Treasure Hunting

Honey, Stop The Car

I am still not feeling settled in the new house.  Love the house and area - it's just making all the little details comfortable that takes time. My hand sewing spot, desk - the personal spaces.  That will come with time and making adjustments like lighting and re-arranging furniture.
So...Saturday we went treasure hunting.
Sometimes a little fresh air and shopping is inspiring.

We went to a local metro suburb with a real Main Street.  Breakfast at a small diner was lots of fun. Egg, toast and coffee $3 with free parking.

The big decision was, where to start?
A shop we've been in before, or a new one?

A new one (to us) it is...Off we went.

Once in the door we knew there was great potential.

I think we went to five or six shops, or as we sometimes say - "Antique Malls" and ran out of time.  The shops close at 5pm on Saturday.

This shop had much of what we look for; textiles, books, tools and small furniture.

The staff was very friendly and willing to open as many glass cases as we wanted. We didn't have to hunt for anyone and wait for keys.



By now, you might be asking - what did you buy??

see that cheddar and indigo quilt?

I am often asked what does your husband collect?

I think I will leave that to a separate post.

It was fun to find a connection between his collection and sewing.

I did see a few quilts.

This quilt was tempting.

Visually appealing - it was worth a closer look.

I always flinch when I see a quilt folded on a rough ladder. I usually tell the dealer they are diminishing the value of the quilt each time it is scraped across the rungs for viewing...

This shop had quite a few interesting textiles. A paisley shawl that was in such great condition!

I digress, you want to know about the quilt!

The fabric in the piecing is older than the backing and binding. The setting and sashing fabric is an unstable loose weave.

A few of the browns were shot, that doesn't always put me off though.
There were later repairs in two blocks done with polyester double knit!

I am trying not to buy quilts where I make myself believe I have time to do the restoration or conservation work on.

It makes a beautiful 'folding display' for the right person.

I enjoyed seeing it and laying it out for closer examination.  I am sure someone will give it a great home.

I was also tempted by this framed advertisement.

It is kind of disturbing! I decided I couldn't look at it on a regular basis.  Plus, Velma would be so offended.

Hasn't our sense of good, even appropriate advertising changed.

We did break for lunch - yummy pizza.

It was at this point I went back and had a second closer look at the star quilt.

It was still there, but I didn't love it more with a third look.

I did find some treasures.

As a collector, I am always looking for ways to safely display things.

These glass boxes are great to keep things clean and in clear view. I have to be careful with sun so the mirrors don't cook the contents.

The glass door has a small latch, we call it the Velma catch.
Yes, she would open it if she could.

This box is about 24" x 12" and can sit or hang. I will set it on a shelf.







This primitive folk art footstool came home with me.

The plywood box is covered with wood thread spools cut in half.
The wood was stained and varnished.
Under the needlepoint top, "padding" was created with folded newspapers. I cannot see enough of the paper to get a date.

The needle point is primitively stitched in wool.

The top tacks don't match, but I think that adds to the charm.

We also bought this piece of United Nations Kent cloth.

It includes both selvages, clean and over 40" long. I have another piece of it, but I think this one is larger.













This small trunk came home with us too.

The inlaid top is terrific.

It is about 24" long.

The top is hinged but there is no lock.
No interior compartments or tray.

I'm going to use it to store my inking and signature stamps supplies.

I bought other small treasures that I will share on another day. I hope you enjoyed shopping along with me.

While we didn't have time to visit all the shops - we are looking forward to going back someday when we need a break!

Have you been treasure hunting this year?
Dawn