It's Flea Season Again! ~ First Church Flea Market of the Spring

HI! Temps are very cold and the wind is big, but I know spring has arrived because the little church's first flea market was held last week. Oh I was sooo excited, you cannot imagine. I know, little life, little thrills, but that's my idea of fun. All winter long I've been saving dollar bills, because the fleas here prefer cash; I have a little wad of crumpled singles set aside--I am so organized and didn't dip into this tiny hoard for tips or lunch money. Prob is less than $30.oo.

So last Friday I had it all planned out, I would be early, I'd get to the flea's Friday presale ahead of the crowds. This flea has  a preview sale Fridays and Mondays 2-4 PM. Imagine all the treasures the church ladies had accumulated during the winter?
I got there early but later than I'd hoped because I ended up waiting for a no-show friend. I arrived at the church and there was not a parking space to be found in the entire village. Not at the other church or the preschool, not at the train station or the post office or the wine shop. Nada. I drove around for an hour, hampered by the fact that this village is on a spit of land without regular cross streets and hemmed in by two busy busy busy train crossings. I finally went home, dejected, rejected.
In the end I went back Monday...again no parking! This is new, there must be something going on at the same time, like a moms' group or AA or Bible study. I finally parked about a mile away---darn it, I was gonna get there! [Please don't suggest Uber, we don't have it and it'd cost too much anyway.]

The shelves were very picked over, and the place was pretty empty, so I know all those cars came for something else. The ladies were tidying up and putting away, because this is the basketball court of the rec hall.

Here are a few things that caught my eye:
This lovely big doll house.

I loved it. It's like a Midwestern farmhouse, just what I used to dream of owning back in the day, before beach cottage times. That front porch just begs for Halloween decorations, bales of hay and many pumpkins. The interior was in poor condition but fixable. A rehab!

There was also a box of all the furniture and the doll-residents. It said ''included"; If you peer through the plastic wrap you can see the darling little quilt that was there. I think ''cheater cloth'', not pieced, but cute, very 70's calico-awful.

I didn't note the price, because I didn't want to buy it and it was tempting. I would love to have a doll house again.

A sweet beer bottle brown glass rooster candy jar, 1930-40s?

Loved the big mirror, I always wanted one of these when I sewed my own clothes.

Pretty lace and linens, too $$.

More, with embroidery.

I loved this dresser scarf's oddly colored dull flowers, maybe for sachet hearts? but not that day. Eight dollars? Insane, who but me buys these things?

Ribbons and fabric, not tempted. Next time.

I took a few pictures of the clothes racks in case my friend B can ever go with me. Not a big selection, though on another rack they sure had a LOT of big white wedding gowns in tiny sizes.

What came home with me, how did I spend my $3.oo?

A floral sheet and an apron.

The full/double sheet was 2.oo and is a possible backing for the Blue Baskets quilt. Quilt backings are one of the unmentioned big expenses of making quilts--often 6 or 7 yards at 10.75 a yard. So as much as 80.oo; a two dollar sheet looks amazing in comparison.

The bluebells are darling, aren't they, plus touches of bright yellow and the tiniest red polka dots.

I love it. My quilter isn't thrilled with using sheets but I prevail. I think using a  vintage sheet is so in tune with the idea of the Baskets being recycled old shirts. And often sheets are nicely lightweight and so soft. I do have something else in mind, waiting to see if it goes on sale before ordering.

This is my only Blue Baskets of the month for March posting, except the mention again the lovely white shirtings from Nancy.

I didn't make any Baskets this month, and in a few seconds you'll see why.

My other treasure is this great polka dot apron, in the best green and best polka dots. One dollar. I'm sure my eyes got big and I grabbed it. Think how many St Paddy's Day dinners this apron may have made. Worn but pristine and well kept.

Wonderful make do pocket, as if it was made without the pocket and the maker used all the fabric. Then needed a pocket! So she cut off some of the waist ties and pieced herself a pocket. Look closely, it's made of three carefully pieced horizontal strips.

I don't collect aprons, but I almost kept it to wear myself. In the end, I realized I don't wear half aprons, just bibbed bakers' aprons. I am a spill-on-my-shirt kinda girl.

After washing and ironing, I folded the apron and set it on the corner cupboard. Aha! The polka dotted green just had to be the backing for my fun little red doll quilt.

I made the little quilt with the unused blocks from TQC 1880 Sampler.

Just one more is left, it will be a pin keep. Since this little guy is just for me I could use the wild red horseshoes fabric that I love. Horseshoes were a very popular motif in conversational shirting prints in the second half of the 19th century, so the print is not as anachronistic and silly as it may seem. I treated myself to having it quilted professionally, in miniature Baptist Fans.

It was going to possibly be my Humble Quilts swap quilt, but on inspection I saw it perhaps had ''bad'' fabrics, not in the rules. Plus it was probably too goofy, too childlike?--and lastly. I loved it too much to give it to someone who is expecting and deserving a traditional look.

I struggle with giving my quilts away. The second---no third!--little quilt I made for the swap is so perfect with my yellowware bowls! We'll see how time goes.

These two little quilts and prepping  1880 and Sajou for the quilter took up the days that were intended for my Baskets. I'll have to do double for April! Or fall behind. @@

Mo and I found daffodils today! But no pix.

Have a good weekend.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....

PS When Lori adds the Stringalong Linky I'll add that here so you all can see the projects of people who actually got things done in March. 

 PS2: If you love the look of the 1880 Sampler, with its 4" blocks [not necessarily my version but the project], TQC is doing a new sewalong !! W/ tinier 3" blocks.  HERE  I'm thinking to do it w/ my 1930s kiddy prints. It's a fast project but it can be made at your own pace, when you feel like it. No deadlines or posts involved.

February Show and Tell: String Baskets, Sajou, A Year

Hi! February is almost over and I have made great progress on my ongoing projects this past month. I have to admit I am quite pleased with myself, which is a nice change from feeling overwhelmed by too much to do and no time or even interest.

I have a teeny tiny urge to wail, "But there's a whole week left!" as February has a few more days to go. But my Feb String Baskets are finished and today is the day to link up to Lori's Stringalong on Humble Quilts. I'll put the link at the end of this post.

Blue Baskets

I made seven blocks this month, for a total of eleven made. I am estimating 25 in total. Unlike some strict-planning sewers I am not giving myself  a quota each month. If I get the quilt done and the sewalong is ongoing, I will start my Stringy Pineapples and continue to participate.

These blocks are sooo fun. The string portions go together so fast, I was tempted to make all at once. Even the Cheddar handles are easy and fun. [see?  I keep saying ''fun''! Yay!] But the rest of the block is a bit of a puzzle, a smidge finicky, especially as I am mixing in a few random other backgrounds. So I plan to make about six at a time.
I added just a hint of cheddar/ indigo plaid in one baskets. I like it.

I used my Christmas gift card to buy a little Sunbeam iron. It sits to the right of my sewing machine on a quilted pad. It has steam! And has already proved so helpful in keeping the Strings crisp and smooth.

I couldn't resist planning a setting, actually a necessity as it makes a difference in how many blocks I will need. Here the blocks are laid out with a white ground/ black sprig calico. I think I have three yards. I like how it looks, but this is the background I planned to use for Hideous, so, hmmm.... tough luck, Hiddy?

 I can't do a traditional zigzag setting, too much white, not enough fabric;

...instead I'll do a trellis setting which gives a zigzag look if there are no cornerstones, I hate trellis settings but I think it will disappear into the background in this case.  Then a narrow cheddar border, then a 4" sprig border if I have enough fabric.

Hideous will have to get the off white pompom calico. It's important to me that the Blue Baskets get a true white ground [unless I switch to blue check] for an authentic vintage look; Hideous can manage with the much more prevalent off white sold currently. [If anyone knows of a current white ground/ black or dark navy sprigged calico pls tell me.]

Binding will be scrappy blue plaid. Though this is all just playtime planning, I also considered a blue strings piano keys border. But no, too fussy, too much work that could be invested in the Boardwalks Blues design instead.

....
Sajou

Next I have Sajou, my once Petite Sajou is now Ma Grande Sajou at 40 plus inches square so far, another Humble Quilts project. I sewed the last Wild Geese border on Saturday. I was so pleased, a FINISH.

But then I taped her up in the living room.

Uh oh. She says she is not done after all. Hint: see the red cabinet to the left?

 Yes a wide bold red red red border. Perhaps with little purple stepping stones in the corners.

 Stash search, internet search.

I put Sajou away! For now.

Side note: this quilt is wildly bright. I carefully chose each and every fabric for its brilliance, interest, saturated colors and or dainty French-ness. It is not a scrap quilt***. I was very inspired by the appearance of the Paris shop that this project was named after , Sajou here.



...........

Year in the Country

I prepped February and March and if it snows on Wednesday I'll get the appliques sewed down. After Sajou's rebellion, I turned to my Sarah Sporrer BOM project, which I call A Year in the Country. [Yes, Mel, I know it should be my images and be a Year at the Beach! Someday....]

This is intended to be, like When the Wild Geese and also Pokeberry, a no-stress project. I'll machine applique some pieces, hand sew others. Sometimes it's faster to handsew a little detail than it is to make a new bobbin, re-thread the machine and do the bit mechanically.  The fabrics will be wools with cottons and even velvets mixed in now and then; most grounds will be splotchilly tea dyed.

I'm noting the  writing/ embroidery but plan to start that in May when Mo and I can sew outside. Unless I can get my friend L to do it! I'm not a fan of embroidery, do I even own a hoop anymore? Penny, who  gifted the patterns to me, pointed out that the embroideries are done in a variety of thread colors, a hint that I had not noticed but like.

I love the designs! Isn't the Crow so cute! This block gets white * snowflakes embroidered all over it. It's a bit less gaudy in person, darker.

This is March, Mr. Robin. See how photos are useful? Here I have fallen into my bugaboo habit , choosing for color not value. He is too pale! But I love the soft velvet tummy so maybe he'll stay.

....
A Giveaway!

***Speaking of scrap quilts. As you may know I am not in favor of hoarding fabric scraps and/ or finding pride and pleasure in utilizing every stamp sized bit instead of using up the fabric that we all own to excess. I usually do not even have scraps, but I was searching for backgrounds for  A Year and found a bin that had a few baggies of yes, true scraps.

The bad news is they are really really scraps, crappy scraps! 

The good news is there's vintage-y 30s housedress fabrics and some earlier 1800s antique fabrics in there, plus a few antique but not gorgeous quilt blocks, c. 1890s? If you love scraps and want this bag, about the volume of a Medium Flat Rate Box, USPS, leave me a comment here saying so.

If you win, pls don't be offended by being mailed a box of [s]crap. LOL. I'll choose the recipient, if any, on Mo's fifth birthday, March 19th, so new friends from Lori's linky will get a chance, if indeed a chance is wanted. Good luck?

...................

We had a ''clear storm'' today, bright sun but winds as high as 65 mph. Too windy to run non essential errands or go to the beach. Mo's walks were curtailed as the sand harms his eyes and hurts him. Pugs' eyes are very vulnerable, so I err on the side of caution and encourage him to use his deck potty and play out there too.  He was good with his potty but he was scared by the blowing metal deck chairs! Hurricane winds.

I made a big pot of marinara sauce; I have meatballs in the freezer, plus some fresh arugula/ parm raviolis, so we should have cozy warm-tummy foods for a few days. Oddly TJ's does not sell tomato paste? I used these tomatoes instead, squished them in my mini Cuisinart.

Aren't the cans beautiful. My colors! I plan to Mod Podge the labels and use the cans for spring herbs seed starts, or even tiny Easter plants like primroses. Recycling at its most charming.

The cluster of spices made me think of my mom---her sauce recipe of course, but also every so often she'd get out all her herbs and her clean sterile Smucker's jelly jars and she'd make spice mixes, all measured [by eye] and mixed ahead of time, so she didn't need to drag out a bunch of jars every time she cooked. She made one version for Italian, another for roasts, stews, steaks and marinades. So efficient! I wonder how she knew the proportions. She told me once she learned to make the mixes ahead in one of her gourmet cooking classes she enjoyed. She said, "We made herbes de provence, how useless...."

Have good week! Snow coming?

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach.....

Lori's Stringalong at Humble Quilts 

Paperwhites at week four: