Treasure Finds #3

Here are some of the highlights from the 3rd box from the estate sale. One more box and a big garbage bag full of stuff to go through yet.

I'm thinking I will probably finish up these 5 (the fabric is folded) dolls and donate them, but will sew with the sewing machine. The one doll that is stitched together on the right is hand done. Easier on the machine.

I don't know what kind of fabric this is but it is heavy (thick) and shiny. Beautiful blue color. There is may be 1 to 1.5 yards, a piece has been cut out so truly not a full 1.5 yards.

I love old fabrics, will have to check if it is reproduction or truly older. It feels different than the reproduction fabrics I already have so am hoping it is old. On the blue jean looking fabric the red flowers are raised.

Now I know we all keep an old hand forged nail in our fabric so here is the one I found, all rusty and neat.

Miscellaneous bigger pieces of fabrics.

Triangles, small squares, bigger squares already cut out and ready to be sewn back together and quilted. This winter I'll probably separate the difference sizes. Some of the fabric is really nice and some of it isn't. All personal preference, I'm sure he thought it was fantastic (the gentleman in the family was the quilter).

We are supposed to be getting snow on Thursday. It will be fun to see John out playing it in. I have a feeling he is going to love it.  It is definitely getting a chill in the air so this weekend we are preparing, turning off hose water, finishing stacking the wood, double checking that all the windows are fastened, moving the patio furniture undercover, etc.

Gas Prices

Has anyone else noticed that gas has gone up 20 cents this week?  Lucky us.  We are up to $3.20 a gallon in Kent.  

Not much else going on I just needed to crab a little.

Yeah Wood

This is what you end up with when a young man from Vermont comes to see you and there is a chopped down tree in the yard.

This picture doesn't even show the whole pile of wood. He started at 7 before we were up and stopped about 9:30.  He certainly has more ambition than I. He really likes doing manual labor, says it makes him feel like he actually accomplished something.  I'm glad he likes to because now we can have a fire when it gets cold again. It was in the 70s yesterday, high 60s today, fantastic.  He just left, I miss him already.

Treasure Finds #2

The following are some of the contents from the 2nd box from the estate sale. It just keeps getting better and better.

I don't know what this is. It is embroidery and is beautiful. The edge is trimmed after it is embroidered. The stitching is beautiful and is done correctly with padding stitches under the final embroidery to make it stand out.

This is just a needlepoint sampler of different stitches.

Needlepoint pattern.

This is a really nice heavy upholstery fabric. The color isn't true in the picture, it is a dull orange color with cream. About 2 yards.

This is a beautiful table cloth. The picture below is a sticker that is still on the cloth.

Whoever owned this cloth liked embroidery, thus the initial in the corner of the table cloth.

This fabric is absolutely beautiful. The background is a a very limey-light yellow, but not bright. It is gorgeous. I have about 8 yards and will be keeping this. I think it is an upholstery fabric as it is a very heavy fabric.

This lace is absolutely beautiful. I have about 5 yards. There is a little tag attached to it, on one side it said W-67 and the other 3,521.02.  I'm sure there is a story and I would love to know it. There is nothing under the lace that is the camera flash. The lace is about 20 inches wide. 

Not that I took a picture of it, but the Schumacher fabric from the last entry I was so excited to find more fabric, about 6 yards of border and 3 inside panels. 

Last, but not least, 6 bags of needlepoint/embroidery thread.

Chris is down and visiting with a friend today. We purchased a maul and he is going to split some wood tomorrow. We had a tree cut down and one fall down in a storm that needs to get cleaned up.

Treasures - Now what to do with them.

A couple of weeks go Danielle and I went to an estate sale of a gentleman who was going into an assisted living facility. He was a quilter. It was the second day of the same and they were up for bargaining so I offered $20 after some negotiating for a table full of fabric and three buckets full. Tonight I went through the smallest bucket. It was interesting to say the least.  The following are some of the "treasures" I found.

I love this fabric. I thought I only had this little piece but it turns out I have about a yard.  I was thinking some neat pillows but Danielle suggested an apron. That would be perfect.

Mom (or anyone actually) this is the sleeper for Tina's baby. What color buttons?  The lighter flecks are almost a blue-purple, there is yellow, there is black, there is an olive green -- any ideas? This was not in the estate sale find.

I really like this but there is not really enough to do anything with. I want to google and find out about the Schumacher brand.

This fabric isn't anything special, a heavy cotton but I thought it was interesting that it had the date purchased. June 1956. I wasn't even born yet.  I wonder how much it cost, there was no receipt.

The is a rug hooking design. I'll pass this on as I really don't want to get into rug hooking, weaving yes, hooking no.  It is very detailed and very big.

Homemade tatted lace (I think) and buttons that are really unusual. They just look like pearlized buttons but they are really heavy and have very small cuts in the outer circle.  They of course are fabulous as is the lace.

Stencils, I'm not sure what for. Are they for quilting?

Embroidery table runner. I'll probably finish this. The DMC floss is with it so I have the colors that it was started with. It is long and has the same pattern on the other end. One side is a little discolored but I'm hoping that will come out with some special soap.

and Last but not least:

Of course blogger or my picture is giving me trouble. The last picture was a big bag full of various embroidery thread (I think), not DMC but almost thin cording. Some of it feels like cotton, some feels like linen. Also there are 5 spools of heavy cotton thread that I will be able to use for weaving rugs, mostly in white but also a tan and purple cone.

Danielle doesn't have school tomorrow night due to Veteran's Day being observed so will go to knitting and sew up the baby hat, it ended up being great. When I have it sewn and the flowers attached I'll take a picture. The yarn was fabulous to work with.

Cold and Windy

I'm sitting in bed posting this and the wind is just howling outside. The temperature shows 67 in the house but it feels much colder. Maybe I'm just not ready for winter yet. Maybe it can hold off for 2 months until I get back to North Dakota (probably not but you can always hope).

The above photo is the scarf for A.J.'s grandmother:

Feather and Fan Pattern

Yarn: Lion Brand Jiffy - Color San Diego.

(It is folded over that is why there are two bottom edges)

Brown mittens for John

Pattern adapted from: 60 Quick Knits

Yarn: Cascade 220

Washcloth

Pattern: Monthly Washcloth Knit-A-Long

Yarn: Sugar N Cream Twist - Green Twists

The picture above is the baby sleeping bag for Tina's baby due December 1st.
Pattern: Knitting Pure and Single Baby Sleeping Bag. Unfortunately the picture doesn't show very much detail. The yarn is beautiful.
The pattern originally called for a zipper but I added the placket and will be sewing on buttons. (The yellow that you see in the middle are pins for blocking).
Yarn: Plymouth Tweed - Color 5324 (how boring, it needs a name)

Now on to getting the minister's wife's baby stuff done. She is due in 8 days. I will probably mail the hat first and then the sweater as there is no way it will all be done in time. The hat is about half done already. Thank goodness baby stuff is a quick knit.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TINA

I hope you have a fabulous day and are doing something other than running errands by this time.

Love you,

Mom

Working Day

The weather was beautiful today so Danielle and I worked outside while John slept. She stacked wood for the next cold evening so we can build a fire. I worked in the garage getting things back on the shelving units and off the floor. Also am continuing to go through boxes and have 6 boxes of donation stuff. There never seems to be an end to the sorting and pitching. So much waste it is pitiful.

Yesterday was a cooking day. Baked Spaghetti squash, made applesauce muffins, bisquits and cookies. For supper we had chicken pot pie which was a hit except it takes forever for John to eat when he has to pick out all the green and orange vegetables. He is meticulous with his separating out of all vegetables. Crazy kid.  He loves V8 fusion which are his vegetable servings. 

Listed 5 items on E-bay. I need to get going with that again. I'd like my PayPal account to get $200 in it again so I can transfer it to savings. 

Finished Alexander (Tina's unborn) bunting sleeper and it is so cute. I am washing it and blocking tonight, hopefully will have pictures (it still needs buttons but all the knitting is done). Also finished A.J.'s grandmother's scarf for Christmas, a pair of brown mittens for John and a dishcloth. Now I need to hurry and get our minister's baby sweater and hat done, she is due in 9 days. I'm positive it will not get done in time but will still be usable when she does get it. 

Dan said it was in the 60s in ND today, was probably in the 50s here in CT. I'm ready to get home. This has been a good productive time but it has been long enough.

A couple weeks ago I got the best book, The Backyard Homestead. Fabulous reference book and exactly the type of lifestyle I want. Now I just have to convince my husband, surprisingly it probably won't be that difficult.