Flea Market Finds

I finally shot some pics of some of my flea market finds last Sunday. The linen piece with the gorgeous lace I took to sewing to show the girls and they all said you are not going to cut that up are you. They made me promise I would find somewhere to use it rather than cut it. It is linen with the wide lace around it. I put it on the glass kitchen table but had to use the flash and could not get a great image of the whole piece because of shadows. It did show up the lace. The one design looks like 2 mermaids with wings and the other is a face with wings. It measures 30" across. It cost $2.00. When I asked I thought she would say something like 25.00 or 20.00 and it would have been worth it.

Next is a pretty dresser tray with violets to hold perfume bottles or jewellery.
The small silver dish is only silverplate but good because it has the heft to it that the cheap stamped stuff you buy now does not have. I think the tray was 2.00 also and the silver 1.00. I bought some other stuff but did not photo them. A bunch of hankies and lace pieces that were on a table with everything $1.00. I had better start sewing again and start using some of these lace pieces. I have visions of someday doing an all lace piece.

Today was our monthly lunch day with the gals down our end of the street. We only had 12 because a lot of the snow birds have flown north already. More are leaving this weekend and some next weekend like us. Had a great lunch at The Goblin Market in Mt. Dora. Probably consistently the best food in town. Never an empty seat. We left at 2 and people were still coming in. Well thats it for today gals and guys. I am starting to pack up and I will ship some of the cartons home probably Sat.

I had to enter these pics about 5 times and now they are out of order and one shows up twice. It would enter 1 then come back and say they couldn't enter them to retry. I kept retrying and this kept happening. Good old blogger. Well they are finally up. I shouldnot complain. It is a free service.

Book Review

I bought this book "Fabric Embellishing - the basics and beyond". The work inside is by 4 gals. Ruth Chandler, Liz Kettle, Heather Thomas and Lauren Vlcek. They all live in Colorado. There are over 50 techniques in the book and they suggest you do 1 a week for a year.

It is definitely not a beginning CQ book. It covers some CQ but many other art type projects. Directions are given but there again I think you would need at least a working knowlege of some of the things here. I really enjoyed going through the book and will hopefully enjoy doing some of the projects. I doubt I will even try 1 a week. My mind is all over the place between finishing up cq projects, starting new ones and getting into the art field which has intrigued me lately. I do want to make a really nice journal and that will take some time.

I have taken some pics of the cover and a few of the projects within. I really liked the look of the "Green Fairy" project.

I went for my usual trip to the weekend flea market this morning and did find some nice things. I will take some pics tomorrow and show you what I found.

Orchids

I am very pleased with the luck I have had with the orchids I have bought. I have had 3-4 bloom and then re-bloom within the time I have been here. I took some pics to show you.
The white with pink inside right in the front of the terrarium opened just about 2 weeks ago for the second time. The next pic shows that it has more buds to open. I hope they open before we leave.
Behind it is one I bought at least 6-8 weeks ago and the beauty of it was it actually had 3 branches to it and there were buds on all three with flowers on the main stem. If you look below on the right side you will see one of them and another is hidden in the pic behind the main stem. I have never before had one with 3 stems. Maybe 2 but not 3.

The next pic shows a pair of dragonfly candlestick holders in a pretty green that I picked up at the flea market when we first built the room. In the middle is another orchid bursting with buds that have made a comeback. Beside the orchid are two of the mini violets in little candlestick holders. They are the perfect size to hold the little 2" minis. In this pic you cannot see the buds but the next pic shows them. Hope they come up in this order. One never knows. The sad part is when we leave I have to leave them all behind because we have no room to carry plants except my little minis this year.
I will put them outside in the shade where they will get water from the water system and hope they make it. A neighbour told me one year he was walking his dog around our place and saw some color and went over and it was a beautiful full fuschia flowering orchid.

If they make it they do but if not there is always the flea market for more.

Velvet pincushion

I was looking for something the other day and came across a bag of velvet scraps and small pieces. I had seen the gals making the pincushions but had never made one. Now I can say I have. I jumped in with all three feet not knowing what I was doing and now that I am finished I do know things I should have known before. All in all it doesn't look too bad. After gathering it up I glued it into a small candleholder that was just about the right size.

What I learned was you do not need to do your best stitching all the way down because where the part that is gathered the stitching disappears and actually distorts some of the stitching above it. I did a gathering stitch along the bottom on the machine but should have done 2 rows and with buttonhole twist. I gathered the other one and when I was sewing back and forth to pull it together the gathering stitch broke so had to do some more gathering by hand. I have just put together another one using a slightly larger plate so will see if what I have learned will make a difference. I looked at a little trim to go around the glass top where it meets the pincushion and the only one I liked was in a blue. Thought when I got home that I should have bought it and died it a darker color. Oh well I like going to JoAnns. Had a 50% coupon so had to use it. Bought another book. I will review it for you after I have read all the way through.

Gift Bag

It was Diane Knott that came up with the idea of using a brown envelope with the top cut off to make a handy gift bag - www.dianeknottsmusings.blogspot.com. I have a very good friend on my street who is from Michigan and she had to leave and go home early. She is one of my biggest fans and is always bringing her friends and/or visitors down to see my wallhangings, purses, etc. or what I am currently working on. Her name is Martha and the day before she was leaving I thought I should give her one of my little birds to hang in her kitchen or somewhere. Then I thought I should have made her a bag so I very quickly put one together. I added a page of music along with tatting along the top edge and a pice of lace at the bottom. Then I dyed the flowers of a small piece of trim and glued over that. I had some vintage purple flowers that I glued on and then a small tag with her initial M on it. I used ribbon for the handle and stapled it to the bag. I was just stapling when she rang my doorbell. I filled the top part of the bag with the brown crinkled cut up paper and tucked the bird inside. She was so pleased with it and was out the door before I thought I should have taken a picture. I called and she came back. As usual I took a couple and then thought about the background so had her hold it up and took another one. That turned out great but very blurry. So back to one of the other two. I cropped as much as I could out of it but you will get the idea of the bag.

I want to make a few more for friends and neighbours for May Day and put a couple of flowers in vials in them, except most of my neighbours are leaving this week or next. We will be going the 8th. of May. Go to Dianes blog as she is an artist and has the most beautiful ideas that she freely shares with all of us. She is a designer of fabrics for some of you quilters who may know her name.

Flea Market Find

I almost did'nt go to the flea market today as this is Harv's fishing tournament weekend but they start early and he was home at 2.30. Considering it is only 5 minutes away I decided to take a quick run over. Just before I left last year I saw miniature African violets for the first time. I didn't buy them because I was leaving the next week but after I thought I should have and taken a couple home as they are so tiny. 2" pots. Well I have been looking all winter and finally my plant guy told me one day that he thought he could get me some. Well he has and I bought 3 to see how they would survive and then decided to get more to take home as little gifts. I wasn't there last weekend and we are nearing the end of our weekends left so thought I had better run over. I am glad I did because he had some but not much selection. I got a tiny little violet flower and a ruffled white one with green tinges. They are just so sweet to look at them. I was wondering around the antique side because this is the 3rd. weekend when they have outside dealers on the antique side. My usual run is to the flea market side where the plant guy is and where I get my fruits and vegs. Well I found the cutest hanging bird cage with 3 glass holders in which you could put plants or candles. I couldn't resist that of course.
It is now hanging in the sun room and 3 of my little violet plants fit just nice in the little pots. I took some pics and in the pic I used the macro so the plants look larger then they are. Measure across 2" and that will show you.
I also found a stack of my pink & white British Castle large plates. There were 9 of them. I asked the price and he said he would give me a bargain at 60.00. Now I know this is a very fair price for them as they sell on ebay (if you can find them) for usually 10.00 a plate. These were in like new condition. I said no and walked away. I walked around and then had my keys out going back to the car and I passed him again. I thought well I will make him an offer and all he can say is no. I offered him 40.00 and he grabbed it. I assume things had been very slow today and they were selling things low just to make enough money to cover their costs, etc. I don't feel too sorry for him because they buy a lot of this stuff at house sales and he could have paid 1.00 each and was still making a nice profit. I will keep you posted on how my little violets do when I get them home.

My daughter told me everything is coming up in her yard and all the tulips are up. Grandpa's lungwart is a large swath of pink & purple flowers. Last year I bought a rhubarb root and she planted it way out in her garden at the back of the yard. She probably hasn't been way back there but I bet if it survived it should be coming up also. Harv and I both love strawberry-rhubarb pie and I freeze it for that. Down in Florida I can buy frozen rhubarb at the Pulix store but not in Chicago. So if I want it there I will have to grow it.

Have a great weekend or whats left of it.

Quilt Square

I know I have said quite a few times that I have packed away the quilt squares but then something comes along that makes me bring them out again. This time I was just playing around with some lace and the dyes. This piece I did not even consider as a piece I would use. It is part of a batch I bought at the quilt show. Someone cleared out their lace stash (like I should do) but it was all new whereas I normally use vintage laces.
After I had dyed it I thought that doesn't look bad but a bit bright. I rinsed it with a little soap and it came out lighter. I remembered this corner of a swuare that I did not know what do to with. Part of the frustration that made me pack it all away again. Well when I got it out and played with it I found it would work. I added it and some trailing beads plus the large button on the other corner. The color of the button doesn't seem to show up in the pics but it is a gorgeous pink-burgundy color. Cost me $4.00 which is the most I think I have ever paid for a button but I loved the color.

Yesterday I had a delightful day with crazy quilting friends. Joyce Boudreau from Nova Scotia was at The Villages which is about an hour north of us. She emailed to say time was running out as they are leaving for Nova Scotia on Apr. 16th and if we were to get together it had better be soon. She came down to Mt. Dora with another gal from NS and Carol from Claremont joined us also. We had lunch at a nice restaurant and then did some browsing and visited the Women for Hospice thrift store where we all found some little things.
As Joyce put it "a double good thing as we get the bargain and Hospice gets the money for their good works".

We ended up departing each to go our own way home. I had about 10 minutes drive but the other 3 had an hour's drive. It was such a pleasure to see them and God willing we will meet again next winter.

I have been wanting to make a fancy type journal and was going to sign up for a class but when Lilla returned from her vacation she had a really nice one in her etsy shop and it was very reasonable as most of Lilla's things are. Now if I still want to make one and I think I do I will have this to refer to. I bought one earlier from Hands For Haiti when various artists donated an item and all the profits went to Haiti. I did show it earlier but it is more a journal for me to write in or jot down ideas. With my memory these days that is not a bad idea.

When Lillas arrived I opened the parcel and found she had made a bag for the journal to be kept in which I thought was very thoughtful of her. I took a few pics you can see above.

If you notice in the last pic she even made a sequin button. How neat.

Old Pictures

What is the fascination of old pictures. I can never walk by a table at the flea market without going thru the pics. The last 3rd. Sunday of the month when they have the antique outside dealers I picked up the ones I am going to show you. The baby ones were because I liked the folders they came in. I don't remem ber the little folders that folded over when closed but made a stand when opened. There was also one that had a wing on either side so when bent backwards it would stand alone also. The two ladies were just pics I liked and will hopefully use in a collage some day. They were in a large basket and the photographers names and places were mainly midwest, Iowa,Nebraska, etc. I asked the lady and she said they were from Iowa. They were only 1.00 a piece.

I went to the dermatologist on Monday to have my stitches removed and they took a look at my head and called the Dr. in right away. I had noticed on Friday that the area around it was getting very red and I was worried that maybe it was infection but as it was the weekend and I knew I was coming in Mon. am I just kept doing the usual. Washing it with baby soap and shampoo and piling on the Polysporin. Well it turns out that I was having a severe reaction to the polysporin. So out came the stitches and they gave me something else to put on it to calm it down. She said wasn't it itchy and I said it sure was but I was good and only scratched around the area and not right on it. Well it is down to a pale pink area now so hopefully in a week or so it should be gone. Went for a haircut today and she combed it over it and you can hardly see it. She barely touched the top of my head because she was scared of hurting it or me.

Today I went to the eye Dr. to check if the sty was completely gone and it has. Also picked up my new glasses and now can see better. Imagine 2 pair of glasses in 5 months. I have heard of that after cataract surgery but hope it has stopped changing. This I hope is the end of my medical newsletters. I said that when I left Chicago in the summer. I actually have been very well except for the sty, the cancer spot and the eye problems.

Easter Decorations

It just dawned on me that I took pics of some of my Easter decorations then never put them on the blog. I will be taking them down Tues. or wed. so it is now or never.

I put my new picture with the little display on the front hall and the color worked in well. The next pic is of artificial cookies I bought from the same store where I bought the stand a couple of years ago. I have an artificial valentine cake and regular cookies for anytime. Just a bit of fun. The next is an old English egg holder for soft boiled eggs probably but when we have them I don't get that fancy. Plop one in an egg cup and the other on the plate. The china basket bowl is on the bakers rack in the sunroom. I bought this at a ladies sale many years ago and right away I thought Easter basket. I fill it with grass and some of my hand smocked eggs. It is the only time I use it at Easter. The next, if they come in order, is the same rack with an old collapsible paper basket with eggs. First the basket folds up then both sides fold over and the eggs are gone and it is perfectly flat to store it. I bought this at the Kane County flea market a long time ago. I think I paid 5.00 for it. The bunny is a candy box bought last Easter. It reminded me of the Bunnykins china pattern that I bought for my daughter all her childhood and even a little later.

Well tomorrow I have our garden club end of the season potluck luncheon. We actually go through May but have it in april to coincide with our board changing. Every two years it changes and this is the year. I have an appt. after to have my stitches removed. thank goodness as it is so itchy it is driving me crazy plus when I go anywhere with the big 3x4" bandage on my forehead I get lots of looks. I will have to wear it tomorrow to the luncheon but so be it.

Hope you all had a happy day.

Grandpa's Gift

My dear father-in-law passed away quite a few years ago but was a wonderful man. He thought his children and eventually his grandchildren could do no wrong. They retired to their summer home on Lake Simcoe at Alcona Beach north of Toronto. It was a cottage he had built with his own two hands and the help of anyone who offered. That was back in the days when friends and neighbours really helped each other. If one had an electrical problem then an electrician would offer to come fix it or a plumbing problem up popped a plumber or someone who knew enough to help out. None of them had much money so they all chipped in to help.

Grandma & Grandpa Butler came down many years to Chicago to spend time with us and the kids. He would chase them all over the house and Mrs. B would say stop you crazy old fool you are worse then the kids with a smile on her face. The kids loved it.

He was a master gardener, born in England but his family immigrated to Canada when he was just 3 years old. He held many jobs over the years but the one constant was his gardening. He eventually started his own small one man business and did it until he retired. Boy would I love to have a guy like him around my garden now. When they retired to the cottage he had the time and was there to water, etc. and he built a beautiful English garden all down the side of their property. People would drive over just to look at his flowers and he never met a person he didn't treat like an old friend. Would you like a clipping or a small bunch of this or that from my garden? Off they would go to plant it in their own gardens. Well one day this week I received this picture from my daughter Sue who has inherited her grandpa's green thumb and loves gardening. I do too which makes it really nice. She sent me a picture of what she called "Grandpa's Lungwort". Many, many years ago I bought a small bunch of this down to Chicago and planted it in my gardens. When we moved I would dig up a bit and take it with. Well I still have a patch in my garden from the original and Sue's patch came from mine. I believe the 2 boys have some if not I must make sure they get a bit. Let me know boys. I have also given this to friends in the garden club and everyone seems to have success with it.

When I see this plant all in flower you know it is Spring and the new awakening of another glorious summer. With this in mind I would like to wish you all a Happy Easter and if you are ever in our area you would be happily invited over and would be given a piece of grandpa's lungwort.

Love to my kids and grandkids on Easter.

FredaB otherwise known as Mum

BLOG FRIENDS

One of the greatest things that has come my way with the computer is blogging and all the wonderful friends I have made thru both blogging myself and reading other's blogs. I started out with 1 bulletin board in my spare bedroom that I use as a sewing room. Soon that board was filled with notes, cards, tags, pictures,etc. that I received thru swaps and just friendship gifts. Well when that was filled I went to WalMart and bought 2 more which went on the wall near the window. Up went the 2 boards and up even higher went the small wallhanging I won in Omaha last summer. This bedroom is done in yellow and blue and this just fit in here perfect. Thank goodness for 9'4" ceilings or this wouldn't have worked. Well time has gone on and now the 3 boards are completely filled. A few of the items are things I have bought mainly from Lilla in Hawaii. I love her work and her woman banner that hangs on the bottom is the same one I hung at the bottom of the birdcage at Christmas. Here is also a beautiful needlecase from her that I will use as a gift one day but for now I am enjoying it. Her etsy shop is on her blog- www.justlilla.blogspot.com. Take a look as she has some wonderful stuff. She is also very generous in sharing torials on how to make some of her things. Today she has one on how to decorate a clipboard. From boring to beautiful.

I snapped a couple of pictures and if you look close you might find something of yourself on my board. You all know who you are who have sent tags and things. I should have added that the pic on the 1st board is of Willa, Allie A and myself. Allie was in town with her hubby and Willa picked her up and they came out and spent a great day with me.