Pre-Apocalyptic Burn

Smoke and heat continue to bedevil me and many others here in California. No mind that it is too hot to enjoy the outdoors, but the smoke - that is downright depressing. We can't pull the heat out of the house with the whole house fan in the morning because the smoke is too thick. We are hibernating inside. 

On the lighter side of things, here is the cutest pattern of the day from the sewing pattern sessions of listings on eBay. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185021345540

One thrift shop keeps releasing sewing patterns, Round 3 of my purchasing there garnered another 25 patterns, mainly uncut ones. 

While I was in line at hospice thrift, five of the frequent thrifters began conversing and we all shared that 100% of the outfits we were wearing were obtained there. It was a clutch of thrifted fashion! 

I added another piece to my Western art collection. This painting entitled "Skyline" by Don Wohl dated 1981 was gifted to Ray on his birthday 8-26-2005. Now, 16 years later, it joined my household for the princely sum of $5.99! 

I don't usually buy coats because we so rarely need them in this climate. I am headed to Seattle again at the end of October, I could not pass up this amazing leopard print lined car coat in camo green for just a few shekels. 

My frequent readers know that I deal in CDs with listing them on eBay. The ripped music to my laptop is nearly at 1,000 albums. I have expanded my listening choices to include world music that I now routinely enjoy. 

Ending the post with a most appropriate tune and some very busy firemen. 

Does Anyone Knit Anymore?

The Mr. and I have decided to sell the She Shed Trailer. That means ALL of that product has to be moved to a new location. I began by finally getting all of the books off of the trailer floor and in alpha order onto shelving. 

I pulled the non-movers from the book listings on eBay. Thus, my blog title - Does Anyone Knit Anymore? I really don't see a lot of knitted items on trend. I do see crocheted granny square type items though. I also pulled the jewelry-making books. The vintage 1970s craft/needlework/decor books went back into my library. The last to go from the books for sale were the ones on Vietnam. I still have a couple of the military-related ones on the boards but that genre is not really my bailiwick.

Next steps are moving sewing patterns to wire rack shelving. I will have to engage in another sewing pattern session to get the remainder of these 100 or so listed (until I find more!)

Just when I thought I had my quilt book collection under control, I discovered more books squirreled away in two different places. To my relief, I found the yarn for a tapestry I have had in the crafting queue for over 30 years. I thought in my quest to rid myself of extra stuff, I might have given away the kit. Thankfully, I had restrained myself and the yarn is now reunited with the canvas. 

I have always been a fan of puzzles and have been acquiring a few at thrift so I can work on them when I retire. I don't mind that I gave away some very nice puzzles many years ago. I like to work on new ones, and this vintage purse one will surely entertain me. 

I've got a lot of work ahead of me for that push into the holiday season. There are the aforementioned sewing patterns, quilt books, Christmas CDs, regular CDs, and Boy/Girl Scout items - in that order to be listed. 

My sales fund my travel to see my mom, and my art history classes at the community college. My 90-day total is over $2,200, with 1,300+ active listings.  

Packed and Ready to Go, and Purchasing the Pyrex

California wildfires are creeping closer to our locale. Seven years ago this month, 9 of the 10 acres burned on the property.  

Glad I've got 3 cat cages, but I could only image the chorus of discontent should we have to pack it up. The cats are rarely confined, the most recent the youngest one having been spayed earlier in the year. 

I would be heartbroken if I would have to leave behind all of the sewing patterns I have listed. They comprise the majority of my listings. On the pattern subject, here is the cutest of the sewing pattern sessions.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185005530209

Sometimes parts of the pattern are missing and I can't sell it. This one deserves it's place in the sun for a day, it is missing the pattern instructions. 

Quilt update: I had been on the lookout for a border fabric for the Not-So-Western quilt and found the perfect one. 

Here is an image of the quilt top, pre-border fabric. 

Mystery quilter provided me with this completed backing for a few dollars at thrift that matches my flimsy. Love it when the heavy work has already been completed for me!

Once I get the quilt top to the right size, I will choose either the Old McDonald or The Sheriff as the quilted design. Still on the lookout for a midnight blue batik for the quilt's binding.

Finishing the post with a piece of Pyrex, most fantistical! While I am not a Pyrex phanatic, I do have a few pieces. For $3.99, I am pretty sure I could make a profit on this one. I had never seen this astrological pattern before.

Wishing Fall Were in the Air

Hi-dee-ho This date has been branded - National Thrift Shop Day!

A favorite past-time of mine that allows me to decorate my home with original art, compile quilts from other's pieced patchwork blocks, and make a decent supplemental income. 

Costume sewing patterns are always popular. Here are a few from my recent eBay listings to whet your appetite for Halloween.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/184998867533

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185001626512

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185002073303

In my quest to cull itty bitty pieces of remnant fabric from life, I discovered yet another bag I had squirreled away. This thrifted graphic t-shirt fits right in. 

Another eBay milestone - I passed the 1,300 listings mark. I hope to have 1,500 listings by the end of September (perhaps sooner). It takes a lot of work, but once those listings are up, it is just a matter of mailing out and collecting 💲💲💲

Ending the post with one of my fav recent songs

Buying Back My Childhood Toys

Somewhere along the way in my 60+ life span, I lost my childhood toys. When I encounter them at thrift, I buy them back. I didn't have these two exact dolls (49 cents each), but I had ones that were similar. When I found them, I held them in the palm of my hand like magical talismans. 

I also buy Madame Alexander dolls. The one and only doll my grandmother bought for me was a MA granny doll. I eventually bought her back a few years ago (she had disappeared too). 

So many other toys I don't remember until I see them secondhand or in images from Christmas past. 

And on to one of my favorite past times - selling sewing patterns. This is the box where the sewing pattern sessions magic happens. I list a round of 25-30 at a time. September will be the push into the holiday season. 

Here is the sewing pattern death pile that totals over 100 of them. 

I hit the reselling milestones of $2,000 for a 90-day total and $225 for a one week's total. That is a lot of little items, rather than one big one. I sold the Winnie the Pooh honeypot toy, bought for $1 and sold for $25. 

Just used one of my eBay store subscriber shipping supplies credit of $25 to buy 100 more of the 9" x 11" poly mailers. After I wrap the sewing pattern in a bit of fabric, it fits perfectly in that mailer. 

When I think I have hit maximum level sewing pattern inventory, I find a slew more. This time it was a return to a thrift shop in Jackson, California. Seems there were so many patterns, they weren't released all at once but over the course of a few weeks. 

Here is a fun pattern from the bunch I listed this weekend, a 1998 Butterick Teletubbies Po and Laa-Laa costumes. I know absolutely nothing about Teletubbies but I do know specialty costume patterns like this one are sure sellers. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/184998654225

Another Abstract Entered My Life

My longtime readers know my love of art. I especially love abstracts, in any form. My fav hospice thrift shop was closed for a couple of days for repaving so the volunteers were able to restock and rearrange inside the store. The store's Facebook post showed there were a lot of framed pictures in stock. Glad I took the jaunt up there. 

Not the best image but here is the framed under glass abstract on paper ($16.99 thrift). I hope to fill my sewing annex room with abstracts!

Another fun pattern from my recent purchase of around 50 was this Star Trek one that sold within one day of listing.

Sometimes I keep a sewing pattern. This one I pulled because it is getting increasingly difficult to find cute buttoned up sleeveless collared shirts either retail or thrift. 

Resller update: After my 50% off book sale ends this month, I will be culling books that have not moved and will be sending them back to the Great Thrift Shop Beyond. It seems crafting books such jewelry making have fallen out of favor, along with keeping doll houses. The only cookbooks that are movers are the Red Plaids, vintage 1960s ones, and preserving and canning publications.  

My mission to get rid of my remnant fabric is finally paying off. I have moved to the remnant drawers and will only keep my most favorite. I will then move my quilt projects now in Ziploc bags into the plastic drawers. After the remnant drawers are winnowed down, I will tackle the three dresser drawers full of yardage. Plenty of fabric to go all round and I am always finding more.

Job update - one practice interview down. A few real good applications are in. The state's fiscal year ends in June so in July new positions are created from the budget. I qualify for not only lateral positions but also promotional ones. We will see. 

Stuck in the Smoke and That Girl

While smoke from wildfires is trailing by, I am listing more sewing patterns. A couple of neat patterns came through - this one with Marlo Thomas. For those who didn't experience the 1970s, she starred in a TV show called That Girl. 

The idea was groundbreaking at the time. A show about a single, attractive, successful woman living in the city. The 1970s was a period where girls were encouraged to either be teachers or nurses or [insert any traditional woman's role here]. Career paths were pretty limited. On the subject of careers, I can reveal I do have an interview this week. Very excited! A first round online panel interview for an office supervisor position. I chose jobs that were in-office because I want my work life back. My current position is 100% remote at least until year's end but my peers all voted for 100% remote into the future. I was the outlier with a vote to return in office, at the very least 2-3 days a week.  

But back to Marlo, this is my second Marlo's Corner pattern I have found in the wild. This one is from 1975.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/184988862110

Reseller update: Sewing patterns are my bread and butter. I only have to sell 2 to make it a $25 day. I do average $100 a week gross profit. Funny thing is the more you list, the more you sell.  

I also get rid of the no or slow starters. Why continue to pay on a listing for say a Santana CD? It is not going to move. It is not rare and you can buy it new at Wally World. 

My three confirmed categories of sales on eBay will be sewing patterns, books and CDs. Goodwill raised its prices again and I see more and more resellers haunting the thrift shops. If I run into the occasional collectible I know has value, I will list it. Like the Nyform Troll  sold recently, I knew it would sell. 

Queued up for listing after the sewing pattern sessions, are quilting books from my personal collection, CDs (in abundance), and Boy Scout items. 

I Have Shopped the Thrift Stores Dry

I made the round of my 4 local thrift shops and came home empty-handed. One shop, which will remain unnamed, make up their own rules for their sales. Once I drove all the way up there for an oil on canvas hydrangea painting and was told it was full price on their half off sale. Same thing this weekend, anything under $1 was not half off. So the quilting books and sewing patterns I had chosen, all $1 each, were not half off. I told the cashier, "thanks, but no thanks," and left the lot on the counter. 

Other times, I pass things by that I should have bought. I hesitated on this oil on canvas priced at $24.99 at hospice thrift.  Even if I wanted to resell it, I probably wouldn't have made much profit. 1967 flowers in his hair didn't quite fit in with my decor. I regret not adopting him though. 

I went out of county for sourcing and found the usual suspects: sewing patterns and CDs. My regular readers know that the last product I had been hiding in all sorts of places were books. With those finally listed, CDs are now overflowing from the nooks and crannies. Those on eBay now, I will have to edit each CD listing by either combining into lots, keeping as high dollar single sales, or thrifting them back altogether. 

This yard sale find outfit at 50 cents each piece was from a few weeks ago. The Free People graduated color jeans fit perfectly along with the Taylor and Sage top. A keeper outfit I normally wouldn't pick out for myself. 

Still playing around with photoshopping. So much easier to put in my own background than try and find the appropriate setting in high temperature weather. 

Ending the post with a Pattern of the Day, a 1966 McCall's.