Quilt Top Happy

A delightful day at thrift finding amazing yardage and a 99 cent twin-sized quilt top. While I missed the quilts and guitars when I saw a carload full of those come into thrift, I missed them coming on to the floor. Not this time! In fact, I nearly didn't stop because I am at this thrift shop so often. The yardage and top had just been rolled onto the floor. $2.99 for the batting and $4.99 for the major all usable yardage. A blessed day. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/184464077231

My 2020 Buy No Fabric Challenge went out the window when we were locked down and thrift shops weren't open for 6 months. When this much fabric lands at one time, managing my stash is non-existent. Part of this group was vintage - here is a selvage from 1990 on this one.

Fun finds of the day - this elongated cat salt/pepper shaker on a patchwork wrap-around skirt.

I was able to donate a couple of children's pillowcases to some Oregon wildfire victims. Here is a link to humblequilts.blogspot.com, a blogger in the Oregon who has provided that information. Funny thing, whenever I donate to these events or thrift back fabric I have lost interest in, I receive more than abundance in return. 

Speaking of children's items, this adorable sewing pattern went up for sale.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/184465258026

My freebie find of clothing a few months ago? So far, I have made $25 on that free clothing. I may put a few pieces up for sale. I don't need as many clothes as I have gathered, especially in light of my probable never return to in-office life. I will vote for 1-2 times a month for in-face meetings though. 

Fabricpalooza

Finding bags of fabric at my go-to hospice thrift shop is always such a kick! The bags were $3.50 each and I bought a couple of  vinyl records to bring my total to $10, spending my $10 credit earned for a freebie day! When I first saw the coordinated set of the Dr. Seuss fabric, I thought it was recent. Imagine my surprise when the selvage listed it as 1971! Wow, almost 50 years old. I suspect some of the other remnants are retro also. Lots of images in this post for the fabricholic.  

I may try to sell this fabric collection. Anyone have experience in the resell market for vintage fabric? 

Should have just enough fabric

to recover this chair pad

Some feedsack

Quilters Circle

Dinospectacular

Derpy jungle babies

I think the story behind this and other bagged fabric remnants in  second hand stores is the seamstress or quilter has either passed on or has gone into assisted living. The relatives then give away the fabric because no one sews. 

And then there are yard sales! This one had 5 bankers boxes of yardage. She would have sold me the whole lot but I only bought the low volumes and feedsacks replacing my stash $20 for the box.

Damn near picked the same colorway

as the album cover art!

Greenhouse update: I continue to add plants to the greenhouse. I try to keep it to only edible items but wanted a couple of sunflowers. I also planted butternut squash, cucumbers and peppers. 


I am pairing down my vintage sewing machines. As I became acquainted with styles and colors, I have opted to keep the unusual colored ones.  Those being the mint green Singer and the blue Morse, both of which are on display in my studio. A pink and white/red combo are on my thrift shop bucket list. 

Doing research now on upgrading my sewing machine. Seems to be as you progress in this hobby, you upgrade your machine. My next post will reveal what I have chosen. 

Benefiting from non-joy sparking donations

Having found the upholstery fabric turned cubicle wall tapestry (highlighted here), I have been on the lookout for heavier weight fabric. Adding these textiles to my "What I Hunt For" list was a no brainer. This modernist print came home with me for $1.50 from SPCA thrift.  

I squared up the fabric and added a binding, I made one major change by including a seam binding to the back of the wall hanging. The woven acted as the stand-in "batting." The binding went on a lot smoother than my last tapestry project. 

This cubicle cover will be for my new work station so the completed project will be revealed in an upcoming post. While I know I will still be a state employee, I still don't know where I will land at the end of March. Long story short - I took a two-year limited term position that did not become permanent. I rolled the dice and it came up snake eyes. Kidding aside, not all bad because I have gained job experience. I had three interviews last week, so waiting word on a permanent offer.  

The second delightful find was this camper/road trip print from the same thrift shop. I knew immediately that it was vintage. Thankfully, the selvage was intact revealing it is a 2000 fabric. This yardage will be cherished stash for the right project. 

Weekend thrifting was one day of nothing and the next day a bounty. I limit myself to three shops a day as I have been known  to lose track of time when I am having so much fun. 

There were other ceramics of this series but she was the only one that came home with me, a hand-sewer with a Princess Leia hairdo.

My favorite find of the day, this Classics Hardware horse head necklace, retail $25, second-hand $5.

One of Xena's best photo bombs, she was particularly attracted to these objects, Creative Curtainmaking Made Easy by Heather Luke, Paul Revere & the Raiders record, and some yardage. 

Not pictured are some other records, a bit of batting, and some remnants of feedsack fabric. I am thrilled that others are getting rid of their non-joy sparking possessions! The thrift shops have been bursting at the seams, my last stop, a Goodwill all of the shelves were full, sometimes overflowing. 

With my interest in needlepoint rekindled, I made a little girl gasp when I found this project, began and then sent to the Great Thrift Shop Beyond. 

A 2007 Dimensions kit scored for $3.49. I will finish and frame it as it fits in perfectly with my decor. 

Patriotic quilt finished

I had hoped to finish this patriotic quilt prior to Labor Day and I am right on schedule. This project began in January putting-together-preassembled. What delights me about this one is the top and binding are entirely of thrifted fabric from one lot, the backing purchased retail. I suspect mystery quilter made the strips for this quilt in a jelly roll race.

Son's quilt is finishing up to be a close second. It is a king-sized quilt. I've got two sides left to bind.

Caregiver's Day was 1/2 off at hospice thrift with enough batting to finish a cubicle cover fall project. I will highlight it when I'm done.

an entire bag of extra loft batting and *sings the word* Vintage fabric.

This lump of loveliness is all usable fabric. The "gingham" labeled in the picture with tag is yardage cut in 1964.

I qualified as a caregiver because the Mr. had a medical procedure and I was home for the day. Uninterrupted hours of hand stitching result in getting things done!

An upside to taking sewing projects to a waiting room surgical center opens conversations with others where you might not have found a common interest.

The doctors and nurses also loved looking at my work in progress. One doctor commented, "Way to make great use of time!"

Do you take hand sewing projects along with you?

Linking up with Kelly at myquiltinfatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday.

The lengths I go to for vintage fabric

Since I purchase retail fabric for most of my quilt backings, I've come to know some of the current ones. They are wonderfully color coded and perfectly matched and you consumer quilter pay a premium for that.

Being the thrift shop commando that I am, one thrift shop that I frequent supports the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).  There was a packet of fabric remnants priced at $8 but I wasn't willing to pay that since it looked to be mainly uglies. Half off day rolled around and I decided to snag the collection. The hidden fabric gems were worth the seam-ripping effort. I have come to cherish these vintage fabrics as unique and special. Funny enough, I don't mind ripping the seams of fabric I want to use in another creation. I find it calming but when I have to rip seams of something I have to redo, I engage in Angry Seam Ripping or ASR.

Here is the thrifted fabric, along with a hinged jar purchased for $6.  As an aside, I use hinged jars to store pasta and dried beans. I purchase the new jar seals at a local kitchen specialty store.

I never did highlight the free motion quilting I completed for the Trailer Quilt Log Cabin Style. While I made more than a few mistakes in the log cabin squares - I used too much blue, the squares didn't end up how I intended them to be (rookie error), it was my first real foray into free motion quilting, I now appreciate the effort I put into quilting each square.

I did not stitch in the ditch so it truly was free motion quilting.

Back to my original idea, I enjoy "hunting" for my supplies and that fits right in with reusing, reducing and recycling.

How do you feel about vintage fabric? Do you prefer to work with only modern?