Monday, June 3, 2013

RECENTLY THRIFTED

1// 2// vintage fabrics from estate sale
3// graph paper notebooks from estate sale
4// 5// Danish needlepoint artwork from estate sale
6// fabric design book from estate sale
7// sextant from estate sale (got this for Douglas)
8// 1980's globe bank from Portsmouth Flea
9// 1950's magazine rack from Portsmouth Flea (sharing a before and after with this soon)

So this needlepoint piece is one of my favorite things I've ever found. The colors and textures are seriously beautiful. I can do simple embroidery and maybe a French knot if I'm feeling really intense, but I can't get over all of the stitches and textures in this piece. This estate sale was in Virginia Beach this past weekend and was advertised in the paper as "sew crazy" - so I knew I had to go...and it turned out to be one of the craziest sales I've ever been to.

The house was pretty big, bigger than average for sales I've been to around here. And it was packed. There were two rooms dedicated to sewing and knitting and crafts. Shelves and shelves filled with neatly folded fabrics, more shelves piled with yarn, hundreds of craft books, bolts of fabric up against the walls. I spent most of my time in these rooms, and I know I still didn't see everything that was there. But I found some fabric that I cannot wait to use and this fabric design book with more information than I ever wanted to know.

I made a quick loop around the rest of the house. The plastic bag I brought in with me on impulse was threatening to split open, and I had to avoid getting pummeled by women charging around the house with overflowing tote bags. It was really crowded by the time I was finished. I took one last peek into the craft room and the needlepoint piece was sticking out from under a basket. I grabbed it, and one of the sale workers told me the woman who lived there made it. I loved it anyway, but for some reason that made me love it a little more, in the most maudlin way possible.

Other than estate sales and the flea market, we had a relaxing weekend at home. Douglas is leaving for a little while soon, so we really enjoy staying at home together when that is about to happen. What did you do this weekend?

7 comments:

  1. My husband is also getting ready to leave for 8 months, so when he was home this weekend, we tried to relax as much as possible. We did go to a 40 mile long yard sale event that ended in a small town full of antique shops, which was really fun!

    I feel like you always get lucky with finding awesome fabrics, but maybe I'm just not looking hard enough! That estate sale sounds like a dream come true! I love the blue and white fabric.

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    1. My husband leaves for his deployment early next year...so that's what we're working up to. That yard sale sounds amazing! I'd love to go to something like that.

      I can't believe the luck with fabric I've had at sales around here. Before we moved here, I barely ever found vintage fabrics at sales...one of the the high points of where we live :P

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  2. that embroidery is beautiful! these are all such great finds. the magazine rack has such a neat shape, too. i can't wait to see what you make from all the cool fabric you found =]

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  3. that estate sale sounded amazing! Two whole rooms of crafty goodness?!?! I wouldve been in there drooling all day, lol :) I'm glad you found some good things. I think I love the magazine rack most of all. The shape is very cool. Do you plan to paint it or anything?

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    1. I know! I had to force myself to leave so I wouldn't stay there for hours and hours. I just finished spray painting it white and plan to add some different colored details when it dries! I fell in love with the shape too.

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  4. Gasp! That magazine rack is phenomenal! Such great finds. I haven't ventured to an estate sale since last year so I am definitely missing out on some goodies like these.

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