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







Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Thrift Shop Finds



Hello! It got hot here again. Is this what we used to call Indian Summer?
Yesterday was beautiful, hot and sunny, perfect for a visit from my  thrifting friend B [Bea]. My first big adventure since my hip issues began last spring. I was excited to get out and have fun. We got an early [for us] start and we're getting used to the new route, made good time, did not get lost. The drive out through the bridges and beaches was gorgeous, the dunes are showing a hint of red leaves. Okay, it's poison ivy, but it's pretty. And look at this blue sky.


Our favorite thrift shop was jam packed with stuff. Wow. I could have bought three times what I finally decided on. B too had great success, throw pillows and fun old Coca Cola glasses.


My finds~
Baskets.



These large wicker trays aren't fabulous but I need something like this to organize my quilty works in progress. Mostly I ve been using UGGs boot boxes but these baskets are nicer, clean and never used, and were 2.99 for the pair, far less than canvas bins from BB&B.


A faux but beautiful Nantucket basket. I love the deep color.


 So pretty with fall leaves and berries, or for holding small knitting projects....


Then when I was almost done, three trips around the store, I found this in the rack of old CDs and videos. A beautiful split wood market basket.


Really large, about 16 x 24" .


It will get a good washing and drying, then I hope to use it to display all my doll quilts someday.


Small painted wooden box, below. I got this thinking I would repaint it in a primitive folkart style inspired by [not copied from!] the work of Lori of  Notforgotten Farm here. But it's so pretty, great colors, it is growing on me as is. I will use it to store my large scissors, I think. As with the wicker trays for fabrics, I am constantly fighting my tendency to be very messy. If I have nice storage pieces, I am more likely to put things back in their places. Or so I say to myself.





A very pretty pillow sham, soft lilacs or violets on one side, good stripe on the back. For lavender sachets next spring [or sooner? non-Christmassy Christmas gifts?]


The home and kitchen racks are always rewarding.



Nice bowl, not old. But you know I never met a big bowl I didn't love and bring home.



Love the Easter egg stripes / colors. I plan to use it as a mixing bowl, it's lighter in weight than my spongeware bowl, but it also looked pretty cute just stacked with my other pastel bowls.


 It's Pfaltzgraff. I thought their pottery was made in...Ohio. Not Thailand. A surprise.


Stray cobalt soup or chili bowl, to match one I have. Maybe modern Fiesta, or Cambridge, if older. Unmarked.


A modern Ball canning jar in lovely deep aqua/ turquoise. 1 Pint.


I think it's great that a hundred years or so later the old zinc lids still fit the new jars. The zinc lids are readily available on eBay and etsy. Gives the new jars instant antique-look.


Then the best part--- I really lucked out in the plaid shirt department. Lots of men's shirts, many XL or XXL. Not cheap, they start at 5.99 and go up to 14.99 for a Ralph Lauren plaid. But then there's sales and discounts daily, so somewhat affordable in the end. Certainly no bargain, even if cotton fabric is over ten dollars a yard now. But, you know, the mixed shirt plaids give that special look, of thrifty/ make-do-ness.


I chose blue shades to finish Where/ When The Wild Geese Fly quilt, and to replenish my much depleted collection. I am considering using the shirts' bodies to piece a backing for that quilt too. (Or should it be cozy pumpkin colored flannel?). The rest will be cut up for strings for my planned String Baskets quilt.



With that in mind I branched out and added a few plaids that, while they have blue, were also brown or tomato soup colored.



The greens are for my always meagre green stash and also for the green pumpkins in my Jan Patek Pumpkins and Pinwheels quilt [next year, but planning ahead. quiltpattern is here]


I was pretty thrilled with all my treasures, even though I found NO sweaters or woolen garments for felting, no tartans or kilts, and no candle stick bases for my make-do pincushions. Next time? 
We ended our day with afternoon ice tea on the deck, a plate of fall apples, cheeses and sweet potato Triscuits to go with. Time to visit and relax. B lives way up in Upstate NY and I don't see her so often. We then went off to Pancho's for the best Mexican food anywhere. Fajitas, yum! They  have a new dessert menu, free with a meal. Tiny double shot glasses filled with things like chocolate mousse pie, Key Lime pie, pumpkin cheesecake. Free? Oh yes. Four sweet bites, perfect.


Hope your week is going well and you're enjoying the surprise of summery weather again!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...





Home alone with a bully stick! Mo did well.


9 comments:

  1. I would like some of your Indian Summer. Here it feels like Winter again. One warm day and then it's gone again and so much rain, the garden is very wet. Looking forward to seeing how you use your plaid shirts especially the tomato soup one.I have too many baskets and hampers,they mainly sit on top of my kitchen cupboards now, although one of the hampers has the doll quilts.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm so happy you were able to get out! And I love your finds! I have a great market basket like yours that I use when I go to quilt class.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's been really warm here, too, and it's supposed to stay nice for several days although not quite so warm (we hit the 80s). I stopped down by the river yesterday and was surprised it was up...I forgot to take a picture though!

    It looks like you got a BUNCH of nice stuff! I like the big bowl and LOVE all of the baskets! I like your collection of plaid shirts, too.

    I'm glad you had a good day (and didn't even get lost!)! You are due for some fun! I hope you get to have a lot more fun days before the weather gets cold!

    I'm glad to hear Mo was on good behavior, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha! I thought Mo was a good boy until I looked closer at the photo and saw he had taken one of my blue sofa throw pillows, and he has added it to his bed/ nest.

      I'd love to see a photo of your river!

      Delete
  4. Great finds! So blue, so pretty! Is that a quilt underneath the blue jar? Love the textile-li-ness of it and colors.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sue! The textile under the Mason jar is a store bought runner, quite inexpensive from Cape Cod Christmas Tree Shop.[they have a website but this is a few years old] It's scrap squares of sari cloth with a decorative handcouched stitch for texture between the squares. The squares seem to be just ironed to fusible, then a solid brown cotton backing, binding. Easy to make one!I love that it has my beachy colors but also looks like Fall.
      http://www.christmastreeshops.com/

      Delete
  5. Awww, so glad you had a day out. Why did you have to take a new route? If you previously told us, and I've forgotten, sorry.

    Love all of your finds! You hit the jackpot. Why can we never refuse a bowl..big, little, subtle, colorful... I saw two mint green mixing bowls recently at a new thrift shop here. They were so cute, but I did walk away. I'm secretly hoping my friend went back and got them for my Christmas present! I'm at the point where if I bring anymore home, I have to donate some of the ones I have.

    We had a couple of mild days here, but hot again now. We DID have rain overnight on Monday. It was so exciting. I stayed up till 3 am just to listen to it. Good stuff :)

    Well, I hope you didn't tire yourself out. Your day sounds perfect!

    Kel

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Especially like the pillowcase too. And, I think I like the box the way it is? Though I did like what I saw in the link :)

      Delete
    2. Hi! I still call it the ''new route'' tho the thrift shop moved maybe 2 years ago! It s quite a bit further, and at first we got lost or stuck in traffic etc.

      Oh I do hope your friend got you the bowls! If it s a gift do you still feel you have to get rid of something to make room? I did pass up one bowl, it was small-ish, baby pink w a white bunny on the side. I just have nowhere to store it to use once a year at Easter, but I m sorry now. The bunny was adorable. So I sympathize.

      I m glad you re having nice warm not scorching days and esp glad you got a bit of much needed rain.

      PS Yeah, I can t decide about the box. As is for now. Pillowcase--hearts or little squares, for the etsy shop? Both? My friend grew lavender and rosemary, we re gonna harvest it on the next dry weekend, so the next sachets will be so fresh and sweet. <3 lizzy

      Delete

Hi! I'm allowing comments from everyone, even anonymous for awhile, to see what happens. With comments moderation. Hopefully the awful porn spammer has gone elsewhere. Or you can always email me! I love to hear from everyone.