A Selection of Items to Rescue

 

 I've been going through a few things and trying to decide if some of them could be either repaired, or just cleaned up and used in new ways.  I wanted an assortment of things to be rescued.  Do you remember my "Rescue the Perishing" project last year - the quilt I repaired for my sister-in-law's mother?  Because I spend time at the flea market, I know there are many things that arrive there in need of some TLC and sometimes I buy them.

 So....here is what I chose today as upcoming projects.

 

I'll begin with this vintage beaded bag.  It didn't come to me like this....it came to me fastened to a background and in a frame with other items.  A collage of sorts.  The collage was poorly executed to begin with, basically falling apart...and I knew when I saw it that a rescue may be too late.  However, 

I thought I might be able to repair the bag "somehow."  The lining has completely rotted and evidently the bag was cut from whatever kind of handle it had and the fringe has all but disappeared.

I'm not sure I even like it....but, I did feel sorry for it.  I'll look it over really well and see if I can give it new life somehow.  And, you will hear about whatever I wind up doing to it.

 

 This little doll belonged to Kathy's husband's mother.  She is too homely to be really cute, but I could just imagine a little girl playing with her, so I may clean her up a bit and make her some new clothes...or accessories...some hair, something.  

She's worth saving.

I did get the idea of making her a sister or two. She is only about ten inches tall.

 

 Her little dress buttons down the back.  I like that.  I don't want to change her too much. 

 We'll see.

 

Now, the following two hankies were included in that frame with the beaded bag.  They were, at one time, quite beautiful.  But, they were doomed from the start because they were GLUED to the background fabric.  This is one of my pet peeves.  I realize other people do not share my opinion of using glue to hold these kinds of things in place, but save that method for things that aren't quite so dear.  The lace on this green hanky is really pretty....so to save this project, I will try to unsew the lace from the silky fabric. 

 Hopefully, I can rescue enough of it to use in another way....sewn, not glued!

 

This hankie was absolutely gorgeous before it was disfigured in this horrible way.  So, once again, I will find a way to salvage as much of it as possible and use it in a special way.  We will see.

 

 I've had this little bag a long time.  I think I have shown it on the blog before, but my memory being what it is...I'm not sure.  The embroidery is very well done.....but, the fabric around the embroidered eyelets has deteriorated and some mending is in order.  I'll study it before I begin, but I really don't think I can mend it invisibly.  It will show.  Maybe I can get creative and at least make it an interesting mend.

 

 So...a few more things to rescue....with thousands more out there, right? I know I will feel better when I have done my best to help these little things.  And, I know more will show up to take their place.  Well, what's a girl to do but get creative.  I read somewhere that creativity is actually problem solving.  I can see that.  I also like this:

"Creativity is intelligence having fun."

Albert Einstein

until next time

BE WELL

from

Bird Nest Cottage

❤️❤️❤️ 

 

Pretty Linens and Two Funny Sisters

Finally, and at last, I am posting after a long break to visit with my sister.  I thought of you, of course, and am glad to be back with you.  Here we are....two funny sisters!  Well, you already know that is me on the left.  That's my sister, Debbie, on the right.  I have two brothers, but she is my only sister and is ten years younger than I.  I must say, she is taller and smarter, but I may be a tad funnier.  It's up for debate, of course.  You might be asking what in the heck we are doing with these goofy helmets on.  Well, my grandson has a motorcycle.  He challenged us to go for a ride with him.  This is one of those instances where I may NOT be funnier, as I wouldn't ride, but Debbie did.  I did, however, consent to have my photo taken in this helmet.  I think we look really silly and that was ok with me.  She's a great girl!!!

Here we are again.  A little more 'in the pink.'  We had been shopping at the local Emporium and she came home with these pretty dolls.  She has a collection of them and these two went home to Texas with her.  It was nice to spend a few days with her, her husband, and their grandson, eleven year old Daniel.  As you may remember, my grandson is nearing 27 years old and there aren't kids here very often....nice to see one once in a while although this one of hers is about four inches taller than I.  Not so little! They sure grow up fast!

I found some linens...you know how I love to discover these here and there.  That one with all the pink and blue embroidery is a dresser scarf...fine to use as a table runner too.  There are quite a few pieces here....and I love them all.  Nothing in the world as fun to me as finding someone else's handwork to use, enjoy....and appreciate!

I love the oval linen pieces with crochet around the edges and red flowers embroidered on them.  Just lovely....

as are these red rose cross-stitch pieces with just gorgeous lace borders.  There are four of them, but I'm only photographing one. 

Just look at this border.....delicious!!!  Not to mention the cross-stitch roses!  I've no idea what I will do with them, but it's fun to TRY to think of something different to do with them and, meantime, I can just look and touch!!

 Don't you love them too?

Here are the linen pieces with that shell crochet edging.  I don't know why I don't do this shell on a pincushion or something small.  It's so dainty and I just love looking at it.  Love the French Knot flowers.  These, too, are bound to be included in some gorgeous creation as yet undecided on...but definitely on the 'back-burner' so to speak.

 Just beautiful!!!

This gorgeous edging is on a lovely linen handkerchief......I have a collection of them and never tire of finding these here and there at whatever flea market I am in....I even buy ones that are falling apart as I figure there is still a lot to love (and use) in those pieces.

This gorgeous linen piece with the crocheted scallops is actually a very wonderful mantle cloth.  I am anxious to try it on my mantle and if it doesn't suit me there....I'm thinking it's wide enough to use as a valance on a wide window.  I'm thinking it might look really cool over a drapery made of painter's canvas.  Just love using that stuff for various things.  We'll see.

 Aren't these scallops just divine?

There are four little linen cloths...I think would be so sweet as coasters on the dining table.  I'm really not sure what their intended use was.   Very sweet!

Then, there is that monogram!!!!  How divine is this?  I always buy these when I find them for a couple of dollars...and dream of finding the whole alphabet.  Now, there isn't much chance of that happening, but can you share my dream of making a quilt from all of those monograms?  I'm far from finding them all....but keep looking, just the same.

These colored laces began as plain white ones from the fabric store.  I've used Setacolor to paint them.  I don't know that much about doing it, but try every once in a while and these are my latest attempts.  It's fun and I never know what I will get, and that's about as adventurous as I get around here.

No idea what I will use them on...but doing little things like this means I am never bored.  A good  thing.  

You can also use acrylic paint which has been watered down.  Such fun and not a very large investment in time or money.

 Another view of one of the linen pieces....I'm thinking I will embroider something pretty on this one.

 More goodness to see and love, don't you think?

So, there you are!  A peek at me and my sweet sister....and lots of pretty linens to enjoy.  Hope you will come back as in a couple of days I plan on showing you something really special...my latest quilt purchase....stay tuned and have a very lovely weekend, will you?  I'll be having my Father-in-Law over for lunch on Sunday.  He and the old Navy man are the best Dads I know and I bet you feel the same way about yours! I wish you and your Dad a very Happy Father's Day!!!  See you soon, take care out there, pat

Another Fine Hanky

Today I wanted to show you 'another fine hanky.' But, I also wanted to show you a framed piece given to me by my friend, Susan. It's very similar to the hanky....so first, the background of my story.

In 2008, Susan made a visit to Chicago. While there she did some shopping and in the midst of the shopping, she found a piece of Drawn Thread Embroidery in a frame. Thinking I would love it, she purchased it as a gift to me and at our monthly meeting, she presented it to me. Of course, I loved it, however, it was framed over top of a piece of yellow fabric and I thought it should be changed, so I decided to reframe it over a piece of green fabric...green, you'll remember, being one of my most favorite colors. When I took the fabric from the frame, a piece of paper fell out. It is shown here. A note written by the owner of the piece (born in 1903), telling how her mother had embroidered it at age SIXTEEN in 1898 had been placed in the frame...and had I never wanted to change the color of the fabric, we would have never seen the note. What luck!

So, I've loved this embroidery since Susan gave it to me. Imagine my surprise to find a hanky at our new flea market made with exactly the same Drawn Thread Embroidery stitches. I was very thrilled to find it.....and without even taking a breath, I purchased it. The asking price for such gorgeousness.....$1.00. Do you believe it? I get kind of irked that people who have never worked an embroidery pattern, or stitched a quilt, or knitted a sweater, often devalue the work as something their great-grandmothers or grandmothers did 'to keep their hands busy', so consequently, not worth all that much. Often they hold these pieces in very low regard. (I mean, really...$1.00???) That is changing, I think because there seem to be people like me, who never had a grandmother or anyone else who embroidered, or quilted, or knitted, but nevertheless, became fascinated by it at an early age. So, because I highly value the work, I'm proud to own the framed piece and to be able to hold this wonderful hanky in my hands and marvel at the time, effort and LOVE that went into making both of these beautiful pieces of embroidery.

And, so, it is up to me to preserve it for as long as I can....and enjoy it too. And, show it to YOU, so you can enjoy it also. Maybe the precious ladies that stitched these two pieces KNOW that I have these pieces they created and that I love them. Now, that is something I'd like to imagine is true! What about you? Do you have such pieces in your collection? If so....do you feel the same way about them that I do? take care out there, pat

PS. I've no idea why the framed piece looks so bluish...it's white. Funny thing how these photos turn out sometimes!

A Few New Flea Market Finds

This past Friday, I drove out to the edge of town...right off the Freeway, where a new flea market has opened. I heard about it 'through the grapevine" and it was open, but not all the vendors were set up yet. If you read my blog often, then you know I love going to flea markets on a regular basis. In my opinion...here's what makes a habitual flea market shopper: #1, you must love other people's old stuff. #2, you must love to collect that stuff. #3, you must love a mystery, because you never know what you will find. #4, you must also like to talk about the stuff you collect with other people who are in the flea market shopping with you. People you don't even know. It's great fun! So, Friday afternoon....I went to size up the newest flea market in town.

It's huge! There are spaces for a LOT of booths. I've no idea how many....a hundred at least is my guess. Less than twenty, or so, were occupied, but like I said, it was really just beginning to open. So, I went to every single space with anything in it and looked around. Unfortunately, there wasn't much to attract my curiosity...and I tried! So, I'm hoping if I go back in a week or so there will be more vendors in there. IF not, well, I have my favorite places here in town and wouldn't think of much time going by without them having a visit from me!

So, here's what I found: a lovely pair of crocheted gloves with embroidered flowers on them...really cute, as you can see. I have several vintage gloves and can remember when people actually WORE them. Look at this green hanky....it weighs practically nothing. I have never seen one like it. There is a row of white stitching around each bow motif. I'm thinking it would be really neat with something embroidered in the center and framed or something.

Then, there is the bowl. Well, ok, the color green...and beautiful flowers....all soft looking and vintage-y. Of course, I had to have it. It has such a pretty shape. I've photographed the markings on the back so you could see it. See, I like it because I just like it....but I know some of you are 'into' finding certain types of dishes. This one is so dainty and just 'suits' me.

I'm not going to tell you about the white hanky yet. I'll save that for my next post, as I have something similar I'll be wanting to show you at the same time. So, expect that in the next few days. And, of course, if I return to this new flea market....well, then I'll have to give you an update...especially if I manage to FIND something neat! Take care out there. pat

PS. As I always do....I will be having a birthday giveaway before long. Please stay tuned to see if you'd like to have it....giving something away for my own birthday is something I learned from Mr. G, and it really IS fun!