Funky Can Be Fun

Years ago when I bought the house that The Blog Tech just moved out of, I had two custom porch beds made.  My intention was to use them outside but that never happened.

Instead, I had ticking mattresses made for them and decorated them with old plaid wool camp blankets.  Then I got the idea to cover them in old state pillows.  The really funky ones from the late 40's and early 50's that people bought on their vacations.  I had such fun collecting the pillow covers.

I thought you might get a kick out of seeing some of them.

I had no idea Oklahoma and blueberries are synonymous.

I also bought vintage ticking pillows and mixed them all together.

Click to enlarge and read the poem.

These seem to have been popular in Canada too.

I always thought that little kids, sleeping in these beds, would have so much fun looking at these.

If any of my children are reading this,  that was a hint!

This pillow is from a military base.

Hey....you can learn stuff too!

I like how some were meant for sisters, sweethearts and mom and dad.

I never even heard of Sioux Narrows but here it is on a pillow.

I'd love to know the stories behind all of these.

Do any of you have these tucked away in an old trunk?

Comments

brokenteepee said…
I have never seen them. They are certainly something....
Anonymous said…
I do not but I have an Aunt who had a few, they do look familiar, they still sell them here in Canada at Trading Posts, and craft stores, I still think future grand kids would love to snuggle in with these on a porch bed, better put them away, you know how you like to house hunt, maybe the house with another porch perfect for these is just waiting for you to find it!!
Anonymous said…
Cool! I like them a lot! I wonder if we ever had pillows like that for our regions? I know many places had mugs or coffee cups though :-)

Have a great day!
Christer.
I have never seen such! Those must be collectable!
Cheryl said…
I've never even heard of state pillows. I'll have to check around my local antique stores to see if there's a Maryland one laying about.
I noticed you were missing that state!
Nellie said…
My favorite, of course, is the Great Smoky Mountains!:-)
Guillaume said…
You seem to have been in Canada more often than I have! In more places than I have anyway.
Robin Larkspur said…
Hey, the first one you showed is my home state...Virginia!!
And since I am half canadian, I love those ones too.
Wish I had some of those. I have only seen the tea towels.
Great collection!!
Born and raised in Winnipeg, I found this quite surprising that you have a pillow from my home town!
Joyce, That NH one is so neat, I've been to the White Mountains and wonder if that was bought at that great Hotel there. They do make me think of summer nights on porches with the crickets going and the water lapping at the lake shore..........
Neat collection!
xx
julie
Yay Winnipeg and Sioux Narrows! I remember these type of souvenir pillows very well from my childhood. I think my Grandma had that Floral Emblems of Canada one.

These are probably worth bigga bigga bucks to kitsch collectors today.
Barb said…
I don't have any but see them at antique shows and some shops. You have a great collection!
luckybunny said…
I LOVE these! So awesome. Love the Alaska pillows. Sioux Narrows is waay up North, near Kenora, almost into Manitoba. Really neat. I only have one of these covers an old flame sent me, he lives in Australia :) I bet you had fun collecting them! I just love them, so much history and diversity.
WendyFromNY said…
When I was a kid in the fifties and sixties, my family traveled a lot, and the fad then was to collect state decals and put them on the back of your vehicle. We traveled in a Volkswagon microbus, and with two adults and three children, there was no room to spare for pillows! But we had the back of that bus covered in decals! We only missed a couple of states, and I still remember a lot about those vacations! Thanks for reminding me about those days!
chickpea678 said…
They sell new ones of these at a home store around the corner from me. Are your all vintage? What a lovely project to collect them all.