Vintage Linens Found Today

These are the vintage hand embroidered items I found at a yard sale this morning. Some also feature crochet or applique. I appreciate these because I know how much work went into them.

A pair of pillowcases with embroidered roses.

These have lace hand sewn to the edges.

A single pillowcase with embroidered calla lilies.

This has a green crocheted edging.

An embroidered dresser scarf with a crocheted edging.

A dish towel with appliqued dress and embroidered details.

I paid $4 for the lot.  

Late Season Yard Sales

I haven't been going to many yard sales this summer. I am trying to downsize and pack for my upcoming move to a homestead property. I really need to concentrate on giving things away, not dragging more home. Today my love of garage sales won out over common sense and I ventured out to a few sales in the near by neighborhoods. This was my haul. Or most of it. I also picked up some nice pinking shears and some vintage linens but those didn't make it into the photos.

MAD MEN style vintage red patent leather purse. Probably from the 50's. It's in very good condition, structurally, but it does have some black dye transfer....mostly on the back. Heck, it was only $1. I still love it and plan to actually carry it out in public. I want to collect more vintage purses.

A pristine harvest gold Grind O Mat from the 70's. With all the pieces. It clamps down onto the counter with suction. I have a fancy motorized grinder/sausage stuffer but this will come in handy for grinding something quickly. I have a recipe for Italian sausage I want to try out. This grinder was $2.

Set of 3 nesting baskets with lids. $1 for the set. These will be great for using in my sewing room.

And a few books on self sufficiency, gardening and upholstering. $.50 each. These will be useful on the homestead.

All that for under $5.50! You gotta love yard sales.  

My Bargain Norwood Loom

A couple of days ago I was out running errands when I noticed a flyer for a yard sale tacked to a telephone pole. It was close to my home and I hadn't stopped at any sales yet this season, so I turned around and headed back. There were 2 small signs taped to a vehicle in front of the house. I almost missed it. Went inside and looked around. There wasn't much left in the home. It is being foreclosed and the owners are also divorcing. They seemed upbeat and still the best of friends. Anyway I am always looking for sewing items so asked the lady if she had any. No, those things went to her new apartment as she is keeping them. However she did have a loom. Well, I really don't need another loom. I have 2 floor looms already. But maybe it was a table loom? I sold my table loom and rather miss it. No, she informed me it was a floor loom. Curiosity got the better of me and I headed out to the garage to have a peek at it. I immediately recognized it to be an extremely well made loom, of nice solid cherry wood. It was very wide (50" weaving width) but folded up nicely. No, I don't need another loom. I just recently sold my lovely barn frame loom, Agda. Still, I had to ask the price. She thought about it a second and said she couldn't sell it for less than $100. $100!?!!??? Heck, you can't hardly buy a used rigid heddle loom for that. No, I didn't need another loom. But this was such a good deal. Too good, in fact. Rather like an offer I couldn't refuse. I thought if nothing else I would buy it, clean it up and re-sell it. I told the lady I would go home and ask the husband if he would mind another huge loom in the living room. I also needed his manly gorilla strength to get it home. There was no way I could stuff it in the Outback. It would have to be partially dismantled. Long story short, we had the thing in our home within the hour. We had to make 2 trips to bring it all home, but they lived just around the corner. Now I need to clean it up and get it put back together. Here are pictures of the loom from the lady's Craigslist ad. This is exactly how it looked when I found it.

Apparently this is a much sought after loom. Norwood looms are no longer made of cherry and this older style loom is much better made than the Norwood looms currently produced. It has a sectional back beam and chain tie ups. It came with the original manual, extra heddles, a Glimakra swift, warping board and 2 Leclerc shuttles with bobbins. This was my best yard sale find, ever.

This Week's Yard Sale Bargains

It's still a bit early in the season. The pickings are slim but I did manage to find some goodies. Today I found this set of vintage Noritake stoneware in the October Fest pattern. It's obviously been used but there is not a chip on it. Eight place settings and the only missing piece is a small saucer. All this for a mere $8. Now I have nice dishes that match.

I love this pattern and it blends in well with all my pottery pieces. Noritake stoneware is virtually indestructible. You can put it in the oven or microwave with no problems. Yesterday I found a few things, as well. Apparently it was "match what you already have" day. I found this set of chicken themed items (plus a chicken hot pad, not pictured) for $3. 

Not that I need another sugar/creamer set but it matched this spoon rest that I'd purchased at a different yard sale over a year ago. What are the odds?

I think this is even stranger. 

I bought this sugar bowl for $2...

...only because it matches the pattern of this gravy boat that I bought at a yard sale way back when my kids were little. I have never seen this china pattern before or since. Until yesterday. Now they are reunited.

I love that gravy boat because the base is attached. We use it every Thanksgiving. That china is marked Bavaria, Germany, but I can't find it anywhere on the internet. I'd love to know the name of the pattern. It looks like it's from the 50's. I have been on a book gathering binge so also picked up some eclectic reading material. $1.75 for the 3 books.

And I couldn't pass up more sewing trims. Like I'm ever gonna use all that I already have hoarded away.

I paid $1.25 for all the trims. What I found interesting was that many of the packages had prices from previous yard sales. We're just passing them around Tacoma. When I die you all need to come to my estate sale. I've got some cool stuff.

Estate Sale 4-28-12

I had already been to this particular Estate Sale this past Thursday. I picked up a few bags of fabric, 3 sets of embroidered and crocheted pillow cases, a large wood quilting frame and a Pyrex refrigerator storage dish with lid. I was too busy to take pictures and blog about those finds. I have been clearing out our retail shop in order to prepare it to be leased. That's been a week long task. I still have a couple day's work ahead of me but took today off to catch my breath. I remembered it was the last day of this sale and all remaining items would be 50% off. Believing that "the best things in life are half price" I headed back. I was not disappointed.

I found this lovely (and unused) quilt for $7.50.

It measures 43" x 55".

A cool Kenmore Blind Stitch Hemmer for $.50. And it's yellow! It is in the original box, with the directions and a cute little cardboard fold up skirt that demonstrates how to fold your hem in order to use this attachment.

Also this box full of seam bindings and trims for $1.50. My favorite part of this box are those sweet, teeny tiny rick racks. I've been thinking about sewing some doll clothes and they will come in handy.

Perhaps the coolest find, though, was this piece of quilt related art. I'm not sure what you call it. It seems to be some kind of embossed paper design depicting an Amish Log Cabin Quilt. It is labeled and signed.

It was hanging on a wall, without a price. I asked if it was for sale and one of the 2 sisters working the estate said, "Yes, it's $15". The second sister argued, "No, I had it marked at $3". This really irked the first sister who exclaimed, "But I spent $60 on that when I bought it for mom. It's professionally framed". To which the second sister replied, "Well, you should've said something earlier". While they were bickering I gathered my goodies and headed over to pay. The second sis was manning the cash box. I asked if everything was half price, at which time sis #1 said, "Everything except that quilt picture". I assured her I'd be more than happy to pay the full $3. It now resides in my sewing room, over my Singer treadle cabinet.

Estate Sale 4-14-12

This sale was already in it's second day by the time I found it. Things were pretty much picked over. There was a sewing machine but I am turned off by yellowed plastic. I did find a few items of interest. There were some pictures and frames in a backroom and I found this treasure among them. First I was drawn by the bright colors, then I saw the sheep.

It is a nice little piece of primitive artwork. I'm not sure which South American country it is from and any ideas are most welcome. Do any of you recognize the native clothing pictured? At first glance I thought the fellow was riding a horse. But on closer inspection it is a llama. So cool!

And the lady kneels in the grass spinning on a spindle while having her wool on a distaff.

This was painted on some type of animal hide. The skin is stretched taught, like a drum, and secured with little nails.

I also found this glass chicken candy dish.

These stained glass grapes.

And a couple of boxes of canning jars, most of which are jam size. I have about 8 more but they are currently soaking in the sink because they came to me filled with ancient jams and chow chows.

All of the above for $5. 

What's Better Than Yard Sales?

Estate sales! Because old people have the coolest junk. At least I think so. Today I hit an estate sale and found some great needle craft items.

First up, some sewing patterns. 

This bunch I'm going to keep...

...and these I will sell.

I also found some vintage crochet books and magazines. All in pristine condition. I'll sell these. I don't crochet much anymore.

I also found some nice vintage fabrics. 

I think this was the lady's apron fabric stash. 

That was a lot of shopping enjoyment for $3.

First Yard Sale Of 2012

...and man, it was cold. I usually don't hit yard sales in February but it was rumored to have sewing items. Plus it  was right on the way as I headed to Jo-Ann Fabrics to pick up some fabric for a quilt I'll be starting (more on this very soon).

Here is what $35 bought me at Jo-Ann's.

4 yards of white Kona cotton, 3 remnants,

a pattern and needles. 

And here is what $13 bought at the yard sale:

 12 yards of fabric.

A bunch of seam binding, bias tape, lace, rick rack, etc...

Misc. patterns.

And a bag of assorted presser feet, needles and parts.
(See that roach clip in the middle?)

Some free fabric and set of 3 baskets.

Not everything from the yard sale is to my taste (like the Barbie patterns) but they will come in handy for bartering. You gotta love yard sales! May favorite find of the day? This nifty old Dritz thimble. So comfy!

Whole Lotta Hankies!

I am not a collector. I simply prefer the feel of cloth on my nose. Remember when you could find hankies at the Five and Dime stores for next to nothing? Now they are as scarce as hen's teeth. You can find them new, but who wants to pay over $20 per hankie? You can also find them on some vintage fabric sites for $10 and up.  I was happy to find one at an antique mall for $1.20. And I am always on the lookout for handkerchiefs at yard and estate sales. So you can imagine my joy when I hit the mother lode last Saturday. Over 60 lovely (most looked unused) handkerchiefs for........wait for it.........$5. SCORE! I will never need to buy another hankie again.

Floral Embroidery

Floral Prints

Misc. Prints

Holiday

Crochet and Tatted Trim

White and Ecru

Even one with bees.