The Quilt Ladies

Hi! Just had to tell you that the ladies with the pretty pink quilts were at the flea market today. For the past month or so I've had my eye on the quilts they use for display.

 This time I went there first, just in case: maybe I could buy them and they'd undo her display by the time I left? (I thought, I hoped.)

Both quilts are 30s-ish pink. One is a miniature Bow Ties, I've never seen the block done that small---3"?  Great backing, red and yellow flowers, faded so prettily. And the other is a Lady of the Lake, I think: Large triangles edged in teeny tiny triangles. Hard to see under all the old crystal and tchochkas they sell. 

I got her attention, asked if the quilts were for sale...and was rudely, adamantly, answered NO! I tried to give her my card, "Just in case you change your mind?" and she said the quilts were from her collection and NOT for sale.

Oh. Okay.

I can't imagine having nice quilts like that in my "collection" and having them be so dirty! eeeew. And sure, this is NY but usually quilt collectors are friendly and interested even if they don't want to sell their quilts. (And why bring them to the flea market if they're not for sale?)

But at least I got up the nerve to ask this time. I think the previous week when she/ they ignored me so obviously, she could tell I was interested in the quilts and didn't want to bother telling me no.

 I didn't want to make an offer and start a bidding thing, she has to want to sell them or she won't give me a decent price. And for all I know they'll disintegrate when I wash them.

I'll keep going by her booth though! Til end of December....because maybe, someday, she'll change her mind? The Bow Ties quilt was very special....

I passed up a pretty (and pretty expensive!) Mexican silver cuff bracelet, a large disk of turquoise with faceted aquamarines at the side. My colors!  And there were a couple nice crocks but I was too tired to carry them to the car. So---a nothing-found day, but fun to be out in the sunshine, right?

Hope your weekend was fun and more successful!

PS The quilts shown here have nothing to do with today's pink quilts! They're just quilts that DID get to come home with me...and are loved. I had them out deciding which ones to use for the holidays....they are my success stories.

love

           lizzy

 gone to the beach.......

November Glories

The calendar says November....

...but my morning glories think it's July!

These are the little "volunteer" morning glories by my back door! They arrived from somewhere and have happily bloomed for months.

Aren't they brave?

They have survived the first fall Nor'easter storms---

and high winds!

And they make me smile while I sew on my deck and pretend it is still summer at the beach.

Have a great weekend! Polish that silverware and open grandma's cookbook!

enjoy!

love

                  

      lizzy

              gone to the beach.....

Turquoise Star Quilt - Polka Dots Included

Sunday's flea market was big, busy, and exciting---but a little junky. Late in my fruitless searching I spied this folded blob of polka dots on top of a grubby old oak armoire.

It looked like a mess of old pj's or boxers, lol!

I reached up, shook it out a little...saw those big almost-turquoise dots! And made an offer. We haggled a bit but for a tiny price I brought home what I thought was a crappy cutter quilt, maybe a cheap import even. (I never really opened it up even!).

When I got home I was thrilled to see that it was a charming vintage (or antique?) full-sized handmade Blazing Star or Star of Bethlehem in really very good condition.

And of course I LOVE the color, soft white with shades of off-blue verging on my fav turquoise. The photo below has more acurate color....

Very interesting! The stars are all different sizes of polka dots from tiniest pin dots to big fussy-cut coin dots! Aren't they adorable!

The ground print is a cheery blue and white aspirin dot. Some of the midsized "dots" are squiggles but definitely dots.

The smaller stars, to my surprise, are pieced then appliqued...see the background dots showing through?

Even the traditional "ribbon" border commonly seen on Blazing Star quilts (like twisted garland or bunting?) is one of the dots plus a blue check, then the binding is a blue stripe.

The very faded backing is (was ) palest aqua blue with pale tan figurals that remind me of spinning tops (or Christmas ornaments!) and refers to the theme of polka dots too.

Was this a kit? If not, how did this 1940s-1950s-ish* quilter accumulate all these dots? And why?
Was her name Dot?
She loved to polka?
Loved dots?
Wish I knew...the anonymity of quilts always intrigues me, though makes me wistful too. Don't you just wonder?


The hand quilting isn't excellent but it's nice and far superior to what I originally thought. "Dot" did a very nice job...

Yes it's a little soiled...actually at this very moment it's being cleaned...fingers crossed!
Oh, here it is all washed and pristine! The white is much brighter than my photos...

And it needs a little mending and TLC---but I think it's a treasure! Lucky me, I was so happy.

And this is my latest little turquoise heart, with close-ups of the quilt fabrics in the background.

I've had fun researching this bracelet, so more about that treasure soon. It will also will be on etsy, since sometimes I must share and sell to support my turquoise treasure hunting!

*I am just estimating the age of this quilt: surely pre-1960/ post 1900? Any thoughts? I'd love some input!

PS A fun recent post about polka dots by quilt expert Barbara Brackman.

love


            lizzy

gone to the beach...........