Antique Clothes

Aren't these dresses and boots so pretty?  I just had to take photos and share!

Neat Antiques

Aren't these items so neat?  I saw these in an antique store they are a mini sewing machine, sewing scissors, bobbin lace pillow with bobbins and lace in progress.

Vintage Postcard

Isn't this postcard so sweet?  I got it for $1.50!

Yummy Lace

 

I recently got to go shopping in a town called Orange which is known for having all kinds of special shops!  I found all this delicious lace there!

2010 ESD Enchanted Challenge: Fairy Treasure - Center Motif

Well, here's a better look at the center motif! You can click on any of the photos to see them larger.
This was the last part of the whole block I worked on which made it difficult but I don't really see how I could have worked on it first. I needed the inspiration of the whole block to really know what I wanted to do there! Sometimes you just can't control how your creative process flows no matter how badly you want to! LOL And even after leaving it for last I had a vague idea of what I wanted but no solid ideas to get it done. Then I finally got the idea to place vintage earrings around and put foliage in around them. The problem was I had run out of vintage jewelery!!! So I went to my local antique store and found some pieces that looked great in the area. Some of the earrings needed the large clip on backs taken off so that they would sit on the block well. My husband used his Dremel to remove them! ♥
I also used some vintage marquee shape montees and a large rhinestone.

For the foliage I used 2 shades of green silk ribbon and worked them in a french knot with a loop left at the top. Usually with that combination stitch there is an added french knot in floss added to make a little flower. I also created a few of those flowers as you can see in the above photo. All those knot/loop leaves were a pain to create for sure! LOL They are very finicky and can get snagged and pulled too tight too easy, but that was the look I wanted and so I trudged on creating them!

I also created a couple long leaves on each side with the same ribbon in a long twisted ribbon stitch that I couched with a little seed bead. The flowers I created to go with them are created using 3 straight stitches with 2 colors ribbon and the stems made with one strand floss with a french knot at the base of the flower.

2010 ESD Enchanted Challenge: Fairy Treasure - FINISHED!!!

Well I'm all finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!! I just sent off all the photos to Carolyn!
For now I'll just put these large overall photos and one of the middle and I'll start blogging more detail! I kinda fell off of blogging as I went for a while, life got pretty crazy and when that happens you can only do as much as you can do! My priority was at least to keep working so I could get it finished in time. So now that I'm finished, and things are starting to settle down I'll start blogging the details of this piece!

I'm so thrilled how it turned out!!! It's so special! To finish it I hand sewed silk velvet strips on and mitered the corners by hand and then hand sewed the floral trim in place as well. It's being framed so the velvet is the matting.
If you look closely you will find all kinds of special things, jewels, earrings, keyholes, keys, bees, butterflies, flowers, lockets and buttons! I did a lot of new to me techniques and streatched myself by creating motifs and flowers that are not my typical go-to flowers!

I used lots of vintage jewelery, the center has earrings all around with loop-knot leaves and sweet flowers tucked in.
Click on the photos to see each them closer!

Antique Shopping Finds

Over our 10 year anniversary getaway me and hubby went to antique shops too and I found some goodies! A whole stack of Haviland Limoges (which I collect) plates all of them have chips on the edges but only one is cracked and can't be used I got it for $16!!! I also found some in a beautiful rose pattern in great condition for very good prices! I just love them the floral patterns always inspire silk ribbon embroidery for me!
I also found a set of butter knives that are the perfect size for tea parties! I also found some doilies one with a tatted edging that I got for $1 a hankie with an "M" on it, class nobs and door nobs. I also found a cut glass bell, I've been looking for one to remember my grandmother who loved bells and collected them and I never got one of hers when she passed away, she would have loved this one too! I also found and antique collar!!! OH it's so pretty! I want to use it on something special.
Well that's all for my finds hope you enjoy the eye candy, sorry I didn't get good close up photos but you can click on the photo for a larger view of everything.

Vintage Embroidered Pillowcases

Here are some vintage embroidered pillowcases I picked up also while on vacation!

I've never inherited any linens so it's fun to adopt some! They are so pretty too!

Pretty Hankies

Here are some other hankies I found while on vacation!

This is one of my favorites, it looks like it was handmade.

This one is another fave, very delicate and thin also looks handmade.

Isn't this poppy hanky adorable? The flowers are raised too, and it also looks handmade.
Click on the photos to see closer.

Glass Buttons

Another find while on vacation! Aren't these glass buttons dreamy! I especially love the flower shaped ones! Oh and they are all a medium size just perfect for most crazy quilt blocks!

Crazy Quilters DREAM!!!

While on vacation I found a Dream Shop for Crazy Quilters or really any needleworker who love, love, loves vintage and antique sewing related things! I have to say if you are ever in the area it is a must stop little store. It's small and kind of hidden but worth finding! Click on the photo above to get the info on the shop "Stitches In Time Antiques".

Here is what I bought but I held myself back really! I was drooling over everything...drawers and drawers of LACE!!!!!! And buttons!!! And there was even some crazyquilting there too! Tons of antique buttons! Even tatting shuttles! Needless to say I wanted the whole shop! LOL
Isn't that lace bundle at the top interesting? The shape of it I thought lends itself to crazy quilt seams! And the little Irish crochet doilies!!!! Adorable, and I have plans to put some of them on my old Harvest Challenge block that got UFO'd it will now become my Roses'n'Lace block!

Here is a close up of four antique buttons I got. I just love the strawberry ones!

Here are other buttons I bought too.

I couldn't resist this wedding hanky, I love to collect them and this one is 3D!

Crafter's Shop Find

On our way back home we made a road trip of our time and stopped at Antique Stores along the way. At one of our stops in Stockton there was a little shop called "Creative Crafters Vintage Nook". We stopped in and found that it is a gem, so if anyone is driving by Stockton you'll want to take a pit stop to this sweet shop! Click on the photo above to see all the info for the shop.

I found 2 tea cups I couldn't live without, some pretty buttons and an apron. The buttons were a scoop for a dollar!

The yellow tea cup is a Shelley! It's probably a newer (I think it's a 1945-1966) one but still, any Shelley is a find so we snatched it up at the affordable price it was! LOL

I also loved this one with the pretty green all over and yellow roses.

Here is the adorable apron I got! It's made by one of the crafters who sells in the shop.
I also saw a tatter's booth, who also was going to do a demonstration for them and maybe lessons if there is an interest. They also loved that I do tatting too, everyone was so sweet and friendly!

9 Year Anniversary Getaway and Mountian Finds

Since I wasn't feeling well on our actual anniversary (4 Sept.) we waited to do a getaway till I felt better. So this weekend we went up to Crestline and stayed at one of the best places we've found! It's a little place called North Shore Inn! We got upgraded (military discount) to a room with a fireplace and it was so fun! There was sparkling cider waiting in our room when we arrived too! We also shopped around the mountains the next day too! We started in Crestline, then went to Lake Arrowhead then onto Big Bear! It was great to get to drive around and stopping at shops we saw! Here's some of my finds!

The organic tea, tea cup, vintage jewelery, lace runners, and salt & pepper shakers were all from Crestline shops. The red handled sissors, fat quarter (butterfly made from flowers print) and the iron on pattern came from a shop nearing Lake Arrowhead. Lastly the beautiful tea pot and beads were found in Big Bear! And overall lots of window shopping was done! LOL
We also stopped by the Mill Creek Manor Tea Room to check it out, it was closed but we got to see inside and it is one place I'll be planning a trip to! That tea room is SO CUTE! Can't wait till we get a chance to go there!

Mail Call!!! Sweet Surprises!

I had asked TattingChic for some pattern help on a pattern that was in a foreign language and she printed out the photo and highlighted the 2 shuttles for me making it really clear for me! Thank you so much for doing that TattingChic! You can click on the photo to see it larger and read the instructions for This Pattern. THEN she also added in some tatting bits she had thinking that it was no big deal and I might be able to use them in my crazy quilting!!! No big deal?!? HA! I LOVE to get tatting bits!!! I always cherish them and save them as precious little treasures to use in my CQ! Thank you TattingChic I love them and I'll think of you whenever I use them!

Also I've gotten an Etsy order from My 1st Bambina's Esty Shop, I ordered some vintage patterns from her! My very first vintage patterns!!!!!! Love them!!! I even love the little apron I'll embroider that and I want to try wearing it...my first apron too! LOL The fabric seems like it needs to be washed first but I'm wondering if I do that will the stamped pattern come off?
ALSO she added in a little giftie that was such an unexpected surprise and so sweet it brought tears to my eyes! She gave me some little sew-ons and two "tea" themed specialty cards to use and I love them! Thank you My 1st Bambina!!!

Another Tea Swappy HOME!

Lookie Lookie!!! I got another Tea Swappy home! And I love all the contents of this one too! Click on the photo to see everything better. Check out the silkies everyone gave me I love all of them but I really admire those 2 Victorian ladies in the upper right I think they will need a special project! Also got some interesting trim that has butterflies on it in the lower left, the wings go out off the edge of the trim, it's really neat! I took a few close ups of the vintage stuff that needs close ups to be fully enjoyed!

Love it a monogram in white I will surly be using this! I always look through the hankies for our monograms but I don't always find them and then pretty ones at that!

And just look at this lace!

And this one! It's a half but that is very generous for such beauty!

Also this whole crochet doily! I don't think I can cut it...LOL!!! Ya know though that brought me to thinking, all those pretty doilies I collect for CQ that I can't bring myself to cut, I think I'll make blocks that are solid with a doily on them to showcase it and add to the size of my bedspread/or throw! That way they can be enjoyed and I won't have to cut them! I can even embellish them! I love that idea!
If anyone wants to send me some doilies for my quilt I'd love to accept them! LOL I hear there are those out there who don't like them (how can this be? LOL) so if you are reading this and have some and don't like them or whatever I'll gladly take them off your hands! LOL