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.

I

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?