Couple of things

First I saw the truck at JoAnn's on West Saginaw a short while ago and she is a woman after my own heart.  Although for our grammar police out there it isn't quite right.

Next I emailed some of you that my brother is running an estate sale this Friday 9 am to 3 pm (full price) and on Saturday from 9-1 (items go 1/2 price) in Grand Ledge.  The lady of the home was a quilter and has passed away.  The sale is advertised at www.estatesales.net and pictures here show the serger and baby lock sewing machine that are in the sale.  The baby lock is also an embroidery machine.  There is not a big fabric stash, but there are lots of books, magazines.  Here are a few photos of some of the more special items.

 

machine embroidery thread

This is a very nice 3 drawer cabinet of Madera thread.  I haven't used these but believe they are for machine embroidery.

 One of a couple of kits

 

another kit

It looked as though all the blocks were done for this quilt and setting fabrics are there.

So I hope these few pictures help.  There are no completed quilts.  She was also a counted cross stitcher.  So there are some finished cross stitches, patterns.  For just one bedrooms worth of stuff, if you are out and about Friday or Saturday it might be work a look see.

New Venture

A friend and I have been talking lately.  She inherited a lot of collectibles from her mother.  And like I have so often seen and heard, it's just not possible to hang onto everything that you inherit.  Some people say you should just be happy with the memories that you have.  Anne inherited a lot of Lladro figurines.  Although nice, they are not something she wants to store. 

I got pulled into collecting by working my brother's estate sales and buying items that were left after the sale.  Those that were too pretty to let go, so I would buy them and then started selling at a flea market.  But this was a poor summer for doing fleas for me.  In June alone I had my trip to Ireland, the next weekend taking a bus load of women to Chicago for the international quilt show and then the next week my niece's wedding.  But that hasn't stopped me from buying at area estate sales.

So push has come to shove for both of us.  So this weekend we went to the Mega Mall and rented a show case.  We are hoping for a pretty reasonable monthly rent and secure space, maybe we can start getting rid of things.

 

 

Ann loaded in some items on Sunday.  I went and took measurements for the spaces to make a couple of display boards for smalls that might be in bags.  I hope this weekend to take a few things in as well.  We will see how this goes.  We have a 3 month contract and after that it is month by month.

Estate Sale Finds

Part of my weekly habit is checking Estatesales.net for local estate sales.  I'm kind of addicted to looking at the homes and seeing what treasures people had.  Some sales are very organized and some are just a wreck.  I have my favorite vendors whose sales I never miss like Richard Bloomquist, and others that I have totally sworn off.

If the sales are really close, I will often go on my lunch hour on a Friday.  Just to scope things out and see if it's worth getting up early on Saturday to come back for half-price day.

Last week on Friday I ran to 2 sales.  One had a quilt pictured in their ad so that always interests me.  And it was obvious from other pictures that she was a quilter.  So I went.  There were a couple of well worn pink and white quilts there.   I wasn't sure I could resell them at the price they were marked so I decided that I might come back on Saturday. 

Luckly they were still there.  So I decided what to heck.  Get them.  I was disappointed that the bigger multi color broken star which that had been pictured in the ad was gone.  But as I was looking down at a table of glassware something caught my eye. Looking up, there were 2 great quilts hung over the drapery rod in the living room.  I had completely missed them and so had other quilters who were there.  While looking, one of the guys running the sale asked if I was interested.  I said not at even half the price he had marked on them.  So he gave me his bottom price and after some thinking I decided why not.  A quick run to the credit union and I walked away with 4 quilts.

The pink and white will be for sale in my booth at the Capitol City Quilt Guild Quilt Show, May 4 & 5.  As well as the broken star quilt.  My brother and I will be sharing a booth selling sewing and quilting related items, some antique, some just collectable.  [NOTE: as I edit this I realize that maybe the print quilt was a practice before making the multi color quilt because the are the same pattern only one is solid pink fabrics and the other is multi.]

The wagon wheel quilt I think will be a good research project for me.  It has hundreds of names embroidered on it in the same hand and fine embroidery.  Since I am a genealogist it will be interesting to research.

Estate Sale Finds

For me estate sales are almost addictive.  Seeing the treasures that people have.  What I find interesting compared to other people.  I have been taking some of the girls from work who haven't every really been to estate sales before.  I find myself explaining a lot: why I chose particular items, either for myself or to resell or what certain items are.  I am splitting my finds between my fleamarket stash and one I have started of items I will have in my booth at the CCQG quilt show in May.  Here are a few of the items:

This little guy may stay with me.  Love that blue & white

 

 

Got this cute 1 cup tea pot yesterday.

 

I think this is a match holder.

At Christmas Wendy got a small christmas tree made on a styrofoam cone.  She thought it would look better on a pedastal so I made this one from a candle holder and small plate for her.

In following quilter Bonnie Hunter and my friend, Carol, I have become hooked on recycling men's 100% cotton shirts.  I have found at Goodwill they are $3.69 each, where as at Volunteers of American they are $1.99 and up. And it only recently occurred to me to look at estate sales for them.  I usually don't look at clothing. I have been "de-boning" them as Bonnie shows on her webpage.  These are a few of the candidates I picked up this week.

I plan of making up bags of fronts and sleeves of maybe 5 shirts for my booth at the quilt show.  Will also be selling the buttons that come off the shirts.  I am keeping the backs for quilt backs and have been using the cuffs and collar pieces to make strippy blocks to use in a quilt.  I recently also found a wonderful old travel iron that is small and heavy which will also be at the quilt show in addition to a couple of sewing machines that I have picked up.  Still need to prep them to be sure that they are ready to go.

As I sit here listening to the sleet beat on the windows I wonder what travel to work tomorrow will be like.  Have a good evening





 

 

 

Tailgate treasurers

This was another good week for sales in Lansing.  One was a quilter and her husband who were downsizing.  For that one I even took 2 hours off work Friday morning to be in the first 10 in the door.  Bought and still got to work on time.  Of course then I had to go back on Saturday to see what else was left.  These are just a few of the finds.

 

The little sewing basket went into my flea market merchandise. The white vase is identical to one I got in the same neighborhood 6 months ago, so now I have a pair.  Will keep them for now. And the little couple is a wedding cake topper, bisque, from abotu 1900.  It also will navigate between my collection and flea market merchandise.

 

All of these items I got at the quilter's downsizing sale.  The little dishes, sewing kit and pear make do pincushion will go in the flea market merchandise.  The rabbit thimble holder, down front and the elephant pincushion will stay in my collection of sewing items.  The glass dome with the spools may go or stay, not sure yet.  I'm trying to accumulate enough sewing items to maybe vend at a quilt show.

This is a large set of old dominos I got Sunday.

These were some salts I bought.  The white one is like a little crock and I love the wooden pair with the spoons.  They are amazing in the workmanship.

Mom found all of these "french Ivory" pieces in a box.  Evidently they got emptied out of a dressing table that someone bought.  There were also button hooks and manicure items, but these 3 caught my eye.  The box was full of rubber bands which got thrown away immediately.  The little piece it like a tooth pick holder, metal base with a ivory slide top.  And I love the little wind up alarm clock.  I may hang onto these items for a while.

Lastly here a a couple of the blocks made out of Betty Smith's scraps.

Only about 30 more to make to make a lap quilt.

Coming up the story of a sad little blue and white quilt.

 

Estate Sales

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, estate sale season is back again and in full swing.  The last couple of months have been rough as I was ill with an unknown ailment that affected my hands.  Now I finally have a diagnoses, rheumatoid arthritis.  Still learning about this but finally have some answers.  To get over the depression this has brought on I have started estate saling again. 

This weekend there were 3 good sales.  A number of gals I work with have never been to an estate sale and seem intrigued that I will sometimes take lunch time to run to one if it close.  So Friday I inducted a new gal, Beth, into estate sales.  I went mainly to look at a blue and white china coffee pot that matches some china I got the first time I went to England.

I still need to do some research into the marks on it.  It's not Royal Copenhagen, but close enough.

 There were other items I wanted but wasn't willing to pay full price so Saturday morning I got up and went back and then to 2 other sales.  These are a few of the items I picked up.

The crates will be used for set up at fleamarkets, which I'm going to try again this summer.  Vases, poker chip carrier, candy dish, red handled spatula and books will go into my fleamarket inventory.

One other item I got on the trip so South Carolina was another vintage tape measure to add to my collection.

Missed being ready for today's flea market at Mega Mall but will be ready for next one in 3 weeks.

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.



Holidays

Well, we knew it would happen sooner or later. The grandkids get older and marry and move away so the holiday gathering gets a little smaller. I guess for Thanksgiving it will be Mom, Dennis and I and she suggested that we do lunch at the VFW that way we don't have to cook at all. We did this last year and it was actually ok. From the sounds of it the weather is supposed to be wonderful so we may finally get a walk in on the latest spur line of the Portland walking trail.

We're not ones much for the whole black Friday shopping thing. And usually Mom and I bake cookies the day after. You know the one, Grandma's recipe that uses lard. I suggested to mom that neither one of us really needs the cookies around at the holidays. So I suggested that we have a mini quilt retreat. We can set up tables in the family room and sew all day. We would like to make a couple of tables runners for the VFW craft show on Dec. 3, and we could also make one or two on the glass whimsies for in the garden. Below is the first and only one I have made so far..

Amazing what you can to with an old vase, bud vase, wine glass and candle holder.

These are the fabrics I have been collecting to make a quilt with, not sure if all will go in but it should still be fun.

Still working on finishing up the kitchen, had planned to get a lot done on Saturday, but when I woke up my knee was locked again. Took almost 3 hours to get it so I could get around. I did manage to get to an estate sale just before the end on Saturday. Got a couple of good buys, 24 glasses, 8 each of rocks, water and tumbler for $4. for the new kitchen and two chairs to go with the new table. Styles don't exactly match, but I liked the chairs and I got both for $12! They are bentwood with a few differences. The back splats are curved on the front and flat on the back, and I now notice a stripe down the left and around the edge of the seat. I think they may have been used someplace like a fraternal lodge or maybe grange hall. Not sure but I like them.

Nothing like a little "retail therapy"

Last week seemed like another one of those weeks from hell.  I'm a faculty secretary at a college and the first week of exams was crazy, but we got through it.  But it really, really seemed like a long week, but I wasn't the only one feeling that way.

I think the first auction I went to was with my dad, and I was hooked.  I used to spend whole days waiting for the one item I want to come up, only to be outbid by someone.  Slowly I made the conversion to estate sales, which means you only need to decide if you want to pay full price the first day, or gamble that it is still there the next day at a reduced price.

Ususally I'm a second day gal, but this week I had to change that.  I always check http://www.estatesales.net/ to see what estate sales there are in this area.  Last week I found a sale where the lady has a collection of antique child's/minature sewing machines.  I have always been fascinated with sewing related items.  Well this time I decided to go and to be willing to pay full price to get a couple of prize items.

I asked for and took 2 hours off Friday morning.  I was up at 6 am, at the address by 7 am to get my name on the number list, got my number at 8 am, yea #6, shopped the garage when it opened at 8:30 and then 6th person to get in the front door at 9 am.  Whoo hooo!!

I have bid on Casige child's sewing machine on ebay for years but have never won one.  These were made in Germany, British zone.  So that was one of the machines I purchased.

The second machine I bought was a machine that I think I saw and missed at an estate sale within the last 5 years.  It is a Willcox & Gibbs sewing machine  made in 1894.  I am intrigued by it's circular shape.

I also picked up these 2 cute sewing tins.  My mom had a similar one with pansies on it as a button box when I was a kid.



There were also a couple of nice smalls.  A couple of needle cases and a really expensive feeling paid of scissors.  They are Hofffritz scissors and I'll have to do a little research on them.

Then I got into work at 10 my coworker said she hadn't seem me in such a good mood in a while.  I guess not I know the benefits of retail therapy.



Estate Sale

Oh, for these short summer weekends.  Saturday a friend, who is also a quilter was having a garage sale, with quilts, fabric, clothes, and other items.  There was also a Bloomquist estate sale that I wanted to get to.
First things first I got a couple of loads of wash done.  Then I could justify going out and having fun for awhile.  At Cindy's I got just a couple of pieces of fabric, a Brackman book and a great new spring coat. 

Then headed out to the estate sale in Haslett.  I'm addicted to estate sales.  My brothers has a sideline of doing estate sales which I often help him with.  In enjoy seeing everything, looking at the homes and sometimes I come away with some cool stuff for half the price.  Best deals have been a metal workbench for in my garage for $5 and a 4 chair, glass top iron patio set for $25.  This weekends sale was interesting because there were a ton of old toys, doll highchairs, and just interesting stuff.  I passed on a toy rotary mower that would have only been $17.50 on Saturday.  Now I'm kicking myself.  Oh well, you snooze you loose.  I did pick up a crochet pin cushion, on which I have quite a few. And the cutest miniature wooden clothes pins in their original box, which was in rough shape.

My strategy is usually to go the 2nd day or last day of the sale.  Usually items are reduced to 1/2 price so if you get there early you can get some bargains.  A great site for finding sales is at estatesales.net which has listings for around the country.  Not all listings have pictures, but more and more do which helps to set the hook a little deeper.

Then in the afternoon it was time to buckle down and get the lawn mowed.  Mowed and pulled enough weeds to fill a paper composting sack. My sunny pot on the deck is doing pretty well.

Sunday my mom and I went shopping. She has had a couple of gift cards and they have been burning a hole in her pocket.  So we went to Christopher Banks and she got a couple of new tops and a new pair of Capri's. Then we had lunch and she headed home.

Thursday and Friday of this week we are going to the big quilt show in Shipshewana Indiana.  I decided rather than rushing to see everything in a day, I would get a hotel room and we could take our time.  Will try to include pictures from the trip.