The Stay-Home Shopper

Hi! What's up on this sorta-cold but not too awful Friday? I'm writing my blog for an hour before Mo's bedtime walk.

The past few days have been very productive in my little quilt room---I'll show you all on Monday. Now of course it's still wintery here and though I like to get out and see real humans [kids are away] but in many ways in this age of Amazon it's so much more efficient to stay home and shop online. Recently I went to CVS [drugstore/ pharmacy] with a long list of stock ups for winter, nothing glam, Tylenol, cold pills, Clorox, and Kleenex. Shampoo. I had a shopping cart FULL, got to the front to pay---not a cashier in the store.

Only self checkout.

No humans.

I stood there a moment, bewildered---I could roll my unpaid cart right out of the store and into my friend's double parked Jeep! Or I could leave it the aisle  in silent protest. Of course I left it, maybe $150.oo worth of ''sundries'' and toiletries, what my ex DH used to call beauty aids.  CVS has lost a faithful customer.

"If I wanted to do my own checkout, I'd stay home and shop on Amazon." I explained the tee shirt saying to my friend.

There are some things you don't think to order online. Today I ordered a new Dustbuster, mine has died.  The local vacuum shop had no parking; we couldn't find vacuums at Target or Costco. Amazon, go for it! It'll be here tomorrow morning, how simple is that.

Then there's things that are really great to buy online, like used books, either from Amazon or eBay.

I have a standing search for old books by quilt designers I like. The heyday of primitive quilting, maybe all quilting, seems to have been the eighties and especially the mid-90s. These are books and patterns I had no time to enjoy back then.  A find:

I have the Jackolantern book somewhere, so I'll resell it. But the second book is a rare early Cheri Payne book of small prim quilts that I love. Also has adorable pen sketches on the pages, good for inspiration.

A steal at 5.00 for both and free shipping. Cheri fans failed to see this bec the Halloween book was the eBay photo thumbnail. This book can sell for over $100.oo!

Then another 90s pattern,  recc by Humble Quilts' Lori. She has a darling winter quilt that is called Wear Warm Clothes---how cute for cold winters.

The pattern is here in this book along with some other fun designs. Well worth the less than 15.oo price.

Somehow I always thought this was Santa's clothes! But there is no Santa suit? Good bec it is then not a Christmas quilt, but I kinda loved the idea of Santa's longjohns and  mittens etc.

Last a gifted book, from a friend:

Gorgeous. All the blues I love.

I stayed here! But I am pretty sure it is grey not blue.

Some pages are very high style and far too fancy, but interesting.

Other pages are just, well, perfect.

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Another thing I enjoy looking for and buying online is fabric. I have no access to a real quilt shop, the closest is many miles away--maybe Broolyn?  Or out east. Hopeless. This was my winter treat to myself. I was as frugal as possible buying absolutely only things I need, hahaha. None of that no new fabric in 2019 crap for me.

 A group of batiks and a pineapple print, for a bed linens project for  a client to look through.Going for softly pale eclectic / serene but interesting. Touches of blue.

I'll keep the pineapples for myself, pillow cases, if they don't like.

A few daffodil yellow touches, for my living room, in late March.

The photos above  don't do the choices justice. The yellow really sings and is so sunny and happy.

Cute black and white irons and wash labels prints to give my ironing boards a spring makeover. I'm tired of using old sheet remnants.

Funny dishtowels for quilt backs or gifts,

Stash refresh---red, brown.
.

I love this brown, so vibrant and interesting. How about......Autumn pillow cases, or an apron, or tablecloth? Quilt backing?

Oh okay, the Mushrooms. Hadta have them though.Too too  cute.

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I did get to Costco for the Must Have tulips in the tall glass forcing jar.

Usually Costco doesn't take care of their live plants but these were lovely.

Mine are red with yellow fringed edges.

And TJ's for veggies and cheese. Look at the forsythia in the TJ galvanized bucket! If I was a rich girl I d just take the whole bucket and all the flowers on home with me!

As we loaded up the car, there on the mainland--the new Costco is built on a wetlands marsh [?!]---the sun was shining and the air had a softness. "Do you feel a hint of spring?" I asked L. She just shook her head:"Storm on Sunday." Oh well. Good thing I like winter. How about you?

Back to my little Sajou French quilt. Its finish-by date is February 28.

PS On Monday when we reveal our string quilts' progress, I am going to offer a bag of quilt scraps to anyone who wants them. Stay tuned.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach.....

Remember the drifted bushel baskets I couldn't carry home? Still haven't been back to the beach to try to save them, high winds etc, trucks. But here are previous finds from a few years ago. The disks are about 16-18" diameter. Maybe tomorrow if I neglect Sajou.

Out and About ~ A Little Thrifting, A Little Christmas

Good Sunday evening, everyone! So now it is December, time to put on our shopping ''hats'' and get to work? My thrifting friend B came to visit for our annual pre-Christmas shopping outing. We have fun and she patiently rolls her eyes at my ooohing and aaahhing over the Christmas lights in the dark neighborhoods when we head home. [I adore Christmas lights, unless they overstep and look like Disney World on crack.]

There's a blog I read and usually enjoy, where the blogger is a flea market-thrifter like me, though in the UK they call them "boot sales" and ''charity shops"? So she mentioned her Christmas finds but rather snidely added that she isn't ''one who has to show off each and every find"! Well, poop, I want to see everything. Here at The Beach, sorry, but not really sorry, you get to see each thrifted treasure and hear all about my plans for their futures!
Because that's the fun of it all, is it not?

I am sorry to report I didn't find any fun stocking stuffers at the thrift shop. This is the shop that keeps moving further and further away. We tried it a few months ago and while I was unimpressed [far! traffic! less than fresh smelling!]. But when I wrote my blog post about it, I reconsidered, having actually found quite a few fun things.
So we decided to give the shop a second try.

OMG, the traffic. OMG the roundabout GPS journey we got sent on. I started looking for the lighthouse at Montauk, or vineyards. Hours passed in bumper to bumper disharmony. It got dark! We got hungry!

We need new destinations, new horizons for our adventures.Though when we go in January I have a huge donation bag to give , so I am not sure what will happen.
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Since I'm not sure we'll ever go back, I did get a stack of nice men's shirts for quilting.

Have to give Ralph Lauren's design team credit, someone really has an eye for wonderful colorful plaids.

Just to remind you all, here is a recently finished quilt, all the plaids are thrifted shirts, except a few wools!

This shirt to replace some of the rare tomato soup red ones that got used up.

Pastel and bright for my free form planned throw :

I dithered over this stripe--it is a definite bright summery olive in real life, like extra virgin olive oil, maybe? Now I love it, it will add a bit of ooomph to wherever it ends up.

Blues for Blue Baskets, still just a dream because I can't decide on the Basket design I should use. And these dull old fashioned shirts, planned for another group of future projects from an older book called The Blue and the Grey [Civil War inspired.] here

I chose at least four quilts for my Maybe list! I love the subtle drab palette and interestingly simple yet intricate patterns of the book's design.

book photo

book photo

I got interested reading about Nancy's quilt, on her blog Joy for Grace. When looking for the book to buy, I found it for an eye-popping $140.oo on Amazon [more recent listings now are more reasonable! But still as much as $90.oo new.] so I borrowed a copy from  my book-a-holic friend BJ. My blues will include subtle small plaids

and I thought this odd ivory stripe looks just like an 1860s men's shirt. Yes it is a bit textured but I enjoy the make-do, use it anyway look on repro quilts.

Speaking of books I got this $1.oo anthology, in case of winter power failures and no Kindle service. I no longer read novels in book form, only Kindle or iPhone, so this way I'm prepared for weather outages. I was lured by Louise Penny's name written big on the cover! Turns out she is the nominal editor or story gatherer but there's nothing written by her in the book. No little extra wintry visit w Inspector Gamache and Reine Marie to be a little treat. [new book is out though: Kingdom of the Blind ]  order thru Amazon or ask at your library. I highly recommend Penny's Canadian series, though it is perhaps best enjoyed from its beginning. This is about Book 12?]

Another interesting textile.
$4.oo

At first I thought it had a feeling of a Marimekko design and the fabric has weight, like a fine linen. However the label says Pakistan and 100% cotton. The circles are traditional motifs called suzanis, I think. My favorite soft duck egg turquoise with chocolate brown and white, quite lovely

The scale is large. Here it's on my bed.

One edge has buttonholes, perhaps a curtain panel? But for me it will be a winter tablecloth when I redo my home after Christmas.
And  I picked up this cute small size candy jar. It is about a quarter of the usual volume, familiar to all of us as hard candy or nut dispensers. I love how they sit sideways.

I kinda bought it for strawberry emeries or my thimble collection but it was on the counter, just washed and polished and I filled it with my new winter teas. Oolong and Stash's Double Bergamot Earl Grey.

B found nothing! We then put our faith in the GPS even though it took us on a wild goose chase to the thrift shop, and went to the good big Marshall's, where B got two beautiful pairs of boots. The store [before Black Friday, who knows now] was a Christmas wonderland of lovely clothes and gifts and decorations.

a pugly Xmas sweater!

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Another day my friend L and I stopped by Pier One for pretty S shaped ornament hooks, for my crystal drops, soon in my etsy shop.  This is always our first holiday stop because it is located here in town near the grocery store, no GPS required. And they have parking!
It too looked very festive and beautiful.

I love their Scandinavian theme.

Too bad their candles have so little [ or no] scent, because they're so fun this year.

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I missed our town's tree lighting and holiday market due to my usual medical treatment, but I have two local holiday fairs on next weekend's agenda. I love handmade goodies and cookies and overpriced poinsettias, all for good causes. So that should be fun.

My house is almost all decorated except for my tiny tree.

But then Mo had a bout of tummy upset, brought on by garbage can surfing. Yes he has learned to undo the bungee holding the cabinet shut, tips over the bin and YUM! I won't be too detailed, but if it was a white sofa with a pretty red toile Christmas pillow on it, his aim was perfect! And then while I frantically cleaned up, he ate my old fashioned cut spaghetti casserole dinner which was on the dining table. When scolded he rushed off and puked in my bed.
I don't think Mo likes Christmas? Maybe he had a bad experience last year when I made him wear those Rudolph antlers?

How are things at your house? ;-)

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....