Dogs and Fabric Finds

Every spring my husband and I attend an annual community garage sale event with my sister-in-law Claudia and her husband Steve. The men go their merry way and Claudia and I go ours and a great time is had by all. It's always fun, we always find something kitschy and collectible, and this year I made an especially good haul.

I have just time to show you a few items, then I'm going outdoors to take advantage of the weather and work in my ghastly weedy, neglected flowerbeds. So, without further ado, have a look at these vintage dog items:

From left to right: 1947 playing cards, a "big eye" frosted candle-in-a-jar, a clear plastic "Snoopy" type carnival prize toy, a terrific chalkware chihuahua bank, and a figural Saint. Bernard cologne bottle by Avon.

 

I'm especially delighted with the chalkware bank. Even with chips in the paint, it has presence. It stands about 8 1/2 inches tall. While it's made to save your pennies in, I wouldn't recommend it, because there's no stopper in the bottom to enable you to get them out again.

  

I didn't find a lot of vintage fabric at the sales, but what I did find is top-notch. 

First, there's a nice remnant of seventies floral print cotton fabric in vibrant summery colors.

Next in the stack is this big piece of beautifully printed burlap. Yes, I said burlap. Very mid-century modern in color and design.

Of course, the piece de resistance in the pile is this 4-yard length of mint-condition atomic-era barkcloth!!!!!

I had to sneak this past Claudia when I bought it or we might have had a fist-fight over it. Both of us are passionate about vintage barkcloth. Isn't the print great? It reminds me of Christmas tree ornaments from the 1960s. This treasure was just one item in a huge boxful of vintage goodies for which I paid a total of $5.00.

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At the bottom of the stack of this show-and-tell is a massively heavy, nubby-yet-velvety sort of upholstery fabric in a lovely gaudy 1960s - 1970s floral print. I haven't measured it out yet, but there's a lot here. 

Lastly today I want to show you a final textile treasure. It was my day for barkcloth--I found a wonderful throw pillow at a church rummage sale and paid 25 cents for it. Here's a close-up of the fabulous southwestern print. Isn't it marvelous?

         

Strictly for the Birds?

 Some of more my intrepid readers may remember last summer's post where I mentioned finding this framed piece of 1930s barkcloth at a church rummage sale for $2. 

I am delighted to report that I sold it (without the frame) on eBay over the weekend for a profit. I set the starting price at 99 cents, and in a few days the bidding was up to roughly $21.00. On the final day of the auction it had gone up to $27.99! I was amazed and pleased, as I would have been more than happy with even the $21. 

Off I went to do some sewing, and when I finished a couple of hours later, I clicked on my e-mail and was staggered to see the notice reading Your Item Has Sold for $159.79.  Never in my wildest, wildest dreams could I have foreseen this. Major WOW!

Once again, proof positive that junking (thrifting, garage sale-ing, flea marketing, or what-have-you) is not strictly for the birds. Cheap thrills, cheap thrills! Cheep. Cheep.

Speaking of junking, the season is off to a cautious beginning. As the frail sunshine slips out from behind the interminable cloud cover, the garage sale/yard sale signs are beginning to appear. So far the pickings have been sparse to none, but I have acquired a few goodies at thrift shops as people have started to clean out their closets and donate the overflow.

Most notably, I came across this interesting metal jewelry box, for which I paid $3.99. 

 

 

It's super heavy for its small size, and the exterior looks like sterling silver. I'm going to take it to my local jeweler to ask  him to test the metal for me. But meanwhile, I've been hunting high and low via the web for identifying information. I've only found two others like it. This one got me quite excited:

http://www.rubylane.com/item/594272-MT387/Antique-Miniature-French-Louis-XV 

My box is identical in design. The question is, was it made in France, like the one in the link? I hope to find out.

I've certainly been remiss in keeping up with this blog of late, for which I apologize. I shall endeavor to log on more often this week. A few short entries, at least. I do have a new nonsensical project about ready to unveil...!

  

Homer Laughlin Mystery Plate

Despite the ankle (now mending nicely, though technicolored) I did get out yesterday for a grocery run and hit a few sales.  One was a church rummage sale and I got a big piece of barkcloth someone had framed--it's is the coolest print of two herons--really large, and the seller seemed apologetic at charging me $2.00 for it. I'm amazed no one else recognized it for what it was and snapped it up.  I'm going to remove it from the frame and carefully wash the cloth.  I think it will go for big bucks.  I've got to get a decent photograph, though--this one doesn't do it justice.

Also at the rummage sale yesterday I got two Homer Laughlin plates from the fifties.  One I can identify as the Wild Grapes pattern, but the other is a mystery.  It has a red and green caladium plant on it and I haven't been able to find this pattern on the internet yet.  Ideas, anyone? 

Wild Grapes by Homer Laughlin

Mystery Pattern...  Can you identify it?  HELP!!

Peppy's getting more mobile each day, though he's still pretty weak and tottering.  Most of the time he just sleeps or lies quietly.  Today is his final day of being on two high-powered pain killers at one time.  From here on it will be just Rimadyl and, if needed, and Metacam.  Last night I took him out into the warm sunshine while I worked in the flowerbed and he crawled underneath a rhododendron bush and quietly watched.