Thursday 24 August 2017

Treasure and stitchery talk ....












Vintage treasure hunting and truffling
brings great happiness and
Beautiful rewards ...







It really was a treat of a weekend at The Cotswold's Vintage Fair as I told you on Tuesday so what did I buy.?

In no particular order let me show you.  Well actually the first thing I bought was some fabulous bits of quilt.  There is a little story to this so here we go.  When I arrived at the fair I went and found Jo of Hesta Nesta firstly because I saw her first and secondly we had last minute arrangements to make for the evening of merriment ahead of us later that evening.  When I saw her she said she had seen some lovely patchwork piece and it was, she was sure, so me!  So we walked along and she showed me the stall where she had seen it.  To my happiness there it was still and it measured 38" x 31.5" and it was the most gorgeous old piece of log cabin that I had seen that large in a long time.  Now you will never guess I only paid the £8 for it ..... yes I know but that was the price and I could not believe my luck.  Isn't it beautiful.  Well not much of a story I hear you say but it is not over yet.  So I bought it and later on in the day I was walking around again and came upon the same stall again, as you do and I could not believe my eyes there was two more pieces safety pinned together for sale for £5!  They measure 16" x 14 " and 17" x 17" respectively .... I could not believe it.  I was laughing
with the lady and she said, you know I forgot to unpack it earlier in the day and found them and just put them out, you were so meant to have these!  and I of course agreed!

I am not sure what I will make with some of this wonderful pieces of quilt but a cushion has got to be done for me personally and then some of the squares will be cut so I can stitch in them and frame them in a row.  Then who knows I maybe will sell some on to a good home and stitcher who will do something different to me and treasure it as well.




In addition to the above I bought this really pretty mouse and he is now hung in my sewing room on my Armoir door!  He is made of very old linen and is hand embroidered eyes, nose and whiskers along with a very pretty vintage fabric patch on his back!  The label as you see tells me what to do with him and I will for sure look after this pesky mouse! who has now been named Maisie!





I had to photograph the tag for you because it made me smile so much I thought it may do the same for you.  This pesky mouse is happy in her new home and thus far there have been no known shenanigans!  .....

These were all bought from Little English House.





Then look at these very old indeed wool mill bobbins I bought the wood is gorgeous the colours of the wool wound round are so pretty for display and there are numbers and letters on the bobbins which obviously meant something in there day in the mill when they were working bobbins.  They were just so pretty and decorative I could not pass these three up.

I photographed them on one of my old quilts in red and white  baskets all over the quilt and thought it looked like they were inside the basket in a way.  They now live in a lovely old terracotta pot in my sewing room and I can
look at them daily.



 I love the fact that I have saved some history.  That is what we are all doing these days now that vintage and antiques have become so popular ...... The things that were thrown out
years ago for the more ' modern' things, breaks my heart.  I know my mum told me years ago that when her Grandma died that her parents were throwing things from the window onto a bonfire .. I nearly fainted!!!!
These were from The Apple Loft.











Then I spotted a tablecloth that I know my Grandma owned (my mums mum) and it is the same
colour one I am sure.  I remember Sunday tea laid up on it with fresh cut bread, butter, cheese and hams on plates.  Lemon Curd and marmite.  Toasted teacakes with butter and salads....  Then always a couple of homemade cakes as well and cherry pop for the children.... It was such a memory that I was stood there looking and then realised I had a huge smile on my face so it came home with me.  It is now on our kitchen table minus the goodies!!

This was from Sammi Lou.












On my list I had some vintage cottons and I found three of what I was looking for which is happy days.  I do use the cotton to embroider with on occasions.  You see when you are doing delicate filling in of a leaf or flower petal it is perfect .... Old vintage cottons that are not made anymore with these colours and hues....

oops sorry forgot in my excitement to jot down the name of who I bought these from and so was the oxo book ...













I have an old oxo tin here at home on a shelf and it was packed up for the move that has not happened yet but when I saw this little book on oxo for cooking I thought they would look perfect together so it  jumped into my basket and was not on the list I wrote at all ....

My tin is much older than this book which I think is around the fifties but I do believe they are meant to be together for prosperity ...







Now take a little look at this I did not strictly buy this at the fair as I went to Alison's shop Betty and Violet on the Sunday morning but I did get two of her gorgeous magazines from Jeanne d'Arc they
are more like a book really and filled with gorgeous images and some recipes too.
I took those on to read back at the hotel in the afternoon but look what I picked up in Ali's shop.

It has a carved mother of pearl top and it is wax for your needle and there is still some original wax on it.  I will not use the wax as I can not replace it but I keep imagining the work box that it came from.  It would have not been a normal house hold as these were expensive to by in their day and so it would have come from a wealthy house hold.  I wonder who owned it and wonder about them.  A little stitchery mystery but the stories in my head that I imagine are fascinating!





I then thought I was done because I am being good because I have a few more to go to before we go on Holiday to America and of course I would like to bring goodies back from there but I had seen a gorgeous quilt stand.  I looked at them all and took photos.  Oh they were all lovely but one took my eye.  I stroked it and then explained about being good.  Said thank you and went off.  What I did not know is my Husband had been watching me and had gone up after and asked about what I was looking at.  The Dresden plate quilt ... He was told that I had said it was stunning but about my holiday and more fairs.

However that darling of a man bought it for me and said to me it is our Wedding Anniversary in October while we are in America, which of course I know but I thought the trip and the meal out was going to be more than enough.  He had other ideas.

He gets why I love what I do, he gets my love of quilts and has become very fond of them himself.  He drives me around the country to look and report on them for you all and for me to buy at and he never complains.  I am one lucky lucky lady I can tell you.



Not only that but we stayed in a beautiful hotel and went out with friends for a wonderful meal and hours of laughter and great talk of all sorts including vintage but mostly catching up on what we are all doing at the moment.

We had such a lovely weekend and it is going to happen again in September so I am very excited as we normally on catch up outside of our vintage work once a year with Alison and her husband and maybe a few times with Jo and Andy ....

I will be missing fairs here in England in October but will be at Christmas ones through November until early December ...

Well that is it for today I really hope you have enjoyed your read and little look at my treasures.

Have a wonderful day and Happy Stitching! XX


4 comments:

  1. Hi Sarah,
    Such an enjoyable post. Well you were very lucky with your finds. Maisie is just adorable. The part I liked the best was about your lovely hubby buying you that pretty quilt. I do love a bit of romance.
    I think we must be of a similar age as we also had one of those cotton seersucker tablecloths when I was a little girl. It's nice to buy things that bring back lovely memories.
    Love Dawn xxx

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    1. Hi Dawn

      Thank you and I am glad you enjoyed the read. Yes I would say we are about the same age, something to discuss over that long awaited coffee sometime.

      My husband really did surprise me and I told him he was naughty but he smiled and said ' I know that's why you love me!' ... partly true!

      I have got to be careful this weekend not to show signs of liking something too much as I really would like to see what is in New England and be able to bring back a few bits. Taking an empty suitcase ( suitcase within an suitcase) we have pre paid for it to come home full .... grin.

      The tablecloth is such a childhood memory and I keep looking and smiling at it .. memories of family not with us anymore but still firmly in my heart. I was so pleased with it.

      Love Sarah xxx

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  2. Love the little mouse. I have a couple of those tablecloths, one was my grandmother's and one was my mother-in-law's

    Love that quilt. I made my grand-daughter a Dresden Plate quilt.

    Do you know how that pattern came about? Quick history lesson. The immigrants from Germany drew around their pretty fancy edged china plates and cut out the pattern and then folded it into in sections cut each section and used the english paper piecing way to rejoin the fabrics

    Julie xxxxx

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    1. Hi Julie

      Thank you! I did not know that about the Dresden pattern. Just been on your blog to see Caitlin's quilt you made her! Wow! .. and detailed instructions too. ...
      Sarah xxxxxxx

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