Vintage Collage & Quilts

Happy Fall & Happy Halloween!

Today I took a little ride out to one of our local fruit & vegetable stands for some fresh tomatoes.  This one is about 4-5 miles from our house.   I thought I'd share some of the pretty fall colors today.   It seemed appropriate for Halloween. 

The lady with the French accent is no longer there but our new vendor was dressed for the day.

Then when I got home & looked in our backyard I saw so many leaves I had to go out there & crunch some with my feet.  I love that sound. 

We have numerous deciduous trees including these Liquid Ambers.

Wisteria seed pods from last year. 

Have a HAPPY & SAFE HALLOWEEN !!

Quilt Market & Halloween Fun

QUILT MARKET

Here are some WONDERFUL Quilt Market photos provided by Fat Quarter Shop.  This is where my friends Pam & Elizabeth are.   I'm there too in my mind.

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HALLOWEEN FUN

My husband & I went to a fun Halloween Party yesterday.  I can't remember the last time I dressed up for Halloween.   This was my husband's Cops & Firefighters motorcycle club.

Don in his Zoot Suit.  What a howl! 

Here I am in my French Kitty outfit along with the Black Eyed Peas! 

Fred the Pirate  & Donna as Renaissance Peasant

Kristin the Cereal Killer

Mike the Convict & Donna, the Spicy Chef

Nick the Eskimo & Denise - Hot Lips Houlihan

Patty the Convict & Tiffany the  Cop

French Kitty attacking Fred's Parrot.  I didn't have time to apply my claws.

Stephanie as Little Red, Donna the Chef again & Nick the Tooth Fairy.  My husband told Nick he must be very secure in his manhood to wear an outfit like that.  Nick won best costume.  Little fairy wings in back.

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DOLLS

Our hostess Rogna had some very collectible vintage dolls on display that were her mothers. 

Snow White & the 7 Dwarfs.  So, so cute.  Also two Nancy Ann dolls.

The rest of the dwarfs, Nancy Ann & other 30's 40's dolls. 

Sweet vintage bride doll

Vintage Sale Day!!

Yesterday Shirley and I went thrifting.   Our last stop was the best of all.  The shop had a sign out that everything was 30% off.  When we went inside we found out the regular every day stuff was 30% off that day (yesterday) but they were having a "Vintage Sale" the next day, today.  All during the year they put away all the antique & special vintage items that are donated  in the back & then they have this annual sale where all of it comes out of hiding & was available to purchase at very, very good prices.  Antique store quality at thrift store prices.  We could see the jewelry which was in the counter already but all the other vintage items were blocked off with caution tape & we weren't supposed to go in there.  We couldn't stand it so got as close as we could to the tape & pulled a few items out for a looky loo.  It was all Shirley's fault - hah!  :  )  They did allow us to take pics though.  We told them I had a vintage blog.

Fur coat anyone

A fun 50's 60's pink lace robe.  Note the sneaky look in Shirley's eyes.

They don't make slips like they used to.  Vintage Vanity Fair.  Who is that hiding behind the slip?

Pretty baubles & bling

Poor Shirley was drooling but couldn't come back today.  BUT I COULD!  When I got there at 9:30, a half hour before they opened there were several people already there looking through the windows.  We had about 2 doz people in line when the door opened & then more later.  Several dealers too.  I did come home with a few of these goodies. 

Love this sweet dolly

A silk & lace teddy top with tie in back.  It has crochet covered buttons. How pretty it looks with the light shining through it.

The back is just as pretty

Vintage lace tea dress or overdress.

Pretty layers of lace with mother of pearl buttons all the way down the front.

Check out the 50's 60's long blue satin & lace prom dress for a mere $15.

A beautiful lace table cloth.  The designs are embroidered & I think the see through places  in the fabric are called either cutwork or pulled lace.  Something like that.  Anyone who knows let me know.

A pretty silk ruffled babie's dress with little flowers on it.  This looks 20's to me.   Not perfect but for the price, good enough. 

Pretty beaded purses.  The one on the right was made in France.

Arent' these fun little girl shoes.  I feel some collage projects or pin cushions coming up.

Nothing prettier than lace with a bit of bling!

Jewelry on Etsy

I have  added four pieces of my jewelry to my Etsy shop, in my favorite colors of course.  I took a sewing & collage break this week to play with beads.   What fun, fun!   That's me.  I have to try it ALL. 

I still plan to try soldered glass charms soon.  We'll see how lumpy the solder turns out as to whether I am brave enough to sell those :  ) 

Fabric Obsessed Women's Club

Okay gang.  A new badge to play with.  Nominate 3 of your  fabric obsessed friends.

I nominate Pam & Elizabeth

and Rhonda Beyers!

Now, if only I could figure out how to get it into my own sidebar I'd be doing good. 

PIQF - Part II & Thrifting Day with Shirley

Here are a few more photos of my fun 2 girlfriend days. 

PIQF

A close up of some of the fun pins in the button booth.  I love birds.

A sweet Fig Tree/Moda pincushion

Fun fabrics & charm packs

A couple of civil war era quilt blocks.  These colors are so pretty & some of my favorites to use in today's quilts. 

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THRIFTING DAY ON FRIDAY

I found a plastic bag with some fun vintage sewing cards with snaps, hooks & eyes.  I love those old graphics on the packages.

This thrift store was having it's annual sale.  Low, low prices.   I found a couple of wooden rounded edge cigar boxes, a couple of tiny perfume bottles, a rhinestone pin, an old ribbon choker, some great blue beads for my bead stash & these little blue tiffany bags. 

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COMING SOON - "Paper Doll Dresses"

And last but not least I have finished my latest quilt top.  It's not quilted yet but I'll be working on the pattern directions & it should be available by the end of this month.  I'll be adding some buttons & more embellishments after quilting.

Pacific International Quilt Festival

I had a blast at Quilt Festival in Santa Clara today with Pam.  As usual I spent way more time today looking at new fabrics than quilts.  They had anything at all that had to do with sewing.  Fabrics, buttons, button jewelry, embellishments, notions, knitting, books, gifts,  sewing machines, you name it.

Lots of photo ops so here we go.

This stack was flannel if you can believe it.  Flannel is no longer just for jammies!

Yummy cotton fabric collections

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Many clothing patterns & samples.  I love the one on the right.

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Fun wool felted projects by Reet's Rags to Stitches

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Special buttons & button jewelry.  This is one of two or three button booths.

Threads of every imaginable color

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Joanna of Fig Tree Quilts had a pretty booth.  More below.

I love her soft vintage color palate

Look at this pretty bird & egg qult.  Love it!

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This year's display of one of my quilts, books & kits

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Pam  introduced me to the ever so nice Gina Halladay (right) from Quilter's Buzz

Here is a display of the log cabin quilt Pam made for Alex Anderson's latest book.  The book is all about neutral colors.  It was in the In Between Stitches cute booth.  IBS also had a sample of a quilt from my book & kits on the other side of Pam's quilt.  Elizabeth's patterns & book was also featured on the walls.  We wished Elizabeth could have come today but she was knee deep in sewing for the upcoming Fall Quilt Market.

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*** COMING SOON ***

Isn't this a sweet quilt in Holly Holderman's fabrics.   This is a new block of the month by Elizabeth that will be published very soon.  I LOVE IT and those fabric selections are just perfect.  Quilts with black in them are just so striking. 

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This quilt had so many tiny pieces I took a close up. 

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Another fun booth was a new one.  This booth was so crowded I could barely take a  picture. It is called Bonnie Blue Quilts .  This had the most beautiful reproduction civil war era fabrics.  Most of the booths were just jam packed with people & this is only day one.  It continues through Saturday.

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Sneak Peak Time

I should have this quilt top done this week & hopefully quilted next week & a new pattern by the end of the month. 

Tomorrow is PIQF for those  quilt lovers out there.  I'll be going with Pam.  Friday is quilting & antiquing with Shirley.  A fun few days!    I'd better get out of my jammies & get sewing ...

Have a Happy Wednesday everyone :  ) 

Pattern Done!

I'm trying to catch up on some UFO's this year.  This quilt was made in 2005 & I am just now (shame, shame) getting the instructions in writing for a pattern.   

Pacific International Quilt Market will be here before you know it.  Pam & I go together every year.  Can hardly wait. 

Other than this I spent two days with mom as she had to have 5 teeth pulled.  Poor mom, osteoporosis is getting the best of her, jaw bones & all.  At 92 she was a real trouper.   I spent the night at her assisted living facility.  I tried to sleep in the recliner as she was laying diagonally across her small bed.  That didn't last very long.  I finally curled up towards the edge of the bed.  The aides must have come in 4 x during the night to check her & give her meds, etc.  Also, her little fridge, right next to the bed just hummed away all night.   Mom is hard of hearing so it doesn't bother her.  I came home bleary eyed the following day & fell into bed.  She's doing great though : )  Yeah, mom!

Art & More Art

I've been a busy little bee this week making some art pieces.  I'm trying to divide up my free time between quilting & mixed media & it's not always easy to switch the mindset.  Then other times  I'll be in the middle of doing a quilt & get an idea for a collage & want to stop & make it NOW.  I'm trying to be more organized, write the idea down & wait till I'm done with what I'm working on.  I so love doing both & it's so much fun.   At times I like to include the sewing theme into the mixed media project & mixed media into my quilts.

A sneak peak at one

Yesterday I saw the new Somerset Workshop III along with Somerset Memories at the book store.  I skimmed through them & had to buy them both.  Workshop features only 4 artists, one of them being Connie Govea Stuart who I know.  Then today in the mail I received a package from CGS & inside was one of her Workshop projects, this darling stuffed paper shoe.  Thanks CGS!  It's adorable &  very much a surprise gift.  Also in the Workshop is Lisa Guerin, Olivia Thomas & Rachel Emilie Jackson.  Such wonderful projects & techniques.