Fall Flea Market

The first fall flea markets
are beginning!

Last week's market was small and hurried due to intermittent rain showers, but fun and lots of good finds. I hope this means the dealers spent the summer hunting for new treasures to sell. The busiest flea market time here is during the fall, spring is wet and cold and in the summer everyone goes to the beach.

Fun finds. One man had two huge cartons of red and white transferware, all packed up for leaving.

A few bits and pieces still were out and I rummaged, found some goodies for autumn decorating and then for Christmas.

I didn't realize these creamers were identical til I got home. I am picturing them with big red amaryllis bulbs/ flowers for the holidays...

And I love the bowl despite its chips. It's an older piece [tho not very!], nice patina.

It will be great with berries, leaves, acorns for fall; a couple of my little calico birdies nestled inside,

...then with  pine cones and Christmas motto hearts---[Ho-ho-ho!---in December.

Neat Mason jars...with , yes, incorrect lids I added.

The Lightning brand jar is not one I've ever seen before.

 And while I could not really capture it in the photos, the Atlas Ball jar, right, has wonderful old, odd, wavy glass
.

Then a few old beachcombed or dug up bottles. The dealer was shoving the crate in his van while I chose, so I didn't get to ask where they came from.

I like to re-purpose these with decorative seashell stoppers and raffia bows, very fun beachy touch for shelves or vanity in your [imaginary?] beach cottage....

Most to sell on etsy but I love the turning-purple one, right, to add to my windowsill experiment group. It's a patent medicone bottle from New Jesrey.

And here are the tiniest ones, with miniature bouquets of flowers. My mother always filled her small antique ink wells with flowers and set them out all around the Cape Cod house. Fun to find in the guestroom or bathroom or kitchen windowsill. She loved making them...

The little brown bottle is from my own beach, one of my free finds. I washed it very well. Wonder what was in it, once upon a time...?

More flea marketing this coming weekend. I'm looking forward to it... Any fun markeyts for you guys? Tell me what you find, okay!?

love

           lizzy

gone to the beach....

Salt Meadow Prairie

Hi! I hope everyone's having a wonderful weekend!

A few days before H. Irene arrived I made a special trip to the marshside bird sanctuary, knowing the  marsh might be destroyed or damaged by the storm. (no.)

The prairie garden was beautiful, in full late summer bloom. An almost medieval tapestry of flowers, so dense and rich and colorful....

I love seeing this oddly out-of-place meadow grow each year. It includes drifts of tallgrass prairie grasses not native to my sandbar island...[the marsh is beyond the trees...]

Someone, no idea who---decided that this area should have a Midwestern grasses and wild flowers landscape.

Ecologically incorrect but so charming. Notice the diversity! Bachelor Buttons, coreopsis, black-eyed susan, pink coneflowers, queen anne's lace, Californai poppies..and more!

...and it speaks to my prairie childhood...

A thunderstorm loomed the entire time...

And lightning flashed far away over the  mainland...

The marsh itself was quiet but the osprey family was still there in its nest. At least two adults and I think three young ones, almost grown but still home with Mama.

One of the big ospreys noticed me, standing alone on the berm perhaps a half mile or more away [their eyesight must be amazing...] and he came for a look at the human intruder. Maybe a little closer-up and personal than I really want to see an osprey!

The marsh survived the various storms, as always.

And the ospreys disappeared ahead of the coming tropical winds. The grass is slowly turning amber....

...autumn awaits.

love


                 lizzy


gone to the beach

Color "Stories" with Antique Fabric

Hello! Probably you all know I collect fabrics, especially antique fabrics....I use every tiny cherished scrap for quilts, doll dresses, and my lavender hearts.

I love putting together color stories or groupings, whether for my own inspiration of for for a customer who wants a special order and has a certain color or style in mind.

This was a BLUE or Indigo story I gathered up a few weeks ago....

I  loved the assortment of traditional indigo fabrics through the centuries!

The person who was ordering chose something else...but I liked the idea so much I made  a set of small square lavender "pillow" sachets...one in every  fabric.

I made them just for me, for fun, but I am planning to list the group on etsy, in case someone else loves my vision too. (I can always make another set, right?).

The many indigo blues fascinate me...

Indigo was used---is used today---as a beloved blue dye, by artisans worldwide...

                       

The brilliant silk "punctuation" squares have indigo batik on the reverse, continuing my theme.

Then I had a request for all red ticking hearts, for party favors! how fun!

These are/ were my selection of 19th century French tickings.

These are antique American calicos [below], c.1880-1900, rescued from the backs of tied quilts. And solid faded rose-red ticking. They became the backings of the red hearts.

Add lavender, antique suspender buttons---china and celluloid, some linen twine ..and quite a lot of hours hand sewing on the beach...

Aren't they so cute!

I tied them up in individual cellophane bags to preserve the scent.

Wouldn't these be adorable for a shower favor, in either white for weddings or in silk matching the bridesmaids' dresses...

Or--- pastels for a baby shower...

How about a group in reds and purples for a Red Hat party favor?

Old red quilt bits and cinnamon-cedar stuffing, maybe a cinnamon stick tied on, or a glittery button make festive tiny party favors/ stocking stuffers for Christmas too.

The possibilities are endless! There are wonderful modern specialty motif fabrics too

that add to the options and interest. You could probably have hearts/ tiny pillows in your fave football team's colors! Who knows!

Unscented versions are always available too---the hearts make adorable package tie-ons and I love them as napkin ring ties, a little treat for holiday meals. (no calories!)

It's so fun to plan and choose...special orders are aways available through my blog or my esty site. Come visit!
 
 

 

 

love

 

               lizzy

 

 

gone to the beach~~~~~

Linked toA Beach Cottage good life Wednesday!