Selling Another Quilt From My Personal Collection

 This will be the third quilt that I am selling from my

personal collection.  These are the ones that I kept

because of their superb tiny stitches and great design.

I just don't have the room, or color scheme to keep

these beauties anymore.

Heading to ebay.

Sold for $106.

Selling The Nicest Quilt I Ever Owned

 I am not a "keeper".

It is rare that I keep any antiques that I buy.

But when I purchased this beauty 20 years ago I

couldn't let her go.

 The craftmanship was over the top --

tiny little handmade stitches everywhere.

 Interesting little 1.25" square "postage stamps" of

vintage and feedsack fabric.

All in perfect, never used, condition.

She hasn't found a place in our new house,

so she is moving on to a new home:(

Bought for $5, sold for $174 on ebay.

Stuff From Dad

 My dad passed away a few months ago.

He was 93 and passed peacefully in his sleep

after an active, long life.

His wife still lives in the house,

but she invited my sibs and I to pick out a few things.

He did own alot of tools.

Every house we ever lived in had a "shop".

I was never allowed near it,

so it seemed like a hallowed shrine.

But I picked out a few old tools, per my brothers suggestions.

He always thought I needed a gun on this property.
So I took his Daisy BB gun.
Probably not what he had in mind.

This is such a funky light.

I don't know it's origins.

It is the only thing I asked my dad if I could

take after he "no longer needed it."

I don't know where I am going to use it,

but I love it.

His time during the Korean War is somewhat of a mystery.

We know that he was in Japan, but he never wanted to talk about it.

This silk flag was something none of us kids had ever seen,

from a Japanese friend.
I am now the "keeper of the flag".

Putting Sterling Jewelry On Ebay

 ANOTHER RAINY DAY.

Without exaggeration, I think we have had 6 inches of rain this week.

Maybe more.  We are lucky to live on a ridge, but there is flash

flooding all around us.  I hate being stuck inside.  So today I 

decided to go through my own jewelry to see what I could get rid of.

 These are all pieces that I have picked up at sales for cheap.

And I tend to wear the same pieces over and over --

so if I haven't worn these in the last year,

I may as well make some money on them.

Brought $27 on ebay.

 This is a cool bracelet,

just a little big for my tastes.

I've always thought that it was sterling,

but I think now that it is just nickel silver.

 This has a great chain,

but unfortunately it is a bit "pokey".

So, into the ebay pot it goes.

Marcasite necklace -- paid $2, brought $42.

There is more rain in the forecast,

so more purging may be ahead this week.

"Watching The Sunset"

Pin Cushion Half Dolls

 More downsizing. Sigh.

Getting rid of of "Half Dolls"

which were originally used for pincushions

(had full dresses that could hold the pins).

This little one on top is only 1.5" tall.

 These three are Marie Antoinette,

big gray hair.

 The nicer ones are made in Germany,

like these two gems.

 Some of the more desirable ones are flapper style

like these two.  

All are heading on ebay to find new homes.

Sold for $76.

Letting Go Of My Antique Frames

 I've shared about several collections that I have had

to say goodbye to.  I just don't have the space in the cottage

that I had in my big victorian house.

 But this might be the most painful goodbye.

I put all of these great frames on the front porch

the day we moved down here (two months ago).

I kept thinking that I would be able to squeeze them in somewhere....

 But, as you can see, they are still on the front porch.

Sigh.

I have resigned myself to letting them go.

I will be selling them at my new antique booth --

in Camp Flea Antique Mall

Vintage Wedding Cake Toppers

 I know that I have said it before, we have downsized.

There simply isn't room for everything that we had

at our old house.  One the collections that I don't have

room for is my vintage wedding cake toppers. 😖

 I do love them,

but they don't have the primitive vibe we are going for.

So time for them to move on.

Ouch.

 (Love his pinstriped pants)

I bought my first one over 20 years ago.

It was so gorgeous, but I sold it on ebay.

 I was so sad about selling it,

that I decided I would keep any other wedding cake toppers

that flipped my trigger.

 And these did.

I enjoyed them for many years

but now it is time for someone else to enjoy them.

 Any objections?

Speak now or forever hold your peace.

Grandmother's Quilts

Everything right now revolves around "the move".  Mostly trying to take things from a spacious victorian house and squeeze it into a small cottage.  Things just have to go.  I have collected many quilts and plan on selling off about 9/10 of them.

I am fortunate enough to also own three of my Grandmother's quilts.  

 I decided to give one of them to my niece for her birthday, 

so I took photos of all three of them to help her decide.

It would be interesting to know how many more quilts Grandma made.  I was only two when she passed away, so I don't have any memory of her.  But I think I may have inherited her creative genes.  I don't know of any other ancestor that had a bent toward creativity.  I came across a note written by my mother this week, it said that grandma sewed without patterns.  What?! Have you ever tried to sew with a pattern?

I know that my mother also said that some of her quilt patterns were original as well.  She hand quilted each with with tiny little stitches.  So beautiful.  And they have held up so well.  My mother said that Grandma would have wanted them to be used.  So they graced twin beds in a guest room when I was growing up, and I took the four-point star quilt to college. They have all been washed often and well used, resulting in a buttery soft cotton.  I hope my niece will enjoy hers for decades to come.

Ready To Show Off The Sun Room

Many of the rooms in our house are still "in transition". Over the last 5 months we literally stuffed our Ozarks garage to the rafters.  Every time we made a trip down from "up north" we brought a vanload and unloaded into the garage (while working on the interior of the house).  Now is the time to painfully go through the "stash" bit by bit. 

Which means, each day as I pull out tubs from the shop -- more stuff gets added or rearranged in each room.  So that is why I haven't taken any "reveal" pics of our vintage Ozark home. 

But the sun room is there, or almost there.  Whatever "there" is.  Since we took possession in March it has had a fresh coat of white paint, new curtains, and two new low-profile ceiling fans.

We knew that our vintage porch furniture would look great in here, 

and we were not disappointed.

As I sort through the garage items -- some get tossed, some get donated, some get relegated to the outdoors, some will be priced and sold, and a very few items will make the cut and be invited to come inside the house.  Looking for a piece of furniture for storage in this spot, we went out to the garage and found we already owned the perfect piece -- a perfectly pumpkiny dresser.

We used more "fun color" in this room than the subtle neutrals that we normally enjoy.  So the feeling is cheerful and bright.  The brighter pops of color were a good excuse to display my vintage Ozark Roadside Pottery collection.  Who knew that it would someday make it back to the Ozarks?

Staging The Book Case

 The large bookcase in our dining room is staying with the house

when we move.  It fits the space perfectly,

and I am afraid we would break those lovely,

wavy glass doors if we tried to move it.

 It has a great history.

We got it from our town's original library building.

It eventually became a high school library,

and then a middle school library.

Then there were bids taken on what was left 

before the building was torn down.

 We had measured, and knew it would fit the wall space

perfectly in our dining room.

 We got the book case for a song,

but the dining room remodel that it ignited

made up for any savings.

 We also "won" several sets of books from that library,

which have been perfectly displayed in the bookcase.

 We also displayed our china doll head collection,

coffee collection, white pottery collection,

and Ozark roadside pottery collection.

The last collection as already moved to the new house,

so we had to do some rearranging to the bookcase.

Like so many things,

I am going to miss it!

My Favorite Antique Christmas Ornament

 I mentioned before that it has been several years since I

have put up a Christmas tree. My daughter-in-law

offered to help me hang our antique Christmas ornaments this year.

It had been so long since I have seen these beauties, that I kept

oohing and aahing as we unpacked each little treasure.

Like the icicle above with four indents.

It has to be my favorite.

 I have several of the teardrop ornament on the left.

And several of the gold indent on the right.

I love both designs.  And I have several clip-on

bird ornaments.  This one may be my favorite.

 I have several grape cluster ornaments.

This one is interesting because it isn't opaque.

It may be my favorite.

Shiny Brites make my heart race,

and the clear ones are ... my favorite.

I love the old glass garlands,

and this interesting one is (you guessed it)

my favorite.

 This plastic UFO ornament was my mother's,

as was the multi-color garland in front of it.

Both are definitely -- my favorites.

 I have a special affinity for icicle ornaments,

and you may be surprised to hear --

this fragile twisted glass ornament is my favorite.

 Ten years ago I made several icicle ornaments from

old jewelry and broken mercury glass garland beads.

This one was my favorite.

I guess that is why people go to the effort of putting

up a tree year after year.

A joyous reunion with all of their favorite Christmas ornaments.

I am taking a blogging sabbatical now through all of December.
I'll be back in January.
An early "Merry Christmas" to all of  you.