I wiped away the weeds & foam. / I fetched my sea-born treasures home... Ralph Waldo Emerson







Wednesday, December 21, 2011

The Last Flea Market!?




Hi! How's everyone's holiday preparations coming? Today it's dark and drizzly at the beach...and way too warm for the first day of Winter!(55*)....
It is cooky baking day on my schedule but I'm having a little break, wondering if the alternative flea market will take place on Sunday...or is the season [sigh] over?
(Oh I guess not! I just realized that is Christmas Day! Can't you just see everyone coming for the big holiday meal..and lizzy is AWOL, went to the fleas! LOL.)


When I worked in fashion we were always designing the season that just ended. So right after New Year's we'd begin 'Holiday' of the following year. I think that's why, unlike many crafters we see on etsy and various art blogs, I can never get busy and do Holiday in, say, August. Nope I prefer to keep my momentum and at least plan my projects, sort my flea market finds during the winter.


And of course my favorite place to find useful treasures is the Sunday flea markets, so I do miss them, come January through March.
Here are some of my final finds....
More crystals for ornaments....


 Icicles, drying after their white vinegar bath...


and lovely crystal hearts (Lucite, actually, tres vintage)...



Interesting red textiles---Must buy them in December, that is when the dealers bring their Christmassy stuff!

The woman who sold this to me insisted it is a very old, c. 1830-40 handwoven woolen jacquard or overshot coverlet piece.


 I wash everything these days, just to be sure nothing creepy comes in with the textiles. It washed okay...the frayed bits seem like wool. But I am dubious about its provenance. Could it be scratchy old sofa upholstery fabric? c.1940 instead?

Anyway, I think it will make very cool Xmas stockings! Trimmed out with handmade lace and doily toes and heels. (Something to look for next summer...doilies?)...



And here's this lovely linen tea towel. I'm not sure I want to cut it up but it could make a pretty stocking too...


Then there was this very nice handwoven cotton piece, a tablecloth?


Looks Danish Modern, c.1970 to me, but it could be last year, last week! from Marshall's, who knows...


Speaking of Marshall's---and Home Goods: this seems to be a year  for sheep turning up. (The wooly sheep who looks like he is wearing an American flag sweater in a previous post is a handhooked folkart piece from Olde Farmhouse Simples.)


 I loved this box with the carved lamb...


it's a flea market find but still sporting its Home Goods tag, lol.


Then a handful of neat findings, bitsies, jewelry, treasures...



I'll tell you more about the watch cases in another post.
A few things just for me...
Handblown art glass ornaments for my windows. This collection was given to us by my mother who sent a new treasure each year.


I couldn't resist these three additional beauties!



Then...great news, this guy found a home! He was sold last week...



...which means I'll have the fun of collecting a whole new bag of antique toys for Santa's sack next Christmas!


I think I have lots to keep me busy this winter...not to mention the 4 or so quilts I have in stages of readiness/ planning/ ordered etc!

How about you? Do you like to have projects planned for the winter? I love having a quilt to sew in January...

Okay, back to cooky time!

love

     lizzy


gone to the beach....

orange dot on center horizon
is
a ship far out at sea

....