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







Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Lost Again

 
 


Have you ever won an auction on eBay? I never have, I don't think ever, not once. Even though I've been selling on eBay for years, when I admittedly rarely bid, I do not ever win. So sad! I loved this crib quilt top, above. Last night I got up off and on all night, keeping an eye on the bids, raising my maximum. But then...mid-morning. Zap. "We are sorry but you did not win" came up. No "you're outbid, please raise your bid'', nothing. Yes I should have made my maximum more....Yet how high were the other bidders willing to go!?

I was stingy and stupid. And now I am very very sad.

I kept the photos [sorry, no permission] because now I am thinking I could use it as an inspiration piece.

I could make my own version!










I wish I could see exactly what the ivory fabric is. Is it muslin with a lot of age spots or is it a cream-colored sprig calico? 



And notice the unusual ombre stripe there at the sides. I'll never find that, I 'll have to sub a more usual stripe.

I might make the center part a bit prettier. The eBay blurb said the motif is pieced not appliqued? I''ll have to explore that idea, probably do applique, though.





And maybe sub double pink calico for the unknown tan.
The picture below gives an idea of how the center can be gently modified....




I loved all the little prim, folky details, like how this small calico stripe was used only as inner corners. [upper right corner]



The piece measures 37" square. I can 'guesstimate' the proportions to make a pattern. The very cool basket corners are a traditional design. I think the sizes will be 9/18/9, so 9" cheddar Baskets made with 3" half-square triangles. Right? uh...

 

It is labelled a ''crib quilt". Not what any young mom I know would want nowadays but a fun challenge for me?
Here is another small quilt on my someday list! At one time I had the magazine pattern and all the fabrics---much dispersed by now---but I still am hopeful. Who needs a pattern, anyway? (oh it looks so complicated now that I am seeing it again. Yeesh.)  This was to be a hope chest quilt for a someday grandbaby, before I realised that quilts like this would not fit into modern style. (my borders were/are NOT going to be pea green either.)



Sigh. If only eBay posted the names of the winners! I could....maybe....email that person and offer to buy her treasure? The treasure that should have been mine!

So how about it? What if anything did you guys ever win [not ''Buy it Now''] on darned eBay?

love

lizzy

who can't go to the beach because of the ongoing ice storm!




                                                             July


a rare event for me: all photos except final beach picture were taken from the web/ public domain. Will be removed on request, if asked.



6 comments:

  1. I won once on ebay ... I wound up paying $2 for a cheesebox and $10 for shipping ... it looked bigger in the pictures and I didn't read the shipping instructions correctly. Haven't bid since. Consider yourself lucky?

    My granny made that pattern - at one time Good Housekeeping sold quilt kits - I'm not sure where that one went.

    You have great taste!

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  2. Most of what I've bought on e-bay has been things like phones, not unique crafty items. But I just put in the maximum I'm willing to pay and see what happens. If I don't get it I look for another listing and don't worry about it - because if I'd paid more I wouldn't be happy anyway. It is a cute quilt-top, though, but I think you could make it cuter!

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  3. I've won a couple of items on e-bay, but bid high. :) lost the last few items I bid on - the final price was WAY more than I was willing to pay anyway. I love the quilt top you wanted, and I do think you can improvise and improve on the pattern. Post your results when you do!!!

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  4. Wanda: I think that s what upsets me, it sold for just a few pennies more than my bid. If it had been wildly more than what I was willing to pay I d have just let it go, but 50 cents, a dollar?

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  5. I saw that on ebay recently and when I saw the photo I thought you may have purchased it! Bummer!!
    You could reproduce it though and give it yoru own folk art feel. It's a great quilt!

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  6. Oh I am so sorry you missed out! I have bid alot on Ebay and have had pretty good luck. I mainly look for items for my girls of items that are discontinued or vintage. I always figure out the top price I am willing to pay, right up front and then make that my starting bid. Then if I win great, but if I don't, I just figure it wasn't meant to be. The end of some of the auctions get so nerve wracking with folks jumping in to try and "steal" the item. So I stopped watching them. Too crazy! :) Kit

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