her a most honorable mention and more.
    Kind Regards,
    Theresa @ Cottage Violets

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  3. Oh how nice of you! Debbi was thrilled! Very nice post!
    Hugs, Lisa

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  4. I really enjoy promoting artisans that I would want to hear about and when I saw her work I was absolutely floored by the quality and beauty of every piece! I just had to share her with everyone:)

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  5. Hi Cindy! Thanks so much for coming by and visiting me! I have really enjoyed looking at your blog. I totally agree with you that cottage style does not have to be pink. In fact when I read that you had become a follower of my blog and then I read this post I assumed you were talking about my home and garden blog, My Desert Cottage, and not the art blog Valentine Studio because I don't have any pink in my home.. I am thrilled that you like my stuff. I will be back to visit you again very soon...I want to really have a good look around, but I have to run for now. See You Soon!!!

    Karen

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  6. Thanks Karen, I really enjoyed your blog as well and I too have not had a chance to check out all the aspects of it but will be back later in the day when I have more time to check out all its nooks and crannies!

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  7. Alissi MagrapolianiteJune 7, 2009 at 4:27 PM

    So cool, you have such a great blog. It's very interesting!

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  8. Beautiful post! I enjoyed reading it.

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  9. Thanks for all the lovely feedback ladies! Be sure and check out Debbi's site for sure!

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  10. Good afternoon, I'm stopping by to say hello, and Happy Monday (and for some, happy blue Monday or happy belated Pink Saturday - WHEW!)

    What a wonderful tribute! Well written, and so informative. I do visit her blog, but you've added a depth and personal side that just makes me love her stuff all the more.

    My blog topic today is about a man, a dog, a love story, and a bit about embroidery. Please stop by if you have a moment.

    xJ
    MaidenShade.wordpress.com

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  11. Maidenshade, thank you for the lovely comments. I popped over to your blog as well and I really enjoyed it. The embroidered koi in the wooden stand is breathtaking! Ladies, you should all pop over for a peak when you find the time. Her site is MaidenShade.wordpress.com :)

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  12. Cindy, I have just found your Site thru Debbi. What a lovely article. I too belong to Etsy Cottage Style..relatively recently..and Debbi is such an inspiration. I am so excited to place your Blog on my blog list. I hoe you visit soon.
    Melody
    Brown Gingham Creations

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  13. An excellent article on Marionberry Cottage. I'm off to check it out! (Your blog is wonderful! I've signed on as a follower!)

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  14. Thank you Melody and Coralie for signing in as followers! I really enjoy interacting with those that leave comments on the blog and it is always so nice to meet new ones. :)

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  15. Precious items for sale... But this comment is OT.

    You commented in my blog, and asked my thoughts on a matter. I copy your comment, below...

    "...but I thought about the fact that every product on the market has an operating manual that shows you how to get the best operation from the product right? So wouldn't humans come with something similar, namely the bible? Just curious about your thoughts on this."

    Each product on the market, is a man-made thing, so yes, it can happily come with an operating manual. But things of Nature, which have evolved over vast, vast, vast expanses of time, are not man-made. The stars, fish, flowers, trees, animals, men and women... All are of Nature and have evolved.

    No star or bird or tree comes with an operating manual.

    Neither do humans.

    Especially not an operating manual [the bible], which didn't get written until only 2000 years ago.

    You asked for my thoughts on this matter, and I have given them, to you.

    'Aunt Amelia'

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  16. Hi Aunt Amelia! I was nice to hear your comment this morning. I think it is awesome that you are so passionate about this subject. It seems that we get so busy sometimes that we forget to reflect on these kinds of important issues so I really appreciated your thoughts.

    I do agree that things in nature are not man made items but for me their intricate design and ability to function suggests something more than just a happy accident of time or nature. It is certainly not my intention to sound preach or dogmatic but I am just looking at this from the human standpoint of observing how things work.

    As far as the bible goes the hebrew portions were penned over 7000 years ago. Going back 2000 years only takes us back to the 1st century A.D. The bible does not speak of the age of the earth which I am sure probably stretches back millions of years but it does go back to the beginning of the relationship between man and God and also speaks of the relationship that men should have with eachother. With this in mind, I have referred to the bible as an operating manual for man to get the best out of life in his dealings with God and with eachother.

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