Buttons and the Backup Wedding Dress

My next category to enter for sale will be Buttons. When I buy sewing items in lots, I find buttons still on their original cards. While I like to keep the loose buttons for projects and repairs, I usually don't sew garments. Pictured below is my loose button stash.  

The last of the 80 yard-sale sewing patterns went on the boards. This was the only pattern of note - a Russian hat. Reminds me of the movie Doctor Zhivago. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186392450021

Segueing to talk of my daughter's wedding. A location has been chosen, and a date in September 2025 is set. She wants to buy a new dress, I told her I would buy a "backup" wedding dress at thrift. This one came through hospice thrift priced at $12.99. Too beautiful to pass up, it has a few minor stains. I will try to work out how to fix that. She probably won't want the dress. I will keep it until after her wedding and sell it. 

Moving along much better in my eBay listing. I culled the majority of the rag dolls for sale. The primitives sell well, the others not so much. 

I don't know why I have so much trouble listing random items. Father's Day is fast approaching and these need a new home. I have had these 1980s Ducks Unlimited mugs for at least 2 years. Thrift shop price was around $5 a piece, priced at $120 for the pair. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186392614361

Next listing session is Yarn. Just sold 9 skeins of Caron Christmas yarn for $35! Those were from a church rummage sale lot of yarn, average cost of purchase 10¢ per skein. 

Cowboy Quilt Galloped Back Home

My daughter's cowboy quilt has arrived back from the longarmer. Her choice of quilting pattern in a dark brown thread was a good choice. I am in the binding process now and will follow up with some glamour shots in the wild. 

The fan quilt is queued up next to add border fabric recently purchased from Joanns. 

On to seller update: 

I have been lurking at a certain online auction site. Estate sales haven't started up yet with our wet weather. Here are the images of recently purchased boxes. Those two Santa kits will pay for the needlekit box. Christmas kits always sell.

Another box purchased, the image below is a hot mess. I know there are a few patterns. I am gambling on the rest. It looks like there is some pieced patchwork and perhaps a fabric panel. 

I have been keeping up with listings. My next goal for total active eBay listings 3,000👈

I have nearly plowed through my 80 yard sale patterns. This one came up a keeper because it was cute and it was cut. It is in my project box with an orphan block and matching fabric. I will have the Bernette sewing machine with me at the summer locale to practice this sewing machine cover pattern.

I thought I had an orphan block with a sewing machine, and then remembered it was in a quilt that has never seen the light of day - Quilter in Quarantine. Constructed, completed, and even entered into the State Fair competition, then the event was canceled. 

Patchwork Cupcake is in for competition at the California State Fair. I won't know if it will go in for judging until the end of May. 

My View Into Retirement

The Mr. is setting up Fish Camp. Here are the views from the back of the trailer. The first image is the river as you head out toward the harbor. 

This view is down river. A wrap-around deck is being constructed.

This is not a permanent move, just digs for the summer. I plan on spending mucho hours on the deck leisurely reading books I have gathered over the years. 

Just thrifted in this group of New Look patterns. I place them as 1990s kids fashion. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186378308526

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186378311646

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186378318189

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186378322565

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186378325551

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186378327602

While I usually don't pick up the New Look patterns, they don't sell for much. I thought these were awfully cute. 

On a different subject, we've hit a cold snap in Northern California. While I posted that I had planted seeds in the greenhouse, I haven't done that yet. Good thing. Might have to wait a month. 

Boinging Back to College and the Blessing of the Beads

As I have noted earlier, I returned to college for an 8 week course of Women in Art this spring semester. My 70 year old brother's reaction when I told him I went back to college, "AGAIN?" and "You need to turn off those after burners." 😆

I have BOINGED back to college at least 5 times. My first attempt was at Highline Community College in Washington. Then I moved to Arizona and went to Phoenix College. [Insert 20-year hiatus here] I have attended classes at Sacramento City College off and on for the past 10 years or so. 

I only take one class a semester, the majority have been online. I am not in any hurry. Full term fall semester will be August 24 - December 19, and classes are posted. Drawing and Composition 1 is an all day Friday class or mornings Tues./Thurs. After I get my Art History degree, maybe I will become an Art Major. 😀 I must skew the college demographics something awful. 

Segueing to gardening. This is my front garden in full bloom. 

I have planted seeds in the greenhouse. Some seeds have volunteered from last year's plants. The greenhouse was nearly destroyed from the ungodly winds we had experienced. We are going to wrap the structure in hog wire, rather than replace missing plastic panels. 

Ending the post with my thrift shop find of all kinds of beautiful beads. $12.99 for the bag and I had a $10 off credit. I didn't know the delights I had in the bag until I got home. There was much ooooing and aaahhing. Plenty of beads to embellish or even repair beaded items. 

In my childhood, I made flower rings made from seed beads. I appreciate this thrift gift from mystery bead crafter. 

Thrift shop gods certainly smiled on me. I am still basking in the happy finish of a competition quilt that included these types of beads. Looks like there is more beadwork in my future.🔮

Prepping the Trailer

Here we are into April. This is the month Fish Camp begins setup. We are prepping the trailer for its permanent home on the coast. The lead-off image highlights the back window covered in space fabric. It is pinned to the top of the valance and the bottom of the blind. 

An upside to stashing a lot of fabric is when you need some yardage it is right there. The sleeping part of the trailer faces towards the road. Even though the windows have blinds, light still came in. I pinned the gypsy-hanging-curtain to the valance above the door. 

Another section of fabric covered the side window. All I need now are rows of hanging beads and some incense to move into the old Hippy category. 😜

Since we have spent summers vacationing along the Mendocino County coast, we enjoy the sites and events in that area. Two places I will frequent are the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden -gardenbythesea.org/ and the Redwood Coast Senior Center.

Ending the post with a Pattern of the Day Vintage 1948 Baby Booties. These booties were made for walkin!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186370599760

March Weird and Wacky

This artist's work is displayed in a gallery of shops on R Street in Sacramento, Sacramento. 

This modified Celtic cross sold at the Goodwill boutique in Sacramento. Seemed a little weird. 

Because I have been a frequent thrifter these past 20 years or so, I see the good, the bad, and even the downright ugly. There is a home for everything because it always sells. 

Weird, wacky, and fun images follow.

State Fair entry update on the Patchwork Cupcake - it is in! I won't know until May 23 whether it will place or go on exhibition. I won't reveal the full project until after the state fair determination. 

Ending the post with a link to the Top 60 thrifting bloggers, I have moved up from the No.8 spot to No. 6! thrifting_blogs

Patchwork Cupcake Project update

It has been two years since I entered a quilt into the California State Fair Crafts Competition. I did earn an honorable mention for the concept of The Knitting Woman. It did not go on exhibition because I made fold-over errors in the backing while quilting. I rushed to complete in time for entry. The quilt was king sized and it was the first time I quilted with wool batting. My straight-line quilting skewed, pulled by the weight of the quilt sandwich. 

Lessons learned on this go around:

    1.    Much easier to create given a prompt, this one being Almost Edible.

    2.    Get techniques spot on, such as curved piecing, and matched corners. With the Knitting Woman entry, it was the first time I attempted freestyle curved piecing. 

    3.    Keep the project a manageable size. I can quilt the wall-sized ones because it is not so hard on my hands. There is a lot of guiding the fabric through the machine. 

I keep a lot of crafting items on hand. This time, I am more than glad that I kept the pastel seed beads. I gave all of the other thrifted beadwork items to my hair stylist. The lead-off image is the beginning of the beadwork on this project. 

The seed beads act as frosting on the patchwork cupcake. 

On the subject of the State Fair, in years prior I was able to obtain a Media Pass. I am going to apply for one this year. A blogger must show proof of blog coverage and audience. I have emailed to find out how that is done. 

I believe all entries are accepted for judging. I am hoping this entry will place and be exhibited.