Barbie Clothes and Christmas Crafts

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186749272721

After saving up Barbie doll clothes purchased at thrift, I lotted them up by color. I think I am the only eBay seller to list them that way. I have nine bags priced between $15 and $25. They are fast movers in that category. I arrange them in pretty much the same pinwheel pattern as the yarn listings. I do it mainly for my amusement and to stand out among the other sellers. 

Working away at Barbie clothes organization

 

A year's worth of thrifted doll clothes

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186749294327

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Some of the clothes required mending, just a stitch or two here and there. Some needed missing snaps replaced. These two pieces land as keepers. The dress is Barbie labeled, and the top/skirt combo are vintage fabric. I have a sneaking suspicion that the black and white striped dress is from one of the original 1959 Barbies. 

I am going a different direction in my Countdown to Christmas posts. Because I now have the time and energy (I am starting to like this retirement thing), I am re-creating Christmas crafts from holiday magazines. As of this writing, I have four posts with completed craft projects scheduled to publish in December. 

Bought this wooden ornament tree at thrift for a couple of bucks. All of my past Countdown and some other interesting boards are available to view. https://www.pinterest.com/thriftshpcomndo/

Getting ready to launch eBay listing sessions for books, CDs, and those boxes of vintage Butterick sewing patterns. 

16 Skeins and the Road to Nowhere

That should be a song title! I am plugging away on my eBay listings and yarn was the latest. I get a kick out of arranging the yarn in different ways. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186740792526

I was going to swear off buying thrift shop CDs but then all of the music I had ripped to my laptop has become inaccessible for some reason. Thankfully, I saved some of the CDs that were my favorites. On the subject of CDs, I also bought my 25 Christmas-themed ones in one fell swoop for my Countdown. There is the largest hospice thrift in Placerville, California, and CDs galore $1 each.  

Maybe it is dumb luck or just persistent thrift shopping that I found two more Americana patterns for my eventual quilt. 

I will use parts of From the Ashes, but not the grey fabric background. That is too 911-ish. Liberty Angel would be perfect for a top and bottom border. 

I am at my happiest when I am thrift shopping. I discovered that the Cameron Park Hospice Thrift has gone upscale. All of the crafting items were moved to the Placerville store. There are three thrift shops on my route in Placerville - hospice thrift, Goodwill, and New Beginnings Thrift. In my area, there are four thrift shops. Not one but two of them are open on Sunday now! 💙

Putting in a plug for my Countdown to Christmas beginning December 1. I've got the CDs and each one will be featured on What I'm Listening to. 

Adding in a dance update: I have had success at finding secondhand dancewear. All of those business suits and dresses have been replaced with dance clothes. My mom, even though she was active well into her late 80s, lost of the use of her legs. My theory, should I live into my 90s, is to retain the use of my legs through dancing. 

Now I Am A Dance Major!

I have posted about my college exploits from time to time. I earned my Associate in Science Business degree from Sacramento City College in 2016. Not only have I declared Art History as my major for my alma mater, I declared Dance as my major at another. 💃  

I didn't even know you could do that - attend two different colleges. The Los Rios Community College system allows you to do that. I am like a kid in a candy store. Since I have earned my degree, I don't have to take any of the prerequisite classes only the fun ones!

There is a Priority Registration system. Depending on how popular a class is, and where you land in Priority, you may land a spot in the class you want. 

Back to why I am now a dance major - I have completely fallen in love with tap dancing. What better way to stay active than learn new dance steps? The college offers tap, modern, hip hop, oh yeah 👌

Another reason I look to the college for these types of classes is there are few offerings like this where I live. 

Course offerings for Spring 2025 will be posted soon and I cannot wait!  

Wanna-Be Americana Quilt

An Americana Quilt has been on my project list for years now.  The lead-off image is from a 1980s quilt magazine. 

While I won't be able to recreate that quilt, there are some blocks I wish I had the pattern. My newest Americana-themed block to score at thrift was Liberty's Eagle. 

The pattern I found before that was Brave Eagle. These types of patterns are not the easiest to find. 

Seller update: Yep, it's yarn. If I can find yarn at rock bottom prices, then I will list them. Sometimes the thrift shops know what they have and price it too high. 

I deal in a lot of "littles." The average price range for my listings $8 to $15. I buy items for a quarter to a couple of dollars. All of those littles add up. 

Because I am a frequent shopper at hospice thrift, I was able to use my $10 off to purchase more sewing patterns, fabric, and a vintage cookbook. It was fun spending $6 total for all of those items! 🙋

Costume patterns are finally selling. I have quite a few listed - Berenstain Bears just sold! 

Pretty Plants and the Gaza Dress

Highlighting this succulent I have tended for years and never knew it could blossom. 

My latest round of flowers are yellow lantana, Gerbera daisy, and wagon wheel ice plant. 

And a few more plants for a pop of color! Now it is starting to look like a flower garden.💮

Weather is finally cooling to usual temperatures for October. 

Seller update: Inserting a yarn listing session in between my sewing pattern sessions. Lotting up Barbie clothes is queued up as the next task. 

My latest eBay listing session was "bigs," sewing pattern packets that measure larger than the usual-sized ones. Folkwear is one of my favorite lines of ethnic patterns. This one seems especially appropriate given the times. 

The war must stop. There has to be a better way. 

Sutter Creek Quilt Show

Being in town meant I could attend the Sutter Creek Quilt Show. The lead-off image is a close-up of Daughter Dresses. 

If you zoom in on the images you can see the creator information. 

There is always a freebie table and I picked up three sewing patterns just missing their clear packets. All kinds of fabric and kits were for sale. 

Some Octoberness

Wood duck decoy joined my collection $4.99 from hospice thrift. I almost missed him, I was doing my last pass and there he was on a bottom shelf. A spot of Pledge Revitalizing Oil really brought out the shine. 

I am engaging in another sewing pattern listing session. This group is mainly vintage Simplicity. I have a few of the "bigs" in sewing patterns that will have their own session. Next up then will be yarn. Another quick session with just a few skeins to list in that category. 

Pattern of the Day is from 1968 Simplicity Misses Jiffy Robe - a keeper cuz it's cut and I like the graphic. 

Sharing my reorganized shelving for most of my product. I found that turning some of the plastic tubs sideways gave me even more room. 

Books and CDs are in another location. I am on the fence whether to continue listing in those categories or not. On the wooden shelving are crocheted blankets, Boy and Girl Scout stuff, and tarot cards. 

I have gone through a quilting dry spell again. I was going great guns on the Lava Lamp quilt project. Then, in the blink of an eye, I lost interest. I am either going to have to push through or put the project away. 

It is almost here! The Annual Countdown to Christmas. Each day in December is counted down until the Big Day.🎄

Crusty angel was spotted for sale at the newest Amador Thrift in my area. 

I am queueing up those posts now. I wish another platform other than TikTok were trending. I don't want to invest in posts on that platform because of the China owner controversy. I might do some videos for the Countdown and put them on Instagram. 

Bunches of Butterick and a Bit of Purple

For my latest eBay listing session I am working on 40 vintage Butterick sewing patterns. This group and two more boxes are from a pattern collector. I picked through a 5 drawer cabinet at thrift and snagged all of the uncut ones. 

Sharing some of vintage Pattern of the Day - featuring one of my favorite colors PURPLE. What first drew me to collecting patterns were the graphics. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186709821007

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Not necessarily purple but I like the look, esp. that maxi skirt. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186709811412

October is one of my favorite months, but not at thrift. All of the thrifted Halloween costumes and decor take over the store. 

Our high temperatures in Northern California have been trending to 100 degrees. The last blast of heat before we head into fall. 

September Weird and Wacky

This fabric amalgamation has bumped the weird and wacky thrift shop paintings for the lead-off image. 

This piece of artwork was high on a shelf at the Ark Thrift Shop in Fort Bragg, California. 

The recent trend of my Weird and Wacky posts continue with thrift shop paintings from Fort Bragg, California.  

This piece was spotted at Amador Hospice Thrift, I call it "Dog and Cat Chillin."

Mushrooms being magical. 

This large abstract I kinda liked at the Placerville hospice thrift. I could see it in an outdoor patio area.  

Sharing the reconstructed rock art mermaid, pictured in store window at Fort Bragg, California.

Pattern of the Day hails from 1976 - A Forest Family. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186706563083