My Salvaged Treasures: November 2011

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Antique Store Adoption

Happy post-Thanksgiving to all. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday celebration. I was still enjoying the leftovers on Saturday, but decided to call it quits when I ran out of my broccoli cheese casserole. My hand is healing nicely after a knife wound I accidently inflicted on myself while trying to remove the foil from the top of a wine bottle. Note to self: In the future, use a foil cutter thingie or just skip this step altogether. It's always something....at least I got out of dish duty.

I was hoping to get in some good yard sale therapy this weekend, but no such luck. Instead of the yard sales, I got re-acquainted with some of the goodies I found at an antique store a couple of weeks ago. It was almost like discovering them for the first time.

What do you get when you cross a sweet little metal tray.....

and a funny looking metal sculpture thing?

You get this cutie patootie vintage TV tray.

The tray slips through the metal slats on each side.

It even does what any good TV tray should do; it folds up flat for easy storage.

What could be better than one sweet little TV tray?

Twins! I spotted the first one set up and loaded with dishes; the price tag was for the pair. What pair? After a quick look around, I found her sister folded up and all ready to come home with me. I'm convinced they were such a bargain because the dealer thought a little rust was a bad thing. I would have bought the entire family if they were available, but I'm happy to have these two cuties.

I'm bringing my vintage TV trays over to these parties:

Charm Bracelet Diva for Club G.W.,
Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday,
Knick of Time for Knick of Time Tuesday,
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday,
Brambleberry Cottage for Time Travel Thursday

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Give Thanks

I have so many things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. It's so easy for me to get caught up in my every day routine by busying myself with things that need to get done, and then wondering why I didn't get through my written or mental list at the end of the day. Two steps forward and one step back. That's fine with me, at least it's progress.

Tomorrow our home will start to fill up with friends and relatives. Some will be spending the night, and some will be travelling back home after a full day of food and fun. I won't get through everything on my "to do" list, someone will be making a last minute trip to the grocery store, something is sure to get over cooked, and during dinner I'll be the only one to notice a stray spider web on the dining room ceiling. I know that nothing will ever be perfect, so I promise to be good and not sweat the small stuff. I'm just going to enjoy the day and give thanks.....lots of thanks!

Hope you enjoy the Give Thanks inspiration I found on Pinterest this week. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Annie's Eats

That's My Letter

It's the Little Things That Make a House a Home

TaterTots and Jello

At Second Street

The Gathering Place Design

Uncommon

Resurrection Fern

Pure and Noble

A Diamond in the Stuff

Dear Lillie

Pottery Barn Kids

Domestic Adventure

Norman Rockwell

Wishing everyone a blessed Thanksgiving!!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Jewelry from Bits and Pieces of Little Treasures

I've been on a jewelry making marathon all week long trying to gear up for another craft show this weekend. This will be three weekends in a row now, so I'm real close to making jewelry in my sleep. These are a few of the pieces I've been playing with this week.....

I found two of these ornate brass doorknob escutcheons along with the matching key plates on Etsy. I added a watch face with a little rhinestone to the center hole, and then surrounded it with rhinestones from an old bracelet.

What's that funny looking piece the clip-on earring (top necklace) is attached to?

That metal thingie with the bead hanging from it is a garter clip. They make a mean bracelet too!

What pulley would be complete without rhinestones?

My typewriter key stash is getting a little low, so why not make good use out of the other parts. These were made from the metal margin/platen scale. I cut one inch pieces using heavy duty metal snips and then rounded out the sharp edges with my Dremel grinding bit.

Locks and watch parts are always a good combination. The one on the left still has its working key attached. You just never know when you'll need to lock something up.

Here's one of the matching key plates. I kind of like it sideways.

I'm linking up my repurposed jewelry with:

Monday, November 14, 2011

Antique German Sampler

My craft show didn't start until noon last weekend, so when it came down to sleeping in or getting out to a few yard sales, the sales won out. I found this really interesting 15" x 18" sampler and even took the time to get some history on it from the owner.

She was a little confused on some of the details, but told me that it represented five generations of her friend's family from Germany. Her friend was the daughter of the couple appearing on the top line (Pelma and Mantz), the names are difficult to read. She actually brought out a portrait of her friend's mother and a plate with the portrait transferred on it. No, she wasn't interested in selling the portrait or the plate; at least I tried.

Pardon the funny color of these pictures. My light was getting bad inside and outside. The sampler actually has more of a very light coffee colored background.

I took it out of the frame so I could get some better pictures without my reflection. I was going to take it out anyway just to get the money that was hidden inside (I wish).

The family crest.

It's such a shame that it has this stain right in the middle.

The fine detail of the stitching is gorgeous.

I'm going to put it back in its frame for now and just enjoy this beautiful work of art.

This cross stitch was waiting for me at another sale. It's not as old or detailed, but a new mat and frame will give it some real charm.

I'm linking up my needlework finds with:

Charm Bracelet Diva for Club G.W.

Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday,

Knick of Time for Knick of Time Tuesday,

No Minimalist Here for Open House Party

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

A Simple Quilt Full of Wonderful Memories

My mom has been sewing and making quilts for as long as I can remember. When I was growing up, Mom was always at the sewing machine making clothes for us or for herself. She taught me how to sew at a very young age, and she even gave sewing lessons to some of my friends.

During the 60's she started making quilts from bits and pieces of leftover fabric. Along with a group of ladies from the church, they would make dozens and dozens of these simple quilts to send to children in remote regions of the world. I remember asking her why they didn't just buy blankets...shame on me for not realizing how special these were.

The back of the quilt is folded over on the right side.

I could comment on almost all of these little squares, but that would get too long. These are just a few of the fabric squares I remember so well.....

My first pair of bell bottoms.

More bell bottoms. Oh, how I loved them!

This was one of my favorite dresses, especially when I wore it with my daisy sandals.

These lovely apples belonged to my sister. I can still see the picture of her with the puffy little sleeves.

I see an owl.

These two were muumuus. My mom made a lot of them for herself.

Mom had a shorter dress made out of this pink and white stripe. We still have a picture of her in the dress with her black go-go boots.

I have no memory of ever wearing anything made out of these last four samples. I either erased them from my memory, or my younger sister was the victim.

I'm sure this quilt was originally meant for someone else. When my mom gave it to me so many years ago, she must have known how much I'd appreciate it some day.

I do, I do.

She's been perfecting her quilt making skills all these years and is still go strong.

I'm linking up my Memory Quilt with:

From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday,

The Coloradolady for Vintage Thingie Thursday,

Brambleberry Cottage for Time Travel Thursday,

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday, and

2805 for Potpourri Friday.