Fabric Stashing, The Sheer Trash Roadshow Way

Vintage Italian Inlaid Wood / Marquetry Serving Tray with Brass Rim & Handles

Isn't this a handsome tray? I've often seen them in antique stores, but hadn't paid them that much attention. Then, at one of last week's rummage sales, I found this one and, as it was only $1.00,  I brought it home. 

Yesterday I finally got around to some cursory research about this type of tray, and--wow! I got quite a pleasant surprise! Take a look at some of these Etsy listings from other sellers:

www.etsy.com/listing/129255967/vintage-italian-inlaid-wood-and-brass

www.etsy.com/listing/153688098/large-marquetry-inlaid-wood-brass

www.etsy.com/listing/98342938/sale-15-offmagnificent-wood-inlay

It's interesting to see the different shapes and styles of these beautiful trays--but even more interesting to me were the prices! These three are all in the $40 - $65 range. Wow, wow, wow! Not a bad investment for my measly buck. (Please be nice and check out these Etsy shops--they have great stuff and would welcome your interest.)
 
Okay... I did promise you I'd show you some of the wonderful fabric finds I acquired last week, and here it's been several days and I still haven't managed to do that yet. Instead I'm off on another goose chase and showing you marquetry trays. Enough digression--off to the fabric!

First, here are two lovely cotton flannel remnants. The lower one is definitely vintage; I'm not sure about the top one. The daisies look more vintage than new, but I could be wrong. Anyway, cute!! 

Lots of lovely lace fabric were acquired for 25 cents apiece. Dig the gold one!! Love it, and can make lots of cool, quick bags for packaging the items I sell in the Etsy shops. I like to make them look nice.

Next we have this--sigh!!!--wonderful sheer flocked fabric. Organdy? Organza? I can't remember. I do know I have never seen a piece of pink flocked fabric I didn't instantly love. One of these days I'll have to show you all the different flocked sheer fabrics I've stashed away. The idea is to make party dresses for little girls. So far I've been too busy doing silly things like blogging to do any sewing but I have hopes of eventual reform. This exquisite find cost me 25 cents.

I actually paid an exorbitant price for this 1 1/2 yard remnant--exorbitant by garage sale standards, that is. For me, anyway. I think I paid $1.59. It looks like dimity, but it doesn't really have any raised ribs--it just looks that way. I especially like the combination of blue and red roses together. A bit unusual. This is vintage cotton.

Someone did a stellar job designing and embroidering this nifty piece of fabric. I think it was meant for framing, but for some reason it never happened. It was tagged at both 10 cents and 25 cents, so I couldn't tell you which price I actually paid (I had a big stack and wasn't paying attention during the tallying up) but either way, it was a whopping value! I'll  have to think about this piece...  to sell it? Make it into a pillow? Frame it? 

Vintage patterns for ten cents apiece...  And you seriously thought I'd walk away from them? Hah! I remember when little girls had pretty little dresses and wore them to school. Heck, I remember when I was one of those little girls wearing pretty dresses to school! And the thrill of an actual party dress! And yes, we did wear them to parties, complete with full, frilly petticoats--and had fun doing it!

Well, I've got to sign off. I did find more fabric than this, but it's Friday, and there's an estate sale advertised just up the road... No doubt there are garage sales springing up willy-nilly as well.

Later today it's another Red Cross blood drive. I'm working on my 4th gallon. This is a critical time of year for blood donations, so if you have an opportunity to give, I hope you'll do so. It's really no big deal--I promise! You can find a donation center near you by going to this link:

http://www.redcrossblood.org/make-donation

 

Pain and Its Effect on Creativity

Listing to the Muzak,

Hearing people scream,

Sitting in the waiting room

Reading cr--py magazines

With a toothache...

This is it, pal....

ROOT CANAL!

(Weird Al Yankovic)

For the past week I've been having intermittent episodes of jaw pain, getting worse as the days progressed.  I have no idea what brought it on. I went to far as to look up TMJ on WebMD, and to make an appointment with the dentist for next Tuesday.  Then yesterday, the whole situation escalated and it was all I could do to function.  I attempted to keep busy with projects in order to keep my mind off the agony, but once you see this crazy teething doll I produced under the influence of jaw torture, you'll see I wasn't terribly successful!  Moral of story, don't waste time or materials when feeling rotten, unless you like the sort of surreal results that occur.  Fortunately, Benita (at 5 1/2 months) will not be too discriminating!

This ghastly little toy features skinny, floppy limbs for chewing and grasping, crinkly cellophane in the body for making interesting noise, and a squeaker in the head for Exciting Biting.  Ugly as a mud fence!  I must try again after I'm somewhat recovered.

Meanwhile, I managed to reschedule the dentist's appointment and my husband drove me down for it late this morning. It turns out it's not my jaw at all that's the problem, I have an infection under a molar and have to have a dreaded root canal.  As the patriarch Job said in rather different circumstances, "That which I greatly feared has come upon me."  I've heard such root canal horror stories!  But after a grim night of nonstop pain (lying on my side with a bag of frozen peas draped across my face!) and two days of being able to eat little more than yogurt or pudding, I'm ready to beg for the privilege of being of going under the knife..er, drill...whatever!

The dentist sent me home with three prescriptions--penicillin, some super-duper ibuprofen, and Vicodin, if needed, so I can sleep. Supposedly, 24-48 hours on the antibiotics will alleviate most of the pain, praise God. And I'm finding the super-advil renders me more or less sane and functional, as long as I don't sneeze or try to chew anything.  But I can sure tell when the dose is wearing off!  Speaking of which, another five minutes to go before I can take the next one!

Okay, enough about teeth.  

Two pleasant bits of news:  Last night I sold my crocheted  retro TP poodle on Etsy!  As fun as it is to sell vintage items, it's even more satisfying to sell something I've made myself.  Pink Poodle Girl is going to adorn a vintage fifties camper/trailer in Texas. Her new owner sounds like a most delightful individual!

Another interesting crafty happening was a fabric find I made at the Goodwill. It's by Daisy Kingdom, usually purveyors of ooze, as far as I'm concerned, but this 3-yard remnant is so bizarrely ugly I couldn't resist it.  I've found out it's called "Elinor's Dolls" by a cloth doll designer named Elinor Peace Somebody-or-other (I've forgotten her last name) and it came out in the mid to late 1990s.  I gather it's a rare find.  I've only found one other piece of this fabric for sale on either eBay or Etsy, and it's just a small 24" piece.  Hopefully I can find a buyer. The print reminds me of Cirque de Soleil, or maybe the Beatles' song, "For the Benefit of Mr. Kite".  Very creepy-carnival, Mardis Gras grotesque.  Here are a couple of quick pics:

Okay, I can't take this anymore and must go pop some meds...  Bye for now!

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

Well, that's nothing unusual--it's always raining here (or, as my late father-in-law used to say, "If you can see Mt. Hood, it's going to rain.  And if you can't see Mt. Hood, it is raining.")  But it's really pouring, as in Etsy business.  I just reopened the shops a bit over a week ago and I've had scads of orders!  It's terrific but it's also a challenge keeping up with the packaging and shipping without jettisoning time for sewing, knitting, etc.  Add a new granddaughter into the mix and I'm definitely busy.
 

This goofy pace caught up with me this week when I (finally!) got a chance to work on a batch of wedding favor bags I hope to sell--pretty little sacks of very dainty peach and pink flowered plisse. I spent a happy and productive afternoon cutting, ironing, and stitching away--only to realize afterward that I'd managed to sew the ribbon ties inside the bags--aaarrrrgggghhhhh!!!!!  I've got lots of ripping and repairing to do...drat.

My favorite partner in mayhem (my sister-in-law Claudia) and I did manage to slip away last Wednesday for our favorite pursuit, hitting the thrift and antique stores in Lewis County. We love to go junking and we love a day shopping without husbands in tow.  Imagine our surprise when the guys hopped in their own vehicle and surprised us as we were perusing the goodies at our favorite charity thrift store. We all got a good laugh out of it, and then they went their merry way. They'd got wind of some ham radio equipment they were interested in at one of the antique stores and they were off on the hunt.  I came home with a few choice fabric remnants and mohair yarn and a small herd of My Little Pony toys for my resident Brony. (He doesn't know it yet--I'll slip them into his collection for Valentine's Day.) I also found a lovely Vera pillowcase that I'm thinking of stretching on a wood frame and hanging on the wall. Or I may sell it.  Here's one of my finds, a nicely worked quilt top in lively bright colors...  To keep and turn into a small tablecloth, or to sell??

Spangle hat update:  Yesterday I wore one of my new spangle hats out in public for the first time.  I also carried a purse I'd made last summer of glorious vintage polished cotton and vintage plastic handles.  Both received compliments and I am jazzed!  Then, last night, I was wearing my hat outside and my husband remarked on the fascinating way the spangles were reflecting the light.  So now I have a new plan:  How about a black hat with black and silver spangles?  I could call it the"Queen of the Night Hat".  (I remember my daughter belting out that coloratura piece from the Magic Flute when she was about 9 or 10 years old. It was her favorite. Ah, ah, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, haaaaa...."  Anyway, here's the purse I mentioned.

Finally, I'll close with a quick picture of my latest crocheting endeavor.  I'm so excited to have finally graduated to lace patterns!  This is my first attempt with crochet thread and I'm making a drawstring bag for, perhaps, a bride or flower girl.  I'm going to line it with pretty satin, I think, when it's finished.

Okay, I've driven my vast reading public (quantity of 2) into a catatonic state by now with these descriptions of needlework, so I'll have mercy and sign off.  Best regards until next time!