Just a quick post today to fulfill my daily goal. I saw this cookie jar (?) at a thrift store. I don’t know if this is some type of cartoon character, or what. Any ideas? Later this month I will be posting some other interesting thrift store finds!
Happy Spring everyone! It’s been quite a winter, but now it is warming up and I am getting excited about my spring projects. I have a lot to accomplish over the next few months, so stay tuned!
This is a little rabbit I made from a Minicraft Kit I found at the thrift store. Definitely one of the best dollars I’ve spent. It was super easy to put together and the pattern is quite cute. I plan to make another one with fleece and embroidered eyes – a perfect gift for my friend’s new baby!
Keep it Thimble!
I still owe you a report on my trip to Alaska and the quilt shops, and you will get that before the end of the year. However, I have been busy working on some fall projects and should have lots to show and tell in the next month or so.
Here’s a cute fabric covered box that I made from a class I took at Liberty Rose. Sharon thought of this idea and taught it as a class. This is one of my favorite projects because it only takes a 2 or so hours to complete from start to finish. When done, it looks like something store-bought!
I found this Sara Lee Bakery Display at the local antique store. It’s the perfect place to store all my works in progress. As you can see, I have quite a few projects going on right now. Most of these are 75% complete and will be done in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!
Keep it thimble!
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there and an extra special hug and kiss to my dear mom! I meant to get this posted yesterday, but time just gets away. I also noticed it’s been two weeks since my last post – shame on me!
Here is what I had waiting for me when I woke up on Sunday morning. On the other side of the card my son had drawn the entire lifecycle of a butterfly from the egg – too cute!
I’ve found some great picture at the thrift stores recently. The first one is a print from 1954 by Ken Davies called “Dearest Dolls”. From a bit of research, it seems as if this was a print commissioned by Family Circle magazine. This is painted in what is known as trompe-l’œil–painting something so realistic as to make it appear like it is actually a three dimensional object. All of his subjects involve some form of Americana and after looking at his website, I wish I could have a whole houseful of his paintings!
Here is another treasure I found, stitched by Pam Jersey in 1975. Her name is signed on the back of the frame. I’d like to get this cleaned, blocked, and re-framed and am tempted to find some vintage floss and stitch her name and date on the front. What do you think – is that cheating? This is going in my downstairs bathroom.
Finally, here is an old-fashioned cross-stitched sampler, no idea of the date or who made it. I figure it must be at least from the 60’s or 70’s…any ideas? This is a good reminder that you must always sign and date your work. You have no idea who might find it years later and really appreciate it.
Keep it thimble!
Here’s the current stash reduction report (through today):
The reason there was such a huge leap in what I added this month (I have to justify this) is because there was a big sale on fabrics and I purchased a bunch of half yards to use in my quilts. I also have to take 1 yard of fabric to my monthly sewing circle and I will need at least 20 more yards for the duration of the club (so I am all set for the next two years!).
I haven’t been as productive in the sewing room as I would like. I’ve done a lot of traveling and the spring weather makes it difficult to stay inside.
Of course, I always have time to go to the thrift store and flea market and have some great finds to share with you this month! The best find this month is this antique spool chest. Make of oak (I think) with 4 drawers. It is small enough to set on a table.
I have a huge antique postcard collection – it’s a hobby I had when I was younger, so do keep an eye out for good postcard bargains. Most of the good cards are at least $5 these days (I remember paying 50 cents for the same cards 30+ years ago), so I don’t usually get them. However, I find a treasure trove of some Thanksgiving and Valentine cards (some of the harder holidays to find) and got the whole lot for $2!
This is a great old tool carrier – probably from the 40’s. I may put some plants in it, or wash it off a bit and arrange some mini quilts on it.
This is a sweet little handmade basket. It is signed by the maker and was made in 1980 – so it is over 30 years old so it qualifies as vintage!
Here is a real find – some vintage Hawaiian fabric from the 1950’s. There is enough here for me to make making shirts for my husband/son and a sundress for me. Family picture time!
There were some good book finds this month. I usually find one or two sewing/quilting books each month (note, I will never have time to read them all), and they are always fun to look through for ideas and inspiration. This month there were a ton of books at one of the stores – someone must have been doing some major spring cleaning!
Finally, the treasure of the month is this special seashell toilet seat! My son saw this and had to have it – he is obsessed with sea creatures. What he doesn’t know is that I am re-doing his bathroom this summer with a Hawaiian theme. This will be a perfect match!
Hope you are having a great spring. Keep it Thimble!
Here’s a smile for you – my son holding up this love bug mask and saying “Hello Spring”! How can you resist?
I had some good luck with flea market finds this month and found some great knick knacks. I’m not sure what this first item is; it is some type of souvenir tray from Florida. I think this might be for carrying drinks? If anyone knows, please tell me!
This is a handmade Raggedy Ann doll. Her face is hand embroidered and she is stuffed with fabric scraps (very old-fashioned). I figure she was probably made in the 60’s or 70’s based on the fabric used for her dress. I plan to make a new dress for her from my plethora of fabric. She looks perfect sitting on the school desk I found a few months ago.
Here is a wooden bread box. It needs a bit of cleaning (there are crumbs in it), and I may end up painting/distressing this. It would make a perfect sewing box – especially since you can see your project through the window.
When I saw this piece with the handcarved star and the little drawers, I had to have it! According to the signature on the back, this was made in 1986, which makes it 26 years old – so it just qualifies as being vintage!
Lastly, here is a very clever tote bag. This is made from a paper-pieced quilt block that shows a girl jumping rope. Do you see how her rope is actually the handles of the bag? Also, I love her braids!
Good luck with your flea market finds! If you find something fun, let us now by posting in the comments.
Keep it Thimble!
Happy Birthday to me! Yes, today is my birthday – one of my favorite days of the year (besides Halloween and Fourth of July) and I thought it would be fun to celebrate with a Cupcake Pincushion.
Awhile back during one of my thrift store runs, I bought a bunch of plastic ramekins with the idea of making something with them. Inspiration struck me when I was trying to come up a fun gift for a sewing friend and this cute little cupcake pincushion was born. In honor of my birthday, I put together this tutorial for you.
Supplies Needed:
1. Trace around the saucer on the square of fabric. The circle should be roughly 5 1/2″ in diameter.
2. Thread an embroidery needle with a 36″ piece of perle cotton. Make a running stitch around the outside of the circle with about a 1/4″ seam allowance. (Figure 1)
3. Gather the circle and stuff tightly with Poly-fil. Gather tightly and tie off, but leave about 28″ of thread for the long tail – do not cut. (Figure 2)
4. Poke the needle through the top center of the pincushion and come out at the bottom center. Wrap perle cotton around edge of pincushion and come down through the top center again. Pull on thread to make tight (cushion will dimple on the side). Wrap cotton on the opposite side and come down through top center again and pull tight. Proceed in this manner until you have done this a total of 8 times. The cushion will now be segmented into 8 parts. (Figure 3)
5. Bring thread up through center one more time so that it is coming out through the top center. Take red button and place in top center of pincushion. Thread the perle cotton through button holes and then down through bottom to secure button. Repeat 2 – 3 times. (Figure 4)
6. Apply glue to inside of ramekin. (Figure 5). Place cushion inside ramekin and let dry for a few hours.
7. Cut 18″ of ribbon. Use glue dots to secure ribbon to outside of ramekin (place glue dots about every inch around top). Tie into a bow. Put a dot of glue to secure bow. Add some pins. Enjoy! (Figure 6).
Have a great day and eat some real cake.
Keep it thimble!
I have to confess, I’ve already blown my stash reduction resolution made at the beginning of the month – it’s a lot harder than I thought! In my defense, I had good reasons for purchasing the following items (and some of it falls under the rule exceptions).
Here is a bundle of Halloween fabric I purchased at an online quilt shop. This fabric line features “Boo Kitty” and is designed by Bonnie Sullivan of All Through the Night. There are several good reasons why I needed this much. First, it was on sale for a very good price and there was a 1 yard minimum cut per fabric. Second, this line was released years ago and is VERY hard to find. Third, I have the cutest pattern for a Halloween table topper that uses this fabric and I WILL make it – I promise!
Here is my haul from the thrift store. I usually find nice large pieces of corduroy and denim that I can use for my bags. There is a new pattern in the works and I will need to make a few prototypes. It’s better to use fabric from the thrift store since it is so cheap (about $1 a yard).
So, as you can see, all these purchases were justifiable. But just to keep things honest, I am going to write down my MONTHLY stash report (it’s apparent these need to be done monthly, in order to have the desired effect of actually reducing the stash):
Back by popular demand – Flea Market Finds! At the end of each month I will post some of my better “finds.” Some months I do really well, other months I don’t have much luck!
This is a cute little house box I found at the local thrift store. It is handpainted and the colors work great with the vintage red,white, and blue color scheme I have in my sewing room. The roof lifts off and you can store treasures inside.
Next up is an antique school desk. This one is in exceptionally good condition – only one piece of gum stuck to the bottom! This particular model (Model 101) was manufactured by the American Seating Co. in the early 1900’s. There is an fascinating history of theater, school, and bus seating on the American Seating Co. website. The frame is made of steel and the seat flips up for easy storage. This may go in the entranceway – the perfect place to sit while you put on or take off shoes.
There is a store in downtown Apex called The Rusty Bucket owned by Pam and Mack Thorpe. They carry all types of antique and primitive items and I go there all the time to see what “new” things they have. I was lucky enough to be in town last week when they hosted “The Gathering”, a huge sale that featured all the wonderful antiques that Pam and Mack found when they went “pickin'” in some old barns.
The biggest thing I bought was a wooden cupboard made out of old barnwood. I needed something like this for the house to add some height to my living room. I’m not sure how old this is, but it definitely has some authentic distressing and works great with the other primitive things in the house. This thing is very heavy and so once I find a place for it – it won’t move!
The last thing is my most favorite find (sorry Barbara, you can’t have it!). It’s a vintage trunk with an American Flag carved into the top. There are 50 stars on the flag, so I assume it was made in the 1960’s. It is made of a nice heavy dark wood, and there is a tray inside that lifts out. Not sure where this is going yet, but I am sure my decorator (Liberty Rose) can help me figure it out!
In other news, I have a few sewing things I am working. I will also be posting a tutorial next week for a fun Valentine’s project.
Keep it Thimble!
Time for another edition of Flea Market Finds! I’ve been finding a lot of treasures over the past few months at thrift store and flea market, but haven’t had a chance to post them.
The first one is a old quilt I found at the local Goodwill! This is made of old feedsacks and features a pink border. There are a few holes here and there, but overall it is in good shape. Not sure what I will do with it yet, but it is a nice addition to my collection of old quilts.
Next is a set of tin dishes I found at one of my regular thrift stores. The large pan with a lid is an old lunch pail – it reminds me of the lunch pail that Pa Ingalls used in Little House on the Prairie.
Another great Goodwill fins is this this cute little teddy bear is a cookie jar. His badge says “I Love Kraft Marshmallows.” It was released in 1989 and looks fantastic in my kitchen.
The last treasure is a vintage sewing box from the flea market. As an added bonus, the box was filled with some old wooden spools, trim and zippers. It has a few scratches here and there, but is in overall good condition. It is the perfect size for carrying one of my wool crazy projects!
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Keep it thimble!
Keep it Thimble 