estate sale enchantment

Last week I happened to notice an ad in the newspaper for an estate sale right in my neighborhood. Oh, how I dearly love an estate sale! Such a treasure hunt. Since the drive wasn't far I decided to go for it despite the fact I would have a 3-year-old and a baby in tow.

Laugh at my ambition if you will, but my 3-year-old actually has some estate sale experience and knows well my rule "no touching, only look with your eyes." The poor babe just got hauled around in his carrier! Luckily, it was a small house and I managed to be a quick shopper.

So the pieces above are either dresser scarves or kitchen towels. That seems to be the size of them. I kind of think they are too pretty to be towels. Anyway, they each have their own design but they do all feature the color red. Can we say quilt inspiration?!

This one was actually a small curtain. I love the fabric design. The best thing about these vintage pieces is the unique feel they will add to any future project. A bit of old is a good thing in my mind.

And of course I still have visions of making a quilt from vintage sheets (check out this one in simple squares and this one in a more complex design for inspiration!) so I snatch them up when the occasion arises. Especially when they are prices at 50¢ each.

 And last but not least, a pretty pink pillowcase.

it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

In the past I have piled tree-buying, tree-decorating, and house-decorating into one mega day-long event. This year I spaced it out and dragged up a box at a time and found the whole process to be much more pleasurable. So no more 10-hour decorating marathons for me. A bit at a time is the way to go!

My mantel is super simple and very different from what I have done in Christmases past. Well, the garlands (green and pinecone) and the white lights are standard. But the other pieces, not so much.

I left the narrow white window up from my autumn mantel. I painted it with a fresh coat of white intending to use it as a photo frame in the basement. But the narrow size makes it such a great supporting partner on the mantel (unlike the more square one which works better as the centerpiece – see it here with a wreath) that I might just keep it around as a flexible pieces.

The rusty star and the hunk of driftwood I dragged in from outdoors. The star usually goes on my garden gate and the driftwood spent the summer propped up underneath the pergola. I actually have a vision for the piece of driftwood as inspired by this blog post. Now, will I get to it before Christmas rolls around? Maybe… maybe not!

The photo above shows the top of the shelf in our main floor bathroom. It is a fun and unexpected spot to add some decorations. The little Santa bells are a "new" vintage treasure passed on to me by my always-cleaning grandmother.

And in this photo you can see the vase of driftwood that was featured in this autumn mantel design. I added one of the oak leaf branches from the mantel along with a sprig of fake red berries and it was instantly repurposed. And I must say, my jars of beads and buttons sorted by color prove to be perennially useful in decorating.

Happy holiday decorating to you!

pretty little bathroom bunting

 

 A dear friend passed along this treasure. It's made of vintage quilts and adds a sweet touch of old to my otherwise fairly modern styled bathroom. I noticed that each triangle is 2 layers sewed flat with a raw pinking shears edge. The bunting I made before sews the triangles up inside out and then flips them out. I am rather inspired by the light, bright, summery look of the vintage florals. I may have to sew up a full size bunting to drape across the mantel in my living room!

Speaking of vintage sheets, which I have been gathering here and there at thrift sales, look at this lovely quilt made with them! Aren't you inspired?

Fabric finds!

While on my anniversary adventure, my husband and I checked out some antique shops which is where I really found my treasures.

At one shop I bought three large pieces of vintage fabric. Two are patterned and one is this really awesome silk screen of a poppy by Alfred Shaheen who apparently made his claim to fame creating classy Hawaiian print shirts. I found this board on Pinterest dedicated to his pieces and this listing on etsy for the exact piece I found. So it seems to be from the 1960s.

I think I am going to sew a simple pocket along the top and some hems on the side and bottom. I'd like to slide a dowel or a piece of driftwood in the top pocket and just hang it up in my sunroom. That leaves me with a whole extra piece of it and I had the thought that it would make an awesome quilt. The giant poppy smack dab in the middle and some cool quilt squares around the border – greens and oranges and other fabrics printed with poppies. Could be really fun! Check back with me in 5 years to see how that project is going!

I had no reason to buy orange fabric with chickens. I just liked it!

I will be using this on my daughter's quilt soon!

shelf style: red and teal and vintage

My mother gifted me with a lovely teal glass vase (an estate sale treasure!) so I created this new shelf arrangement just to show it off.

The blue glass bottle on the left was intended to be upright but it is just a smidge too tall for the shelf. No matter, I laid it on its side.

I have always been a sucker for driftwood so I've got interesting piece in my stash to work with.

The art in the background was created by my oldest daughter when she was two (picture two paint-covered hands swirling circles side by side). The berries are usually a Christmas thing but worked well with all the round objects and to repeat the red color.

Also tipped on its side front left is an antique jar that belonged to my great-grandmother. I am not sure what was in it but I do love the pretty lid.

The milk glass vase comes from my husband's grandmother. And the blue glass vase with stopper is something I have had for quite a while. I think it was ordered from West Elm once upon a time.

a treat for me: new crewel!

I might have a bit of an addiction going on here!

How could I resist this adorable, only a dollar, thrifted crewel? A tiny piece of vintage craft past? And of course the colors – purple and yellow – go so well with my sunroom as does the floral motif. Love it!

I'm curious about Marüshka

I know I've seen it. I've loved it.  It's bold, graphic, inspired by nature, and by now considered vintage. I think my aunt has one or two. I just never knew the name – Marüshka.

Marüshka is the name of a local silk screen company founded in 1971 right here in west Michigan (Grand Haven to be exact). I love the story of Richard Sweet, the founder, a high school art teacher who quit his job to follow his passion and start the company. I've seen prints hanging on walls and I know there was clothing but I am also told there was fabric you could buy  – how cool would that be?!

Want to know more?

Check out:
• A blog devoted to Marüshka prints
• A post by Apartment Therapy
• Introduction to Marüshka by Study Hall

Want to buy some?

Check out:
• Etsy
• Ebay
• Limited edition reprints by a company called Study Hall
• Marüshka Handprints – offering clothing

in honor of crafters past: a garage sale find

Although I could be wrong, this nativity scene strikes me as homemade. I found it at a garage sale way off the beaten path up north. What good luck to happen upon something so unique! I perched it on a shelf next to our own family portrait.

princess party tablecloth

One thing I always beeline for in antique shops is the stacks of linens. I am curious about old quilts, interested in embroidery, amused by aprons, and always on the hunt for a tablecloth for my big old dining room table.

This fabulous find is a girly pink with a metallic gold and silver pattern on the sides! Since I have two daughter, one who is very girly and one who has yet to voice an opinion on such matters, I can easily envision this being put to good use come birthday party time.

It even had the original tag still on it! Love the vintage style illustration!

Found, Free & Flea

 Do you love old things? Do timeworn treasures, clearly loved, appeal to your senses? Can you appreciate the thrill of a treasure discovered at a flea market or in your grandmother's basement? Then you too will find great joy in read this book!

I found this fabulous new book for free at my local library on the new shelf. The full title is Found, Free, and Flea: Creating Collections from Vintage Treasures by Tereasa Surratt. The book tells the story of an old summer camp she and her husband purchased and all the items they found within the buildings. Since the camp also had many previous lives as a time a speakeasy, a "house of ill repute," a resort, and a retirement home for Latvian priests, you can only imagine all the objects left in the all the nooks and crannies.

The book, which is truly eye candy for anyone with a love of home decor and vintage finds, showcases how the author has restored the rooms and lovingly decorated them with collections found, or at least started, from objects discovered on the grounds. I devoured it in one lovely summer afternoon!

I adore funky old signs

This spring we ventured to Lakewood, Ohio to celebrate Grandma's 80th birthday at an ice cream shop and a fabulously vintage flavored bowling alley. Love the signs!

in honor of handwork

From my personal collection of pieces by my great-grandmothers (you may have caught a glimpse in this recent post):

Some of it is embroidery but others must have names that I don't know. The tiny green woven knots floating in the openings on the pillowcase? The astounding intricacy in purple on another pillowcase? If you happen to know what the processes used to create these are called, please leave a comment and let me know.

New couch + new rug + backyard birdfeeders =

Our new favorite room!

After many months of musing about updating this sunroom I was ready to take action. A side trip to IKEA, the magic of the minivan (that loveseat just barely fit!), and an enthusiastic evening of assembling and decorating and my family has now moved our evening hang out time to the cozy little sunroom. I moved a small bookshelf up from the basement and stocked it with our nature guides and nature-themed picture books, a magnifying glass, binoculars, some blocks, and our board games (which might get some use now that they're accessible!).

The loveseat is positioned in such a way that you can watch the birds, which is really my main purpose for this room – communing with nature in the backyard and reading. The large flat arms are perfect for leaving the chapter books we've reading as a family. Or for providing a perch for kitty. Purple wasn't in my original plan but it is my very favorite color. So I welcome having it upstairs.

The green shag rug reminds me of grass and I like it a lot. I know shag is not for everyone but I think it makes sense in this sunroom. My older daughter's toy horse has claimed it as her field and become a permanent sunroom resident!

We also hung a lovely crewel piece by my great-grandmother. The dimensional greenery reminds me of the rug and the little purple flowers pick up the color of the couch. I want to get a few more fun pillows to pick up the gold color. And I am still planning on adorning the window with curtains made of this great bird fabric (of course birds for a bird-watching room!).

what's old is new to me

I was recently lucky enough to be gifted with 3 framed pieces created by my great-grandmother. All were probably craft kits that she completed for herself or others. They are done with crewel, so there is a very fun dimensional feel to the artwork. They, and their frames, have a funky vintage look that I love.

I will admit the dark brown background on this piece is not my favorite. However, I am enjoying something fresh on the mantel. I may bring it back out in the fall.

love this bracelet!

One of the lovely ladies I work with has been crafting up these charming bracelets made of vintage buttons! She picks a color scheme and then attaches all the buttons to a chain-based bracelet. Isn't it a beautiful idea?

It makes me want to scoop up all those bins of buttons you see at antique stores!

star bright

Remember my great excitement when I bought this quilt at an antique store? Well, here we are over year later and I finally got it up on the wall. My mother-in-law did the sewing and my husband did the hanging. And now I get to start my day smiling at the cheerful bright colors.

before there were designers and computers

You might just stamp your own sale signs for your business!

Check out this wooden case of alphabet stamps I bought once upon a time at an antique store. My 2-year-old and I had fun with them. You may have noticed the stamped labels in yesterday's post. They were the result of this little craft fest.

I am especially fond of the phrase "up-to-now!"

 

1950s fonts!

I got this in an email update from Veer, a site that sells fonts, stock photography, and interesting vintage style illustrations. They are offering some new fonts straight from the 1950s and put together a slideshow of the advertisements the fonts were used in. I found it very amusing. Take a moment to enjoy it! And, if you're in need of expanding your font collection, these are rather affordable.

marvelous milk glass

I have a small collection of milk glass. I like it because it is inexpensive (probably because it was mass produced) and it is simple. The white is nice with the white trim in my home and I always find new ways to re-invent how it is used and displayed. I especially like glass with the patterns of round bumps called "Hobnail" They're kind of like organized, dimensional polka dots.

For January, I arranged some of my collection on my mantel. I stacked 3 pieces within each other in the center. I think it looks a bit like an opening flower. I recently acquired the ruffled bowl on the bottom and the two candlestick holders from my grandmother. I am not using the candlestick holders to hold candles. Instead, I'm displaying them tipped on their sides. Again they remind me of flowers. I am not quite sure how my grandma would feel about this!

I supplemented the display with the bleached out pieces of coral I found on my last trip to Florida. The circular shapes on the coral are very similar to those found on the milk glass.

vintage berries

We have a white elephant exchange at work every Christmas. It's often quite amusing with an array of odd or ugly holiday-themed items. This year I made a trade to nab a set of vintage placemats and napkins. I actually like them a lot.

The napkins wouldn't be hard to incorporate into something else – A quilt? An apron? Doll clothes? The placemats stump me though. They're quilted so I am wondering if they could become potholders. Future projects I suppose!