Flea Market Finds and Thrift Shop Treasures

 

 

Hi! I have so many treasures to show you guys. Hardly know where to begin....

Remember I am often shopping for things to use for etsy and eBay projects. ''Raw materials" like this massive bundle of  mixed white linens. Hand embroidered, many with lace.

They had a good soak in Restore and are now bright white.

Laces for other projects....

Huge 6" + crystals from an old chandelier. They will sparkle and be clear and bright once washed in an ammonia bath!

Look at the size!

These will become icicles for Christmas tress or mantel decor.

 

 

And in a musty old box of 1980s-ish weirdly ''country'' fiber crafts [think ducks with babushkas]---this lovely late 1800s/ early 1900s quilt top. All handpieced.

No I don't know the pattern name, I thought it was Philadelphia Pavement but no. I suppose, in its own way, it is a verion of the Album block I showed you a few posts ago. But I imagine it has its own name too.

The sashing fabric is really cute, tiniest circle dots in pink. And many interesting calicos in the blocks, to be studied. I hope to get this cutie quilted, though I am not sure whether it must be washed first. Probably, as I won't want to press the stains in more deeply, and also it's a bit too grubby to send to my quilter? But tops wash better if they are quilted and then cleaned. A dilemma. I'll have to see what my quilter thinks.

tiny pink dots!

Let me see.....well, I shouldn't even tell you about the sweet and primitive little miniature blanket chest I saw last week. Old. Authentic, 1800s. Blue. Still had its big old key!!! 
200.oo!
Nope.
I didn't have time to bargain with the guy. Instead let's move on to thrifting. For almost a year my favorite very junky thrift shop has been a bust. Ive been finding nothing. But last Friday! Oh wow.

Modern quilted pillow shams. Handquilted,  blue calico and stripes. I had planned to make a coffee table runner with them. [my coffee table is sturdy and a perfect size but not wonderfully attractive. I always cover it with a runner.) But when cleaning out my linen closet the other day I realized I have an awful lot of blue runners. So now I am not sure. Maybe to sell? Add prim applique?

These two large fancy Staffordshire [English] transferware platters.

Here's the maker's mark. This company began in the 1880s, I am estimating these plates at about 1910-30? 

The color is odd, a deep cream. I thought it was the glaze color but wasn't sure. I've seen household goods exposed to years of cigarette smoke that take on this color. A day in a baggie of Clorox water brightened and sterilized the platters but they're still cream colored. And a wonderful blue. One to keep, one to sell? I especially like the top one, with the egrets or herons and pond.

 

Antique cobalt blue medicine bottles to add seashell stoppers to, for my etsy shop. Great find.

Doggy bowls for our expected new arrival, Mo!

A fat quarters bundle of very cute Halloween cottons, 50 cents. For my Halloween string quilt project. Or just because.

 

 



frog prince for Mel!

And yes, I saved the best for last! As I made my final circle of the store, before checking out, I spied this stack of plates.

I took a closer look: Quilt plates. STAR quilt plates. Big dinner plates, just the color of my yelloware bowls, with blue spongeware details. These are so awesome. I was in love.

Uh oh. I do NOT need more plates. I don't use plates like this, I use moderne white porcelain plates from Pottery Barn or Christmas Tree Shop. And, well, Pfaltzgraff isn't exactly in style, is it? But look! How could I resist? 9 plates marked 12.99 and everything was 30% off, so a dollar each! I thought, How cute these would look on my autumn table with a rough natural linen cloth and a crock full of bittersweet and autumn leaves.
Yes, I brought them home. They weigh a freakin' ton!

This shop has a thing for taping plates massively together. You can see only the top and bottom of the stack. When I finally lugged these plates into the house, 4 days after purchase [I had to get my wheelie cart out, that's how much the darn things weigh!]...I finally cut and tore off all that tape and OMG! Not just Star quilt pattern but all these other classic quilt patterns too.

In the shop I had noted the Pfaltzgraff imprint, even though I recognized the style without seeing that mark. But on more careful scrutiny I found this wonderful mark. The angel with the trumpet and MAFA stamped in blue.

 This is a retired limited edition pattern made for the Museum of American Folk Art which is here in NYC. They were produced during the 1980s. Okay, not chic. But I love them.

Everything from the thrift shop cost, with that day's special discount, 24.oo. The flea market finds: lace and white linens bundle 8.oo; the quilt top, 20.oo. The crystals, I admit, were expensive but when cleaned and rewired and with a curly rusty hook added they will be beautiful icicles for someone's Christmas tree.

Good hunting, hhhmmm?

I hope the little blue chest is there next week---and the small [ugly brown, needs blue chalk paint]bookcase with the heart cut-outs that I passed up at the thrift shop.  I have a really neat garden planter that is a rusty tricycle, a scrounged treasure, to trade. Wish me me luck!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach

 

 

 

 

 

Note: May 1st: all doll quilts from Lori's swap are now on a Link page,here