Sunday Flea Market

Hi! Did you get to the flea market this weekend?

I almost didn't go, the weather report was for cold grey drizzle. Ha! What a joke, summer has arrived at the beach and the market was HOT, busy, and chaotic....

For some reason the booths were set up in the farthest parking lot, bordered by a train overpass, an expressway and an eight lane highway. This odd triangle is usually the parking lot for the big flea market, so there was nowhere to park..and not a breath of shade or greenery, just hot asphalt and fumes. (The nowhere to park is the worst! I must have walked a half mile just to get back to the market, and all I could think the whole time was "will I get towed?" Not so fun...)

I hope this market returns to its usual spot, still the train station parking lot, but there is grass and trees and shade from the train station's trestle..and space for the dealers.

The dealers seemed as disoriented as I was, their goods scattered carelessly in the blazing sun.  I did find a dealer/ friend who always has lovely linens and bought this gorgeous set of pillow cases.

All hand embroidered...

So pretty!
I think they were once small tea-table cloths or dresser scarves. Someone did the work already and sewed the pair into pillow cases years ago.

See how the original edge has been folded to the back and stitched?

Yes they are very age discolored....or were. Clean though. Anyway, no matter, all textiles get immediately washed in hot water in my house!

Then I soaked the linens for two days in "Restore" which is some sort of whitener/ brightener for antique textiles. Not an oxygen bleach...something else? Sodium something, I forget.

By last night the cases were much improved but not pristine. Yes, I decided:  they need a little bath in the Clorox bucket! They've survived maybe 100 years, they are tightly woven strong cotton, I knew they could certainly stand a little bleach. Just a capful in a large bucket for 15 minutes. Perfect!
White, white, white!

But then---due, I think, to the ongoing high winds here, my household water suddenly turned deep rust brown! Oh no! I couldn't rinse the pillow cases in that! I gently squeezed the bleach water out, then soaked them in a gallon of Poland Spring bottled water.
Today they got washed in cold water [it clears up quicker, the bad water lingers in the hot water heater. Yes, I used to have blonde hair! Today a sad brown...lol.]. I can't wait to finish drying them in the sun and ironing them with a bit of starch. Perfect whites for summer beds!

Usually I buy these for myself, though I can always be convinced to share via etsy.

Enjoy the hot early summer days days!

love

           lizzy    

...........gone to the beach! In shorts and flip flops!

PS Blogger is acting up tonite, it won't let me resize my photos. Pls click on pix for closeups...thx!