Thrifty Find Vintage Sunbeam Iron

Every once in a while, a special piece speaks to you.  This is one of those items.  Vintage irons are always a beautiful piece of nostalgia for sewing rooms.  Years ago, I purchased several at a single sale.  Due to space concerns, I sold most of them off and vowed to not get lured into purchasing an iron ever again... with this one exception:   The Sunbeam Electric Iron with trivet in its original case sitting on the shelf at the local thrift store.  Too cool to pass up!

Quite the fancy unit in its day.   Makes me wonder who in the 1920's or 30's decided to make this purchase.  How much did they spend?  Were they excited as I was to receive it into their home?  Well-chosen curiosities are the best things to surround oneself with.  They can inspire and ignite the imagination while giving a sense of warmth from those that came before us.  At least, it does for this artist. :)

 

127 Yard Sale Kentucky and Tennessee

The 127 Yard Sale was always our "go to" summer vacation for over 12 years.  It has been 5 years, since we have driven and taken in the lovely scenery of Kentucky and Tennesse.  A few years, we have even completed the trek through Georgia and Alabama.  After a great deal of procrastination, we booked some reservations and set off to see how the sales have changed.  In Tennessee, the sale sites changed slightly with some popping up in new locations.  Kentucky was a little more sparce but still had some areas well worth visiting.  In one of these sites in Kentucky, we found this vintage Baby Brother child's sewing machine.  It is exceptional shape for its age, and I am looking forward to shining her up.  :)  

There are some splotches of paint on the platform and a coating of dust to remove.  Although dust never shows well, it does a decent job of protecting surfaces over the years if its dry.

 Not gonna lie, I went into the trip a little stressed and wore myself out cleaning my basement.  Nesting is one of the faults I have.  Interesting fact, July had 5 weeks in it.  Mistakenly, my brain had me cleaning weeks ahead of the trip, instead of my usual week before. lol  Instead of taking a break, I pushed myself to finish the job I started.  Took a few trips to the local thrift store prior to the trip to donate and left on the adventure with a clear mind of not only what I had, but also, what I needed to sell off in the future and a list of items to search for to complete some projects.  My only apprehension was taking our Mini Cooper Countryman instead of the truck.  Not that I usually buy anything huge, but you never know!  ;) 

One of the items on my "lookout" list was wooden spools.  Not for the beautiful spools themselves, but for the thread held on them.  Most of these contain wool thread.  If you search through for the fat ones, they contain quite a bit of wool thread.  Saves loads of money!  Not as strong as some threads for stitching but will look lovely on recycled wool candle mats and penny rugs.  The gentlemen, who was selling these, was the same person and site where I purchased them 5 years ago!  lol   I am going to do some wool testing on a few of the spools.  There were a few that didn't have that special feel to them.  Still some lovely thread, but I try to stick to the wool ones, unless they fooled me and test otherwise.  

In the past, I have found a wider range of colors.  Great for a little pizzaz, but I was happy to add the more subdued colors from this trip.  Plus, he had some great earth tones which could be over dyed nicely.

The gentlemen who sold the Baby Brother threw in the Singer stitch cams.  Although I currently do not have a machine for them, they might come in handy in the future should the machine enter the herd or will be good for trading.  Also, as luck would have it, these attachments, vintage needles, and book for a Pfaff 130-6 were put out for free. How terrific is that?  I love my Pfaff.  Any opportunity to acquire original attachments and bobbins is a wonderful day.  To find them for free...  Simply awesome!  In the bag for the Pfaff parts, there were also vintage huge, curved needles used in sewing farm bags and leather items.   

At one of the stops, my eye spied a Singer Featherweight.  Surprisingly, the seller was asking $300.00.   It had its box and attachments.  I refrained and wince in writing this.  She probably would have come down a bit, but I have a few Featherweights.  My Hubby was a little disappointed when I left it behind to become someone else's treasure.  Now, that is why I clean prior to leaving.  I look at items in a different light.  Sewing machines can add up and overtake space quickly.  Plus, I have a Vintage GE, which was the precursor to the Featherweight, arriving soon to join the herd.  ;)   With the addition of a few vintage Playskool puzzes and random kitchen items, it was a nice round thoughtful haul.  Once I part with a few things, my want list will grow.  It was just lovely to be back on the road again! :)

Flea Marketing Blogger Style

As you all know, I love going to the flea market.  Most finds have been, in the process of, or going to be used in repurposing projects.  After looking down my list of projects-to-do, some materials are getting set to the side and will be listed later today on my Pumpkin Hollow Flea Market blog here.   The main listings right now will be my vintage grain sacks, flour, and seed sacks.  There will be some wooly items as well. Here is a little peek before you hop on over...

I have some large, medium, and small bags collected over the years.  Just looking to pass along a deal and make some space!

Also, my selection of wool blankets.  The rougher ones make good lining for stitching projects, and some use them for rug hooking.  I have several new army blankets, if someone wants to use it instead of batting in a quilt.  Makes them nice and snuggly warm!

I will be doing a lot of posting this week over on my selling blog of various items... stamped cross stitch kits, old harness bells, quilting notions, spinning equipment, and art supplies.  Hopefully, most will be up by the end of this week.  I just have to find a way to organize prior to listing more!  The listings will be up for awhile.  This is the first stop before firing up the Etsy and Ebay stores again.  I know a lot of my internet friends prefer to purchase direct, since the prices have to go up to cover the costs of listing on selling sites.  So hopefully, they are up long enough for everyone to have a chance to get a deal.  :)

Confessions of a Quilt-a-Holic

It has been a "points to ponder" kind of month.  The flea markets are over for the year, and the house cleaning gets serious leading into the holidays.  This is the time I start to really get a good look at the new additions to the home.  One booming collection for me comes in the form of vintage quilts.  I love them.  I cannot just look at a quilt and NOT think about the hours of labor, skill, and wistful thoughts had while creating them.  All of them are true works of art.  They encompass and hold in their own stitches a time capsule from when they were created. 

The vast majority of my quilts have been purchased for under $15.00.  Yes, I wrote $15.00.  Over half of them were found for under $5.00.  These bargain basement beauties were given to the local thrift store.  Due to minor imperfections, these quilts were donned with the ominous title of "cutter quilts" and left for a fate of being repurposed into a new life.  You know me.  I am all for reinventing items, but these quilts (a double wedding ring in particular) were far from being cutters.  Mr. Hollow had to hold me back at the final flea market of the year in October.  Vendors were practically giving the quilts away.  It was terrible to leave so many behind, but there is only so much room at the inn! 

Last month, I gathered my various purchases and stacked the majority in my closet, until I could organize the rest of my house.  Oh my goodness, the flood of stories they could tell!  The countless stories that I will tell of the day I found and rescued them.  I was too tired from the day times drama to start snapping individual photos, so I took a quick pic of the stack. 

 

 

I seriously have been blessed with some glorious finds.  I promise to not photo bomb the upcoming days but will throw a random one in here and there.  These quilts deserve to see the top of a bed or to be able to aid in the warming of a body snuggled in on a couch with an intriguing book on a snowy night.  To all of my quilting friends, my wish is for all of your works of art to find loving homes for their lifetimes.  

The Fork in the Road

Do you ever need to reboot?  I felt like I have been struggling to re center my priorities that have strayed massively over the last three years of my life.  Not complaining, there have been some really fun times, but I look over the beginning of  this blog and my art and wonder what happened to that person.  My day job had become more demanding on me over the last three years.  The more it built up pressure... The less art I created.  Eventually, it won out and the art (and with it the blogging) dwindled to a trickle.  I wear many hats as part of my day job.  For the most part, I love them all and was successful in the areas I managed.  The best part of my job is the daily tasks being so contrary to the art I create at home.  But as the customer load expanded, I got caught up in the challenge to race the daily work clock.  It was fun to watch time fly past during the day, but unfortunately, it drained me of any desire to create once I arrived home.  My off time was spent rushing thru thrifting trips, just to feel like I wasn't missing out on life, and eating out instead of creating meals (my cooking always leaves with my art.)    I knew my priorities needed to be re evaluated but didn't know how to do it.  Apparently, my guardian angel decided to intervene, and by the grace of a higher power (and that reference is to a being who is not of human flesh), unforeseen changes came about to alter my daily duties.  Good or bad... I am not sure... But the work load got lessened and semi realistic for an 8 hour day , and that is really all that is important.    I liken the situation to the forks in the road that God has a tendency to put in front of us.  When all of a sudden, you wake up and realize you have wandered off your real path and are 3 years older wondering where the time has gone... again.  Regardless of what slap in the face wakes you up, it is an amazing re awakening when it happens.

I still enjoy my day job as a way to get out and be around people and would never not , in some capacity, want to give up the social aspect of working outside the home.  The life of an artist can at times be solitary... No complaints from a person who enjoys solitude... But a lot of solitude can turn one into a hermit... Not so good! lol   Life is telling me to get off my behind and live my dreams.... I have started by taking some much needed time off from the day job.  So, the last month has seen me cleaning out my studio, reorganizing my art storage, researching old and new art projects, baking (much to the happiness of family and friends lol), and getting back to one of my loves... Thrifting!

I love, love, love thrift shopping!  Not only do I enjoy redecorating my home with finds but repurposing items that would end up in a land fill.  My last trip to the thrift store was spur of the moment.  No time constraints... No place to be.  Just snooping around to see what struck my fancy. It was so much fun!

See the huge cookie cannister corn cob?  Ummm, we are in the corn belt here.  Love it!  lol  It needs to be cleaned with some Modern soap (Just a tip... It cuts thru grease immediately and works great with a toothbrush).  In the center of the photograph are some heavy wood hewn book ends.  I am not sure if the tin decorations will be left on them, but they will look great when I renovate our living room.  The vintage amber lamp was too pristine to be passed up.  It should cast a lovely glow when lit.  :)

My tastes can lean to the modern with a primitive twist.  This plaque, although made in China, caught my eye.  A bit of barbed wire framing set off the writing "When you can't sleep.  Don't count sheep... Talk to the Shepherd."   An old crate with the bottom created by lath mounted on my studio wall will house this.  Then, a walk through the kitchen area brought me to this old pasta maker.  It is absolutely pristine.  I am contemplating using this for some future clay projects.  How can you beat it for $5.00? 

I do not buy milk glass often, but the Westmoreland pedestal sweet plate had to be mine.  It isn't a high pedestal.  Perfect for displaying cookies or cupcakes on a lower level from a cake stand.  Some old fashioned bottles for dyes, crazy, bold, retro Glass Bake handled soup bowls, bag full of old clothes pins, and a modern but fun deviled egg plate.  The rooster will be great at the holidays!

Some wooden fruit will hopefully find their way into future projects... A vintage grater for cooking … And a lovely collection of plates.  I could go on forever about the over abundance of breath taking vintage plates and platters from Bavaria, Japan, England, and Germany.   I seriously had to show some restraint!!!   I wish now I would have done some individual photos to share a close look at the delicate details for pennies compared to their worth.  No reason to head to the department store.  I cannot even begin to tell you how many boxes of complete China sets there were on the floor for under $20.00 or how many incomplete settings.  A thrifty person could mix and match gorgeous special occasion and holiday settings.  If one should have a plate get broke, it may be a little sad but not a major hit to the pocket book. ;) 

I purchased the platters for Holiday get togethers... An inexpensive way to add class and beauty to baked goods.  Some of the smaller plates may find themselves as candy dishes for my home or wrapped in some cellophane and adorned with a bow to transport the gift of sweets to friends.  An inexpensive investment clearly beats the modern plastic containers!

 

It was so nice to appreciate the art in the vintage and modern pieces found.  When glancing back through correspondences and my studio storage, I was reminded of incomplete projects and requests for instructions.  My hopes are to get back on track of doing some "how to" blogging in some form.  I am also working on cleaning up my selling blog and store for extra items.  I spent a good part of the last month getting my studio in order.  It may come across in short posts, but I will share some finds and adventures over the summer as well.  For those that have sent correspondence, I will try and catch up with your questions.  It is so nice to see my past adventures have inspired others to try new forms of art!  

 

 

A New Year and Sleigh Bells

Happy New Year to all my blogging friends!  Here in Northern Illinois, we welcomed the New Year with a heavy dusting of snow.   It was beautiful, and our town's first real snow for the winter season.  Made me think of a purchase I made back in May.... Some gorgeous sleigh bells.

These are the real deal.  Horse sweated on leather and all!  I fell in love with them at the What Cheer Flea Market.  I purchased the largest strand first for fear of losing them to another thrifty hunter.  Later after showing Mr. Hollow my find, we went back and purchased the other two.  Their sound is amazing!  Classic sleigh riding jingles.  Makes me think of my Dad and his stories of growing up around the big work horses.  I can just imagine how grand they would look in these strands.

Just look at the size of the largest bell!

 

 

 

Even the Shepherdess said the sleigh bells were really neat!  Trust me, she is a hard one to impress.  Lol  The purchase kind of encompassed the tone (in more ways than one) for 2018... A year of reflection, nostalgia, and perseverance.  Maybe turning 50 had something to do with it as well.  Either way, these bells enchant me and fill the air with the sound of inviting merriment.  I give them the honor of being the best purchase of 2018.  :)

Maquoketa Iowa Flea Market Finds

Today, my hubby and I went to a Flea Market in Maquoketa, Iowa to relax from a long week. Great choice, since they were packed to capacity with outside vendors.  I still love to walk around the inside venue as well.  It was there I found a vintage Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck puzzle, along with a cool flour sack and child's hand held chalk board.  Total spent $10.00... Not bad.  Then, I went to the outside.  I could not believe the amount of vendors!  The weather was beautiful, and the grounds have never been so filled with sellers.

My first find was a couple of washed out Funk Feedsacks to be used in embroidery projects and another flour sack.  I ambled along until I caught up with Hubby.  He pointed out an aluminum tree stand.  It would work great to anchor my small Christmas tree holding my Shiney Brites.  But as I was looking at it, my eye caught a vintage slate chalkboard balancing against the table leg on the ground level.  The chalkboard was heavy and awesome.  My Hubby rolled his eyes and held his breath, but I went ahead and made an offer for the bundle.  Deal done!  And you know what?   Mr. Hollow even carried the chalkboard for me during the rest of our hunt.  How sweet was that? :)  I even stayed on my budget spending only $30.00 for all of my outdoor finds... Until...

Mr. Hollow decided to do some shopping for himself!  How would his shopping involve me?  Well, read on...  ;)

Hubby’s favorite stop to shop is a gentlemen, who we see on the Flea Market venues, that sells tools.  Hold your breath you are not going to believe this!!   The tool guy had a treadle sewing machine?!? She was so beautiful and definitely had been someone’s pride and joy… A well cared for Montgomery Ward Damascus. The decals were phenomenal, and she was in perfect working order. She even came with her original book and attachments. I don’t know if she was a good buy at the asking price of $100.00, and overwhelmed by her glory, I honestly didn’t care... I have wanted a treadle for so long. All of my run ins over the years were basement rotted disappointments that were beyond repair. My hubby, searching for treasures for himself, looked at me in horror as I asked the tool guy for his absolute bottom buck on this vintage treasure. He responded quickly with $80.00 before my hubby could get a word in of caution. I looked quickly at Mr. Hollow, told him I was sorry, and gave the gentlemen 4 twenty dollar bills. The rest is left to be written in Maquoketa Flea Marketing history!  Well aside from the tool guy and his son harassing my hubby mercilessly.  LOL

Can you blame me?  Just look at her... *sigh*

What a great way to start the wind down to the 2018 season of hunting treasures!  :)

P.S. Once hubby found out she would load in the back of our Jeep standing up, his demeanor improved dramatically! LOL

Flea Market Find ~ Fischer MEWA Sewing Machine

On our trip to the Jefferson Speedway flea market, Mr. Hollow spotted this Fischer MEWA sewing machine at a gentleman's booth.  I walked right past it.  Honestly easy to do if you saw the size of it; although, the colors should have smacked me in the face being so similar to the old singers.   The man selling it was liquidating an estate.  His friend's mother had passed away and the son just wanted all of the stuff in the house hauled away... Quite a bit of sewing notions, some beautiful pristine crocheted quilts and this sewing machine. 

 

Do I need to say for the millionth time that I do not need another sewing machine?  I know!  But this machine is so terrifically odd and about the size, color and poundage of my Singer Featherweight.  I have honestly never seen one like this.  My initial thought was to pass, but Hubby really took to this one.  He started haggling with the guy.  The guy started at $150 and Mr. Hollow was at $50.  The vendor turned it down, since he just got all of this stock.  We completely understood.  But Mr. Hollow couldn't resist a parting shout over his shoulder as he walked away , "Will you take $75."   The guy smiled and yelled back, "$80."   This started another haggling session, and it was beginning to get really hot outside.  Miserable hot, what can I say?   I'm a wuss...  Much to the chagrin of my Hubby, I pulled out the $80.00 and ended the fun.  Sorry people, I love a deal as much as the next guy, but I was starting to majorly sweat in the heat of that darn unrelenting summer sun. :(  LOL   

 

So here is a photo of the newest sewing machine to join the herd, I know absolutely nothing about except the fact that it is German.  The gentlemen did not bring the little notion carrying wood box that goes with it.  He said there was thread in it and did not mention any extra feet.  Unfortunately, the wood had a doggie smell to it, so it got left at home.  If there weren't extra feet involved, it was all for the best. :)

 

 

 

See the flaps in the front and the wings on the side?  When the machine is finished being used, these fold up and end up on each side of the harp/sewing platform.  The bent metal rod at the bottom back of the machine functions the same as the "foot pedal" for other machines.  Pretty neat little unit.  And let me say, someone took great care of this machine.  The black paint and gold design is beautifully preserved. 

She even came with her original instruction manual.  Of course, it is all in German.  LOL    This is a small manual like the Singers, so you can just imagine how narrow this machine is!

Once the sides are all folded up, the bent rod has a hole in the center so it can balance where the thread sits during use.  And this wooden case goes right over the top and locks shut.  I did see, in the photo on the front cover of the  instructions, where this case lines up with the front flap to create a sewing table to the side of the machine when sewing.  A lot of thought went into the design of these machines.  It really is a neat little unit.

 

 

I am guessing that maybe this was a machine from the 50's, since it is electric.  But I cannot find any information about it.  If anyone has some info or direction on how to locate some info, I would greatly appreciate any input.  :)

127 Yard Sale Finds for 2015



I found a few photos on my camera with some of my 127 Yard Sale finds for 2015 to share... 

 

Although most of our stops are large flea market areas, this Limited Edition Project Runway sewing machine was found in the morning of our second day at a local garage sale.  It was brand new.  The previous owner purchased it and never got around to using it.  Mr. Hollow found it being unloaded on the first day of a garage sale, and the gentleman was asking $30.00 firm.  Although I am not a big fan of plastic body machines, I decided to give this unit a home.  It's test run went impressively well.  :) 

 

Every once in a while, I make an odd ball purchase.  While at my favorite Amish hosted stop, this postal scale from 1969 caught my eye.  I bundled it with some other items to purchase it for $7.00.    Mr. Hollow never saw it until our arrival home.  ;)

  

Where ever I am, the fabric calls to me!  For a few dollars, this assorted grouping of John Deere yardage made its way into my stash.  The yardage is destined to become some microwave plate and bowl holders.  If only Minneapolis Moline would come out with some licensed fabric... *sigh*

Next to the fabric remnants is a cutter quilt.  Some previous owner had added a new border to this old feed sack quilt.  It is hand sewn and suffers from a few blown out areas.  My intention will be to tea dye the vintage area and preserve the quilts handcrafted beauty in Christmas decorations.  

 

 

 

 

While I was purchasing some old yarn spindles, Mr. Hollow was busy buying from a military surplus vendor.   He called me over to check out the gentleman's wool blankets.  I walked over a little reluctantly, until Mr. Hollow told me that they were $10.00 a piece.  WOW!   I rifled through them and picked out six perfect blankets... A great deal at $60.00.   To Mr. Hollow's astonishment, I turned to the dealer and asked if he could do better on six.  Hey, it doesn't hurt to ask. ;)  He said that he couldn't.  I said that I completely understood.  As I turned to get my money, he said, "You must be a quilter... Just give me $50."  How sweet is that?   I still marvel over the purchase price of $8.35 a blankie!   

 



There were a few other deals here and there.  At another one of our favorite spots, some local tobacco farmers had bundles of tobacco sticks.  (They were used to hang the tobacco during the drying process.)  After my purchase, Mr. Hollow was kind enough to carry a large bundle to the truck for me.  The sticks will be used to hang wool in a future studio space... a rustic reminder of our trip.  :)

Thrifty Find ~ Pfaff 130 Sewing Machine

It feels like autumn here in Northern Illinois.  Great weather for hitting the weekend flea markets.  I know that my vacation finds still need to be posted (Plus, our semi annual jaunt to Baraboo Gas and Steam Engine show... Yipee!), but this little beauty had me so excited that its story must be told first...

 

Mr. Hollow and I rose early for a 2 hour drive on Sunday to a small weekend flea market in Wisconsin.  Usually, we find one or two small items and some produce.  I shudder to write that  my first extremely, and now a little regretting, "tempted to purchase"  pass was on a spinning wheel at a great price...  Hmmm... Do I really need two?    Then, I talked myself out of some cool jars.  (Makes you wonder why I got up at the crack of dawn doesn't it?)   Finally, my hubby waves me over to a pile of goods laying in the grass in front of a pickup truck.  He must of asked me three times what I thought of the item in the farthest corner.  Maybe it was the sun glare, but it took me all of the three times to see this Pfaff 130 sewing machine.  Did I really need another sewing machine? ;)

 

I skeptically walked over while the vendors, a man and his teenage son, stood watching.  Wow!  This machine was really clean.  Definitely someone's baby.  The decals shown absolutely perfect with the paint smooth and shiny without a  single chip.  The man nodded to his son to walk over and do the haggling... Yep, me versus a very sweet teenage boy. 

 

The young man assured me the machine worked.  Pointed out that the handle was broke on the cover.  (Hard to believe that the case belonged to this pristine machine!)  He also stated, the machine was very heavy to carry, since he was the one who loaded it in the truck to take to the market.  Poor kid... After that confession,  I am sure Mr. Hollow was afraid he could talk me into any price! :(   I decided at that moment to just ask the price, figuring it would be hideous, making my  polite get away a little easier.  So, I did.  The young man replied 5 dollars.   Seriously, how do you bicker over that?  I really do not need another machine but are you kidding me 5 DOLLARS?   I looked over at his Dad.  He was smiling -very proud of the job his son was doing- nodding in agreement.  What kind of heartless quilter would say "let me think about it" to such a duo for that price?  Long story short, I have a new machine in the fold!  :)

 

We arrived home by afternoon, and the Pfaff was humming away an hour later.  I consider this heavy duty machine a "he" that until a few minutes ago was yet to be named... And yet to be cleaned!    I am just floored by the immaculate shape of this machine...  His previous owner's address label was still adhered to his under carriage, along with the shop that he was purchased from in Janesville, Wisconsin.   

 

I have had to do some research on the Pfaff 130.  The sites say it is from the 50's and can plow through 4 layers of leather.  Now that my friends is a work horse!  Not really sure if I need this kind of a machine... But my projects are continually changing, so it could very well be a future life saver.  You never know with me! :)

 

 

I notice that only a few have the "Made in Western - Germany" decal.  Most are Germany.  Talk about a blast from the past! 

While adding captions to the photos, I was reminded that his previous owner's name was Fred.  Being the spur of a moment kind of gal that I am (which explains all of my pets' weird names!),  this Pfaff is going to have the name Friedrich in honor of his previous owner.  Sounds very distinguished doesn't it?  Welcome to the Hollow, Friedrich Pfaff.   :)

Flea Market Finds

I had made a promise to myself, following the "cabin fever" moment in my life, that I would go to a flea market a weekend for the spring/summer.  Unfortunately, Mother Nature is toying with me... It has rained almost every weekend since! :(  For the most part, Mr. Hollow and I have been lucky in the fact that we could still attend most of the venues.  The luck does not extend to my new running shoes... It's been pretty muddy out there!;)

 

There were lots of flea markets on Memorial Day Weekend.  Many of those were welcomed in with rain.  Even though the weather was alternating between rain and mist, we headed off to a small venue on Sunday.  The weather held off long enough for finding some treasures!  :)  Here is my small haul...

 

 

To my hubby's dismay, I found a couple of boxes.  My new resolution is to be ultra picky and replace some of my shoddy ones.... Yep, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!  ;)   These are in such nice shape and the Ripley's box has the addition of some nice handles.  The card file is a neat piece with a little bit of damage.  My first thought was to have Farmerboy repair it but, looking at it now, the missing corner doesn't really bug me.  It will be so handy for housing my design ideas that I sketch and describe on note cards.  The price for the bundle was $20.00.

Forecast this weekend ... RAIN! LOL

Flea Market in Maquoketa Iowa

After a long winter, we attended our first flea market of the year on Sunday in Maquoketa, Iowa.  The wind had a little chill, but the sun was bright with a little punch of heat to it.  Honestly, adrenaline kept me warm.   (Maquoketa offers a large indoor flea market, along with an equal in size outdoor venue.)  Let me tell you...  It was such a nice feeling to be out rummaging again! :)

 

My first purchase was two enamel storage pans with lids.  The vendor wanted $24.00 for both, which was not out of line for the extremely nice shape that they were in.  Of course, this is a flea market and haggling is a necessity, so I offered him $20.00... and now they are mine. 

 

As everyone knows, China makes repops of these pieces now... Imagine that?  LOL  Do you know one sure way to tell you've got an original?  Carry these puppies around an outdoor flea market for about an hour.  The weight suspended from the bag handles was cutting into my fingers something fierce!  Nothing flimsy about these vintage babies.  Or should I say endearingly to our knock off providers, the Chinese care a whole lot more about the wear and tear on my arm than my forefathers! LOL

 

 

The following purchases were my first finds, but my last purchases from the outdoor venue.  (I was absolutely NOT going to entertain a trip back to the vehicle that early.  And they were both located at different venders, so I didn't want to start leaving purchases here and there.)  The first is a staple of mine... One of my various obsessions... The glorious wooden nail keg.  Makes me a little sad for days gone by but very happy that they are still around.  This one still had the top with the chunk broken out laying inside.  It is a nice larger size and will be great for housing my gourds or baseballs that are awaiting paint.   Asking price - $17.00.  Haul it away offer and purchase price-  $12.00.  Score!!   Have I ever shown you my collection of these that house my various sized gourds in the basement?  I will have to get some pics to show you.  ;)

The other item is a Coca Cola wooden bottle crate.  My true love is for the dividers.  I own a Pepsi one that came with original dividers and a milk flat that Farmerboy made the divisions for.  They are absolutely great for hanging on the walls of my studio and holding various art supplies.  I spent a little more than usual, but the Coke advertisement was neat looking.  (Says the girl who doesn't drink pop except for special occasions!)   Asking price - $12.00.  Haul it away offer and purchase price $10.00.


 

 

As we were leaving the inside section of the flea market, I noticed some ladies that set up in a room off the entry way.  They were a happy go lucky team.  Don't you just love people like that?  What reason does a vital human being have to be grouchy for?  I mean REALLY?  Unfortunately, their wares were not in the best location.  I think, they were overlooked being away from all the action.  Mr. Hollow was ready to make tracks, but this shopper made a beeline into their area.  Look at these extra heavy feedsacks!   Oh, the possibilities... The ladies were such a cool vending team that I didn't even haggle.  I purchased the lot of 6 for $18.00, which I must add is a great buy.

After the second trip to the car, Mr. Hollow was contemplating a trip back into the outside area.  I told him that I would go inside to finish looking at the feedsack ladies wares.  (I felt that Mr. Hollow made me go too fast the first time... And of course, my intuition was right! ;) )  Upon a return trip to my favorite vendors of the day, I found these two vintage feedsacks.  They are wonderfully soft and beautifully muted in their colors.  The green is just lovely.  No haggling on the price... $2.00 for the one on the right and $3.00 for the one on the left.

 

 

Okay, this item was super tough to photograph.  It is a quilt cover that was made out of old feedsacks.  Some of the sacks have printing still showing on them.  This baby is huge and the feedsacks are in great condition.  PLUS, there are two big panels that make up the front and back... We are talking a lot of useable fabric.  It was hanging on a rack with some aprons.  I honestly have never seen anything like this before... A treasure trove of feedsack fabric that looks like an open ended duvet.  Asking price -  $10.00.  Haul it away and purchase price - $8.00.

 

 

 

 

This was my last purchase before I ran off to find Mr. Hollow.  It was my shot in the dark purchase.  The ladies had a cutter quilt folded up in an old plastic zippered bag.  The asking price was $7.50.  I really did not feel like taking it out of the bag and decided to take my chances with a $5.00 offer that became the accepted haul it away price.  After getting it home and washing it, I decided that it was a worth while purchase.  It originally sported a star pattern which has blown out in most places.  The blue background pattern and white base is in wonderful shape with hand quilting.  I could see appliqueing over the stars for mini quilts to line baskets... Hmmmmmm.

 

Or since the back is in such nice shape, using that as the backdrop for some handy work... Some quilt angels perhaps or pile of table mats...  I will have to do some research and thinking on this one.  This worn out quilt is destined to be something great again... I just know it. :)

 

 

We had such fun for our first outing.  I am thrilled with my finds, as was Mr. Hollow with his.  If this is any indication how the year will be, we are going to have a blast!  

How to Make Rice & Wool Microwaveable Hand Warmers from an Upcycled Sweater

Here is a quick "how to" for an inexpensive Christmas gift -- wool and rice microwaveable  hand warmers.  Not only is it a present that is absolutely perfect for the chill ridden season, it is also a fun project to get you into that Christmassy mood!   If you don't have a wool sweater laying around your house, head to the local thrift store and give them a sale for the holiday season. :)   Purchase a 75% to 100% wool sweater that is dry clean only (the ingredients for a great felting sweater ;) ).   Next, wash the sweater with some detergent on hot.  Once the washing is done, you should see that the knitting stitches are almost lost in the intermeshing of fibers.  Finally, throw it in the dryer and get ready for a wintery project.

 

Here is an oversized vest that I felted from my local thrift store.  It came to the store with a few holes in it.  The ladies are smart enough to still put it out for sale, because us wool lovers are waiting to snatch up a deal! ;)  Just think of how many warmers a crafty seamstress could get out of one oversized vest... *sigh*

 

Originally, my thought was to do two different sizes of warmers.  But after getting the first set made, I decided the second size would be too big for my needs.  So, the template size for my hand warmers was 3 by 4 inches.  Four rectangles will be needed to make a pair.  Place them wrong sides together and fastened them well with pins, since wool has a tendency to shift shape while sewing.

The best thing about this project is that you simply just sew around the outside edge of the rectangle, leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance.   Start sewing your warmers by going forward and reverse to lock your thread and start to head around each side.  Stop within a half of an inch of the starting point, lock your thread again and cut your piece free of the machine.  Using a funnel (I bought a cheap 3 pack from the dollar store.), fill your little bag 3/4 full of rice (also purchased at the dollar store).  To finish, you can either sew the hole by hand or use your machine.

How much simpler can it be?  (This project would be great for me to  use up some of those sweater remnants that are in my stash.  Yay!)  They are perfect for holding in ones hands, placing in  pockets or sticking inside mittens.  All one has to do is pop them in the microwave for 30 to 35 seconds to warm them up.  I know it doesn't seem that long, but they can get REALLY hot... Trust me.   So, be careful handling them and make sure that they are not damp- prior to heating- in any way.  These of course are not washable but can be cleaned on the surface with a wet cloth.

This particular pair is heading to the home of my younger sister for a test run.  She works for her local school system (First through third grade... YIKES) and her normal routine has her outside with the kids for short periods of time.  Similar hand warmers have been rumored to hold heat for up to 25 minutes.    I will let her put them to the test! ;)

Thrifty Find ~ Singer 99k Sewing Machine

Monday was a great day to take off for the local thrift store to drop off a few boxes and bags of goods that needed to find a new home.  It always makes me feel better to lighten the load! :)  I browsed around the store to check out the wool sweaters and was thrilled to find one with some gorgeous pastel stripes.  Then, I happened upon some dress slacks for work... Double Score!!  How much more could a girl ask for?  So, my next stop was the check out counter.  One of the ladies standing in the vicinity suggested that I lay down my items and take a look up front.  My eye spied some farm toys in the distance, so I made a beeline to them and noticed that they were not vintage... :(   Feeling as though my luck filled hunt was over, I headed back down the isle to the counter.  One parting glance to the front ledge of the store stopped me in my tracks ... a Singer 99k with its original carrier sat gleaming in the light of the window.  SWEET!

Now I will be candidly honest and admit that I have repeatedly told Mr. Hollow during our travels that collecting sewing machines was not for me due to size and space.  (As if that ever stopped me with my other collections! ;) )  We have seen a few heavily used Singer models here and there, and they never really spoke to me. ( Restoration on mechanical items isn't a big desire of mine or more importantly to Mr. Hollow.)  But I can honestly say, this nearly mint machine took my breath away. *sigh*

My camera does not do it justice.  Although this model isn't as desired as the freestanding featherweight predecessors, the 99k is still an example of fine craftsmanship that has the ability to last through the test of time.  Don't you just love the work light mounted on the back?  Whoever had owned this 99k obviously cherished it, since its gleaming black paint and ornate design have only a few minor blemishes.  Truly an amazing fact... Since after checking out the serial number,  I found out this machine was shipped new from Kilbowie, Scotland on September 11, 1954.   

These Singers are such a stark contrast to the plastic that has taken over many of the modern day counterparts.  Not that there aren't great machines out there... Don't get me wrong... But as with my Kenmores, I do tend to favor the metal bodied machines.  Maybe, it is my fear of breaking things! ;) 

The Singer 99k tilts on metal posts that fit into round slots at the back of the base.  When I got home, I looked under the machine and found some extra Singer needles, a pile of bobbins, the original tube of oil, original manual, and a slew of feet that offer more options than I could ever dream of!

Now seriously... How can you go wrong buying any working sewing machine for $18.00?

A Thrifty "Hand Me Down" Find ;) ~ A Kenmore Zig Zag Sewing Machine

I am happy to introduce the newest arrival to my sewing circle... a Kenmore #1941 Zig Zag machine.  Isn't she a beauty?  :)  Her chrome detailing is a little flashier than my #1310 Zig Zag (aka Kenzie), and she sports a few more features in her repertoire.  A quick initial inspection reveals that she has a flip switch for power, a lever for reverse, less knobs, hidden storage, and a detachable base for easy cuffs.  She is snazzy and will be a welcome work horse to my sewing experience.  Plus, I am sure Kenzie will be happy to have a friend to share the load! ;)

I love these steel bodied Kenmore's (I dread to think that they are probably considered vintage by some! ;) ).  They can stitch through numerous layers without even a hiccup.  When working with linty felted wool, there is no other option to me.  I need a machine that is tough and can be cleaned with a simple brush and vacuum but is accurate enough to piece together my quilting projects.  This newest addition is a "super high shank" gal, so I purchased an adapter to enable her to use my 1/4 inch piecing presser foot.  I am anxious to see how she likes my Aurifil thread.  Kenzie wasn't too thrilled with it!  

Since Kenzie loves to stitch through multi layers of felted wool projects, I have moved her upstairs into my wool project construction area.  This will be great, since all my recycled felted wool can be found stored in tubs nearby.  My quilt fabric is located on the main floor of our home, so the newest Kenmore will reside in the sewing area of my front room.  She will be set up and ready for working on all of my quilts at a moment's notice. :) 

I will be giving the #1941 a trial run this afternoon on some new blocks for the Skill Builder Challenge.  I have every confidence that things will go smooth... You see this machine and I have a history that goes waaay back.  Her one and only owner was my Mom!  :)    I am confident that our future adventures will be much more enjoyable for both of us than our previous ones, since I have taken the time to actually learn the basics! ;)

Without further ado... Here she is in all her glory...  The newest addition to the Pumpkin Hollow Stitching Circle...

Kenna.