Estate sales or "picking"

I tend to go to a lot of estate sales.  Back in the 70's and 80's it was auctions.  I loved to see all that was being sold and always hoped for a winning bid.  But often times the one item I might be interested in would be the last item the auctioneers would get to.  So estates sales became a better option.  I could be there early or come later, but I didn't need to spend the whole day waiting around.  My youngest brother, Dennis, runs an estate sale business as a second career. Actually he just has a passion for neat old stuff and the thrill of the hunt. His business is Beard Estate Service Team (BEST).  In working with him over the last 15 years, I have learned a lot and seen a lot.

I especially like that now there is estatesales.net on the internet which has listings of sales by state.  I especially like that some postings have pictures.  This way I can decide if it is worthwhile to go the first day, go at all, or wait until the 2nd or 3rd day of the sale.  Generally here in Michigan estates sales are usually 2 days, sometimes 3.  Prices the first day are always FIRM.  The second day and third day discounts are usually offered on most items, since the sales teams job is to sell as much as they can for the family.

The types of things that draw me in to going are, sewing related items i.e. sewing maching (toy or antique), sewing baskets, threads and fabric.  Quilts are also a draw.  I also am interested in quilting ephemera (patterns, books, quilting templates).  These are the items I have gotten at the last few sales.

This sale yielded a partial set of Wedgewood dishes including the platter and serving bowl, some votive cups, candle holders and vase for my craft work.  An old spooner, a dress length of vintage fabrics and some vintage trims.

This sale yielded an antique (treen) spool holder, a white hobmail fenton vase, an old pitcher, a sugar bowl with a replacement wooden lid a small cup in Royal Copenhagen and some pate spreaders.

I bought the spooner because it had almost a quilt pattern of feathers on it.

I also like to do crafts and often find these sales are a good place to pick up supplies.  This past year I have started to make garden whimsey's out of old glass items: vases, glasses, places, mirrors, ashtrays, etc.  Glue them up and put them in a piece of rebar or pipe in your flowerbeads.  So now at sales I look for those types of items to add to my inventory.  Here are the 2 I have made up so far.

But then I'm also attracted to blue & white china.  The last few years after my brother's estate sales I would note that there was still a lot of really nice items left that hadn't gotten bought.  I began filling boxes at his sales and then offering those items at the outdoor fleamarket's here at one of the Antique Malls.  These sales are just on Sundays, so it wasn't a big time commitment.  But after a number of bad sunburns, last summer I opted out of most of the sales.  Recently I have been thinking of starting again as a way of having something to occupy me in retirement.  Booth and show case rental at the 2 local antique malls is more that I want to pay right now for a $20 investment, I guess maybe this year I will try the outdoor fleas again.

The other items I often pick up are vintage jewelry.  If at Dennis's sale there is a lot, I will put it in a vintage suitcase and take it to work for my coworkers to look through.  I tend to pick up a variety of pieces as witnessed below.

Well the dryer just buzzed. Guess it's time to fold.

Almost forgot to show the best piece a probably 1940's quilt top.



What now. . .

I know I have been negligent in keeping up.  And now I'm behind and don't know what to talk about first. I have been helping my mom with a couple of quilt projects and 2 of them are at the quilter's now.  Although my mom has been a hand quilter her whole life, I think now that she has had a couple machine quilted she sees the benefit of getting things done a little quicker.  And a few years ago she finished her heirloom quilts for I and my brothers.  So now rather than suffering with her hands, it's just as good to get them machine quilted.

At Christmas time I saw a great tutorial in Quilts in the Barn on doing a sort of pinwheel block.  I figured it would be a great way to use up some of my old 80's christmas fabrics and benefit the VFW.
The tutorial is here:
http://quiltsinthebarnaus.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-twister-quilt-and-bonus-quilt.html

These were the fabrics I pulled out of my stash to give it a try:

Then using the ruler I modified according to the tutorial, here is the wallhanging I ended up with:

I think these would sell well. And now that I've done one I know better what to look out for in color placement.

Well at least this has been an update.  Upcoming subjects estates sales and retirement volunteer opportunities.

Wouldn't you think...

I would have outgrown my childhood nickname of "Tumbleturd" by this point in my life.  Every year I hope that this is the year that I don't end up with at least one substantial bruise or scab in a years time. But no such luck.  I thought I had just about made it through 2011 but nooooo.  I was priming my basement stair case today.  I was probably about half done when I stepped back to admire my work, only then realizing I was 3 steps from the basement floor.  Thank goodness the paint tray broke my fall, ha! After laying there a minute saying Damn! Damn! Damn! I started assessing if I had any injuries.  Fortunately I landed on my posterior.  I'm sure I will have a wonderful aray of bruises tomorrow and I have a bit of a twinge in my left lower back.

But I picked myself up, cleaned the paint off my butt, and got back to work.

When I had to wait for the paint to dry so decided to sew a little.  I found a tutorial online on a twister quilt block and decided today was the time to try it.  So far so good.  I also finished another table runner.  I made one at Thanksgiving to donate to the VFW's December craft show.  So since I still had strips precut, I might as well use them up.  Below is the result of that work.



 Also I forgot to show one of my Christmas gifts.  John D. help Dennis with his estate sales.  John came across this at another sale and knew just the person to go to.  He figured, I'm sure, if Dennis didn't buy it I would.  So here it is, another selection for my toy sewing machine collection.  It even still had it's original box.

whimsical paint job

A couple of weeks ago when Rosanne hosted the Variable Star Christmas party, she invited us to take a peek at the painting she was having done in the half bath that is attached to her master suite. Beckie Beaudry (sp?)is doing the painting for her. In the past we have seen her work on garden stakes and last time she was painting evil eyes. Here is what she is up to now.

Good news of the furnace. Won't need a new one this heating season, wuh-hu.

Quilting was good this afternoon. My aunt had made what I think is a full size quilt. My mom, her 2 sisters, my aunt's friend and I just about had it all quilted by the time we left about 4:30.

So it was a good day.

Holidays

Well, one holiday over, one to go. Sunday I came home and started the purge for New Years. I gave the birds and squirrels all the cookies that had not been given away. They had a great time.

Christmas eve is our big family time. That way the grandkids can have Christmas morning and day with their kids. Here are a couple of shots from Christmas eve.

Well, that's a short update for now. I have a chance to go quilting today. My aunt has made a raffle quilt for my cousin who has been battling breast cancer for a year and has no health insurance. We are having a benefit spaghetti dinner on January 15 for Tammy. And we are trying to get items around for an additional silent auction. Mom called today to say they were going to start quilting today. So since I'm off yet today I may go over after the furnace guy comes.

Later today I'll try to do an entry on Rosanne's, our hostess for our Christmas party, freshly painted master powder room. Beckie who goes to Hankard with us has been doing some whimsical painting for Rosanne.

Here's to a happy and health new year.

Variable Star Christmas Party

Last night was the Variable Star's Christmas party. Rosanne hosted us and served a wonderful chicken lasagna. We also had salad, stewed onions, bread and christmas cookies.

After a wonderful dinner and good conversation we got down to the business of the evening, the gift exchange. This year we said to simply bring a "hand made" item in a brown paper bag. It did not have to be quilt related, just something handmade. Here were the results of this groups creativity.

Carol with a christmas tree made by Wendy and Rosanne with a garden whimsy made by me.

Jo with a necklace of antique buttons made by Pam. Melanie with a box of home made breads from Jo.

Me with a christmas wallhanging made by Rosanne.

Pam with a wall hanging with felted designs from Becky.

Roxie with lemon cookies and "puppy chow" from Melanie.

Wendy with a watercolor painting by Roxie. And Becky received a bag that holds your hot iron made by Carol.

It was a wonderful evening except for 2 missing members, Barb and Claudia.
Hope to see you at next month's meeting.

Holiday baking

Finally feeling better and doing the worst thing someone watching their weight should do, filling the house with baking. But since I need every cookie for gifts it makes it easier not to give into temptation. Last weekend I did a new chocolate cookies with Andres peppermint & white chocholate chips in them. Today I baked a new cookie with oats and flour, pecans, bitter sweet chocholate and shaved milk choclate. I think they look pretty good. See.

Also made some Russian tea cakes which I have never made before but have enjoyed..

I also mixed up a batch of my old standby "refrigerator cookies". This makes a large batch, so I split it and put toffee bits in half and almonds in the other. These will get baked up tomorrow at mom's house. All I have left is chocolate dip some pretzels and marshmallows. That should be enough holiday baking.