June Weird and Wacky

My commando thrift shopping has uncovered some weird and wacky items. 

Pot head?

Mooning 

Until next time.

Tami

Quilt from Men's Hawaiian Shirts, Part 5

A final finish, two months in the making, the quilt top patchwork pieced from men's Hawaiian shirts. 

It measures in at 72" x 88" still not enough to be king-sized. It needs to measure at least 92" x 92". Each side needs 10" more of fabric in width and 2" on top and bottom in length.  

Before borders

Here are the two fabrics I auditioned for the borders - I went with the wrong-side dolphins. The muted plaid will be used for the top and bottom borders, possibly the backing.

Post update - here is the quilt top in its final form with the dolphin fabric borders. 

Links to Parts 1 through 4

Part-4

Part-3

Part-2

Part-1

I am taking a quilting/work break to enjoy the 4th of July holiday. 

Happy Birthday to Me

Here I am around 2 years old ready to experience full cake immersion. 

I am glad to be alive. Each day in this realm is a blessing. 

Forgotten bookmarks. When you deal with a lot of vintage books, previous owners sometimes leave bookmarks. The Listen and Follow with an Open Heart was found in The Vatican II Sunday Missal. 

The pale yellow flyer was contained in the Better Homes and Gardens Sewing Book. It was for the Schlitz Brewing Company Circus Parade at the Old Milwaukee Days in 1973. I am going to keep an eye out for more paper ephemera. That 1970s flyer is a perfect example. 

This book was queued up for listing but I kept it for myself. It is chock full of 1970s graphics and is in near perfect condition. 

A local estate sale on Day 2 didn't produce much and when I grabbed this Islander tiki mug, I didn't notice it was cracked. I will display him in my collection anyway. 

Working away on the Men's Hawaiian shirt quilt today so I can move on to other projects. 

Birthday Quilt from Mystery Quilter

Every once in awhile I like to buy boxes of fabric from shopgoodwill.com. It is always a risk buying pretty much sight unseen, but this gambit scored all usable fabric. 😁 I did get a peek at the quilt blocks and was delighted to find there are 13 of them! Enough for a project - thank you, mystery quilter! Once I audition the companion fabric for the sashing and borders, it will be the birthday quilt to myself. They are well-constructed blocks in an unusual colorway. 

I spent $15 for the bid, and $15 for shipping. There is also a table runner, a bunch of batik fat quarters, and good sized yardage of an African print. 

Seller update - What have I been listing? Books and cards. The best of the bunch are listed below.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185951429735

I may have listed this graduation card a bit too late - I have yet to make the first sale in the greeting card category. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185951380352

Nearly done listing books in the death pile. Still on track to make my 2,500 listings goal by the end of this month. Sessions queued up are yarn, quilt blocks/tops, and one-offs miscellany. 

Quilt from Men's Hawaiian Shirts, Part 4

I laid out the "big blocks" that consisted of the 4 patches with side borders and cornerstones. There were enough for the length of a king-sized bed. I made five more big blocks that just need the cornerstone strips to supplement the quilt's width. 

I may have to supplement with a piano keys border. It amazes me that two paper bags of men's shirts have turned into this beauty. I have completely fallen in love with it and am sad that it won't be part of my collection. As my first commission, I have taken great care to ensure that the seams nest together. 

One publication I picked up at thrift has been a game changer for me. Piecing Makeover by Patty Murphy. A book of simple tricks to fine-tune your patchwork. It is well written with full color images.  

Seller update: I continue to pick up rag dolls for sale. This Russian doll may be a keeper. I have never seen a cloth doll with wig hair. I am unsure whether to put something on the end of the stick she is holding, or remove it from her hand. 

Her brown dress also shows some fading on one side, like she was displayed near a window. I may have to dye it brown to freshen it up. 

I didn't hesitate on picking up this angel primitive. These types of dolls are sure sellers. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185948316380

Been kicking a** on views and I totally thank my audience for visiting and delighting in the things I love to share. 💜

Flag Day

It is Flag Day here in the United States. This video was captured at Howard Park in Ione, California. 

It was suspended from a fire truck ladder.

The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs has issued Guidelines for Display of the Flag flagdisplay. Key takeaways: 

𝅲𝅱𝅰🚩Never let the flag touch the ground, floor, water, or merchandise.  

🚩Do not use it as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. 

🚩The flag image should not be printed on any paper product for temporary use and discard.  

I took an Introduction to Art class years ago. It was my first class going back to college as an older adult. I will never forget that my leftist-leaning professor placed our sign-up folder on a counter behind a flag folded on the floor in front of it. Apparently, no one in class had served in the military because we were clueless as to what to do. I knew enough not to step on the flag. At the time, I should have picked up the flag and placed anywhere but on the floor. I forget the point the professor was trying to prove (other than being disrespectful to that living symbol). I do remember the impact it had that I researched the flag rules and how to display it. 

Not sure if Eyeore is violating the Flag Guidelines with his red, white, and blue rocket. The framed needlepoint I picked up at thrift and is displayed this time of year. 

Quilt from Men's Hawaiian Shirts, Part 3

With 12 of the blocks made, I opted for one of my favorite sewing activities, making crazy quilt cornerstones. I took the remnants from the blocks and sewed them into pairs. 

The material was then cut diagonally and sewn together again and cut at 3-1/2" square. I fell in love with this technique when I acquired a mixed bag of fabric at thrift. In that bag were pink scrappy cornerstones that I used in two quilt projects. I also made scrappy cornerstones for my last Christmas quilt. 

I am going to use the wrong side of the neutral striped fabric for the borders and sashing. After I am done making more blocks and cornerstones, I will trim and square them up. It is exciting to be moving forward on this Hawaiian shirt quilt project. I had been given free reign on design and how to use the shirts as a memorial quilt. 

My goal is to have this flimsy and a couple of backings to choose from done by month's end.

It is About Time for that CA Boating Card!

This video was from last month, filmed near Fort Bragg, California. The best part of being on the ocean that day was seeing the Coast Guard practice maneuvers. 

We were fortunate to be out on the boat that day, because the retrofit connection between the motors twisted and failed. The trolling motor prevented the other motor from being turned to the right. The Mr., an experienced mariner, navigated to the dock by reversing and turning to the left. He had to cut the line between the motors. 

We were surprised to find there was no regulatory agency that monitored boat safety. If a part is unsafe and prone to malfunction, there is no one to notify. There are over 600,000 registered recreational vessels in California. 

Another surprise to find is that California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) requires a California Boater Card. As of January 2022, the card is required for operators 45 years of age or younger. By January 1, 2025, the card will be required for all persons regardless of age. The requirement is phased in as follows.  

California Harbors and Navigation Code Section 678.11(b) contains the following phase-in schedule based on operator age:

• January 1, 2018 – Persons 20 years of age or younger
• January 1, 2019 – Persons 25 years of age or younger
• January 1, 2020 – Persons 35 years of age or younger
• January 1, 2021 – Persons 40 years of age or younger
• January 1, 2022 – Persons 45 years of age or younger
• January 1, 2023 – Persons 50 years of age or younger
• January 1, 2024 – Persons 60 years of age or younger
• January 1, 2025 – All persons regardless of age

There has been no mention of this new requirement from the DBW on social media or the news.

I think this is great because we have seen a lot of bad behavior from boaters that are clueless about navigation rules of the U.S. Coast Guard. 

Last year, I was injured on the boat when another boater decided to pass us heading out of the mouth of the harbor. It is a No Wake Zone, and that is a big No No, not to mention an incredibly stupid move. 

As the other boat passed us, it somehow picked up the line to one of our fishing poles (he passed that close to us). I grabbed the pole but the line cut through deep on my index finger. I let go and then re-grabbed the Shimano pole just in time to save it. The boater blew past us and out onto the ocean. 

Some time later, while out fishing he was heard over the radio, "I seem to be having trouble with one of my motors. I will have to get a tow in from the Coast Guard." Karma is a b***h, my friend. That fishing line must have wrapped neatly around that motor ensuring a very costly mistake. 

For those of you in California, here is the link to preparatory courses to apply for your California Boating Card https://californiaboatercard.com/courses/

Books and cards

A tiny taste of weird and wacky highlighting this dog purse offered for sale at the Goodwill Boutique in Sacramento. 

Room was made for the books that were piling up from my estate/book sale purchases. I listed the best of the best, higher valued/rare ones. I don't bother to research them on site. I just haul them away to research another day. Three bags of books went back to the Great Thrift Shop Beyond. This publication was a pleasant surprise from a book sale.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185930222896

I am making traction at listing my death pile items. My goal of 2,500 listings by the end of June is very doable. Greeting card listings are up next. I have yet to sell one, but they are an easy-to-list product. It took me a few years to gather those less than 100 cards. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185934160347

I took a peek at Google Analytics because I had a bump in page views. No surprise that 100% of my readers are female.  Most views by country are from the U.S., United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, and Australia. 

Look for lots of weird and wacky items in the next couple of months. I have all kinds of unique images queued up. 

Working Twice as Hard for the Same Amount of Money

Lead off image is the Red Knot heading out of the harbor at Fort Bragg, California. 

We were the only small craft on the ocean that day. We were tossed about a bit, then came back in after a couple of hours. Ocean sport fishing is open at the 300 foot level, that means we had to resort to electric reels. No success this time, we will try again in July. 

Seller update: I ran some initial numbers for my June fiscal year. I was disappointed to find even adding 1,000+ active listings to my total, my sales were the same as fiscal last year. Maybe my Jan-Dec numbers will change adding in this year's holiday season. 

I know summers are slow sales for my type of items. Things that I list for sale are mainly indoor leisure activities: sewing, reading a book, listening to a CD, or doing needlework.

Well, on with the show, the best of a sewing pattern listing session is this Macaroon Christmas Tree. We are six months from Christmas when we land on my birthday of June 25. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185925566675

The images on this pattern just had to be included - matching outfits so cute! 👀

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185925916456

I went to a couple of estate sales in Jackson, California. One was all man stuff so none of it appealed to me. There were a couple of unique items. 

The second one had overpriced items with the exception of books at 50 cents each. I still buy vintage cookbooks, they eventually sell. The two I hardcovers I bought were The New York Times International Cook Book (1971), and McCall's Cook Book (1963). I splurged on this well-crafted red white & blue crocheted blanket ($14), photographed in my patio area, and headed for the trailer for the 4th of July weekend.