The Middle...

If the amount of thread on the floor is any indication as to how much you've sewn...I should have a lot more to show here.  There were a lot of ripped seams today.   That's okay, it usually means I figured something out.  After a nice afternoon in my studio I was happy with my progress and the changes I made.  Here are a few more pictures.

Even though I had to off center the diamond embroidery to include the cup I am pretty happy with the outcome.  The seams at the shoulders have worn on me.  There were multiple attempts to make them line up.  I finally had to move on and let it go...

To the back...On the original it was sewn together.  I just couldn't  commit to going over the head to get in or out of the apron.  Hence the button and elastic cord closure.  

Loads of ruffles.  This is just the beginning.  I need to add another layer still.  Mind you these are cinched up way too tight for now.  Tomorrow I hope to finish the skirt bottom.  Then its off to the waist and tie.  I am taking my time to make sure that I make all the corrections that I wanted to make on the first one.  The sun is set to come out tomorrow!

Estate Sale...Finally!

Apparently it is never going to be Spring....the sun is stuck behind the clouds and the buds on my trees look like they are too afraid to come out.  We have two tournaments this weekend.  One softball and one baseball, please tell me I won't have to watch from the confines of the car?  I love to sit and stitch from the side of the field, but I can't stitch with gloves on!    On the brighter side of those grey clouds, I hit an estate sale and found a few goodies...

Linens are my favorite and there were only a few to be had.  The trim was just divine.  Sweet little butter plate and a Shawnee planter with the prettiest of colors.  The Horticulturalist in me loves these tin children's watering cans.  Fairies in Ohio Art...yum.

Another great gingham apron.  I am smitten with these rick rack stitching details.  I have plans for reconstruction of these beauties.

A baby pillow cover, stitched like no other.  Can you just imagine receiving this as a baby gift?

It was so nice to get out to an estate sale and hunt for treasures.

  Such a fun time to see all the old stuff.  Just a few treasures came home with me.

  All in the Spring colors that keep alluding my garden.  I am excited that the estate sale season is getting back in full swing and hopeful that I will see warmer weather at some point.   My front porch is itching for a Spring makeover and I am ready to get dirty.  Right after those tournaments!

On the mend...

Skipping along as I have been sewing today.  I have been planning this follow up apron for a while.  It takes a lot to muster up another design...not too different...not the same.  Last week at the flea market I ran across a piece of embroidered linen that I just fell in love with.  That is when it all came together.

The Pattern---"JUNE"

This feed sack apron came from an estate sale last year and I love all the simple design, but it needs a modern make-over.  Here's my plan.

The Fabric---GINGHAM

Dark Pink Gingham--Windham Fabric

Spring Green Gingham---Windham Fabric

Vintage White Pillowcase with Crochet Trim

Vintage Embroidered Tablecloth

The Details--DELIGHTFUL

This is so dreamy.  Each stitch just masterfully done.  It has been sometime since I found such a bright piece of embroidery work.

The Beginning--BIB

With the design set on the diagonal I went to work piecing the bib front.  I already have a crush on it.  More mending tomorrow....I will keep you posted.

Junior Elf

The Junior Elf books by Rand McNally are my favorite children's books to find.  They are small in size, but big on the story.  Most of them are the classics.  The Little Red Hen, The House that Jack Built.   All written the way they were intended to be read and not changed for the politically correct ear.  The pages are filled to the gills with words and pictures.  No page is left with a minimal view.  These are the lucky few that I have found and loved and shared with my kids.  Stories that they now find are their favorite.

I safely tuck them inside an old granite ware dish.  The kids can get to them easily and read them as they like.  I think they display well and often move the front book per the season.  I am lucky enough to have some that are Christmas and I slide them in a red granite dish during the holiday season.

By the size of the spine I can usually pick them out at the thrift store just by scanning the shelf.  I haven't been lucky in a while.  

There are so many titles that I have yet to come across...I hope I get a chance to keep this collection growing.  There are no UPC codes on these gems.  Most are tagged with 15 cents to 29 cents. 

I can't begin to tell you how wonderful the words and graphics are.

The House that Jack Built

The Little Red Hen

Whitman wonders are just slightly bigger, but cute just the same.

A tiny tale that is so cute...at 3 inches by 4.  

Just a couple of favorites...children's literature pieces from the days when free time meant reading and playing outside.  My kids, now young adults, still get excited when I bring a new one home and slip it in the dish.

These are so worth the pennies I paid to pass the stories along...

Dry season?

The thrift stores have been very picked over.  With it being garage sale season I thought there would be more to chose from.  You figure what didn't sell they sent to the charity shops?  Either that or every one has caught on to this resale shopping secret.  While I was out at my favorite flea market today I overheard a dealer complaining about sales.  The owner claimed that April and May are the dry season?  Never heard of this.  I did sneak in on a few sales though!

Another doll trunk with this little boy lamb.  Perfect for storage and display.  

This was on the bottom shelf.  I spied it on the way out the door it is huge at 10x13 inches.  Super cute I cannot wait to frame her in a pink frame...maybe white.  Best three dollars spent all day.

I have been eyeing these two for over a year now.  They have been marked way too high for me.  I know they have to be Remple because of their anthropomorphic look.  She finally marked them down to half price and I found them hidden in another booth.  Score! 

(the inside of the coloring book)

This is my idea of a dollar store buy.  Vintage millinery and baby rattles.

 (the inside of the doll trunk)

An old iron plant stand for my plethora of indoor plants.  This one has a screw on the base that allows it to move up and down...nifty.

Grey gingham?  It was a no brainer.  All three of these fabric are handkerchief weight.  I have summer tops planned for these.  

I am preparing for this weekend when we will try to work in 2 tournaments and regular season games.  Looks like I will be sending the boys one way and the girls another.  The secret is that the softball games are much shorter!  Yeah me...I plan on wrapping up my stitching project that was started during Spring Break.

Locker Love

Antique Malls are like I Spy books.  I go through looking at all the little things first. " Oh a head vase...sticker shock...look a junior elf book...darn I have that one already."   Then I go through looking at the big stuff.  What are they displaying on?  What neat furniture pieces do they have?  Could be just me, but this method works.  That way I can make sure if I really want something I can think about it and grab it on the second time around.  (Very different process than an estate sale I might add, where you grab it no matter what. Because it will not be there if you leave it to come back again.  You can always put it back!)  I found this great little locker with this method just the other day...

Didn't even see it on the first go around.  It has charm and patina.  The pattern is super.  I grabbed it right before two other ladies did, I always feel bad doing this, but they were very gracious.  Both told me it was going to be better off with me than stuck in the garage with them?  

Not a moment was wasted putting my fabric stash inside.  I love great organization.  It freed up lots of space for more treasures...

The paint is a creamy yellow.  The gentleman at the shop said it would look great painted up...I didn't want to burst his bubble.  This is a timeless piece that I can use for years to come and in almost any room.  Towels in the bathroom, junk in the kids rooms, books in the den.  I hope I find another one?

This one was a steal at $28.00.

It is the perfect perch for an Irmi lamp.

Quick update on the quatrefoil shelf painted in ballet pink and loaded with my Magpie spun head team.  *the Christmas ones are packed away*  This vintage grouping looks so happy together.

Last but not least, my copy of Creating Vintage Charm came in the mail on Friday and is just yummy.  Both Happy Harris and Betty Bates are featured in it.  To top it off there is a great pull out page full of printed treasures from the sweet Miss Keren of Free Pretty Things for You.  Loads of vintage charm and great ideas.  

By the way...I am ignoring the snow outside...its just cold pixie dust!

Puzzled?

  Old puzzles are not only great for the pieces but the boxes themselves.  I was fortunate enough to grab a car load of these at the Salvation Army one week.  The graphics are dreamy.  Most are landscape, some religious, but I think my favorite are the war time scenes.  Young sailor waving to mom, US flag fluttering in the wind.  One of the most interesting things I have found is 99% have all the pieces.  Remember when it wasn't a throw away society?  Perhaps this is why most of the coloring books are never colored in?  Things were treasured, loved, savored to the last petal.

Magpie Ethel gave me the idea to puzzle a cigar box.  A sweet 50's orchard puzzle, vintage local tickets, cute old kids heart card, wooden button, seam binding, found overall clip and some pages out of a school workbook from the 60's.  Along with Martha's mod podge clear glue and scrapbook tape. 

The corner was the logical point of the puzzle to start.  Once it was covered on top, I flipped it over and exacto knifed it off straight along the other edges.  

Imagine my excitement when a beautifully yellowed page fell out of one of my vintage coloring books.  Not one to waste I mod podge that sweet giant page around the base of the box.  If I had enough I would wall paper the kitchen.  More fun with these workbooks and their cute images.  I stayed with the earth tones and made my way around the box.

.

And right there before my eyes...Betty's name appeared like magic...in the workbook.  Perfect for the box.  What's inside?

My partner in the Happy Homemaker Tag Swap, Betty of  She's Sew Pretty will be getting her tags in this fun vintage box.  I hope you like it Betty because it has your name all over it...  

Bubble burst...

After all the trouble with the prices I had in Arkansas...I came home thinking I would find so much.  Until my bubble burst!  Not much to be found this week  Only a few items worth picking.   

Jadeite, pink and purple child's blanket.  This has the cutest cats on it.  It is in really great shape and well worth keeping in tact...until I find something worthy of using it on.

Tell me how they went from this gorgeous shade of green in 50's to the awful shade of avocado in the 70's.  Maybe they burnt it?  Just a thought.

Sweet Lefton playpen planter.  The kind the kids could play in, not just sleep in.  

A nice edition to my puzzles, this cute Donald Duck.  I haven't checked to see if all the pieces are there, but it appears to be in good shape.  It has a darling graphic.

Funny after finishing this post I feel like I found more treasures.  Sometimes it takes more than one look. I think I will just ride that bubble instead...right into next week.........