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Thursday, December 15, 2011

Road Trip Side Trip!

On my way down to Columbia on Tuesday ---I had some time to kill! Jason was supposedly working until 4pm, and there I was driving through Charlotte around noonish----so I had a couple of hours to fill with ANYTHING my heart desired. What’s a girl on her own to do, when given the freedom to do what she WANTS?!

ANTIQUE MALL!!

Oh, I hadn’t been in a while..a long while...there just hasn’t been time. It’s usually something I do on my way to somewhere, or home from somewhere --- a treat for myself to stretch my legs on a long journey, but since I’ve been home ---other things have occupied my life to where I couldn’t just pick up and go and spend the time.

But TUESDAY I did!

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My favorite place in Charlotte is the Sleepy Poet Antique Mall! There are aisles and aisles of booths ---and you never know just what you are going to find! Of course, the first thing I look for are the quilts. Did I find quilts? YES!

And this is where I really wonder at some of these dealers --- do they know what they have? Do they really? We’ve all heard stories of the proverbial “MADE IN CHINA” quilt that gets listed as a hand quilted heirloom ((Look for the binding…if there is none, and if it has poly batting, chances are it is NOT an heirloom folks!)) But this one really caught my eye:

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This was what I saw draped over a chair as I walked past one booth. Red gingham lone stars….and look at that GLORIOUS border print!!

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Vintage quilt circa -----1930??? I don’t THINK SO!?? ((Siobhan, are you reading this? I need your opinion please!!)) I’m thinking she is about 100 years off! It looks mid 1800’s to me.

Quickly and carefully I unfold it----

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For its age, it is in BEAUTIFUL condition….can you see how the stars are PERFECTLY PIECED?? The points all match, the diamonds are all uniform in size ((Look ma, No volcanoes or D cups! LOL!)) ---this was fabric that was specifically purchased for this quilt at a time when fabric was an expensive item. Was that border print saved specifically for this quilt? It was a cotton, not a chintz ---but definitely a very early print as far as I could tell!

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Close up of the border print….isn’t this YUMMY!!?!

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The border is quilted in very close fans…..the stars are outlined within each diamond..and can you see the flower motif in the star corner? They didn’t quilt this heavily in the 1930s..and the batting in this is THIN…another way to judge an earlier quilt.

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There is a bit of wear at the edge…the quilt has no binding, but the edges are turned in toward the inside of the quilt and it is blind stitched closed, envelope style.

Don’t you wish you had the story of this quilt? I DO! Did it come home with me? No, it did not. I’m to the point where I know that not every quilt, just because I love it, can come live with me in my house. But I’m happy for the pictures!!

What DID come home with me?

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It’s an old pecan basket, or so the label said. The hinges are leather…it has carved wooden handles on the side….

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It was in a booth that was closing out with everything marked 1/2 off. It was under the table with some other stuff in it….the price? $29.95 so I got it for $15.00. I’m a happy camper! Now just to find a place to PUT it!

I have more pics from the Antique Mall too, but this is already getting long, so I’ll post more later!!

This morning we are up to 97 entries for this week’s Mystery Monday Link-Up! So many different colorways going on….and I love being able to read the stories behind each and everyone! Be sure to check them out.

And tomorrow…we go live with PART 5!! You will definitely want to come back for that….

I’ll be spending the day in the basement today, finishing up writing Part 5 – and then working on the rest of the pattern sections for the next book. I’m sticking pretty much to the timeline I set for myself this month. I’ve finished 9 out of 13 pattern sections and they are off to my editor, Jen! I’m breathing easier about it, but there is still so much more to do. I’d like to have the other 4 pattern sections done by the end of the weekend, and the rest of the month in putting all the other text sections together – the forward, the resources, all that stuff --- the part that makes me always feel like I’m writing a term paper ---

I’m leaving myself time for ME to play ----each day I get to reward myself with something after I get my designated section for the day written!

Have a great Thursday, Y’all!

7 comments:

  1. Because the border fabric is so very different from the star blocks, do you think that the quilt might have been enlarged? Perhaps the blocks were assembled and set by one person and the border fabric added by someone else.

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  2. I love your antique mall trips. I never get to go anymore and love visiting them through you.

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  3. I love your antique mall trips. I never get to go anymore and love visiting them through you.

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  4. I was wondering the same thing as Nana.

    I would steal that basket from you if I could! LOL I collect picnic baskets and use them for storage. I use some in my sewing room to hold the "seasonal" fabrics. I use on in my bathroom to hold the cleaning supplies because we only have a pedestal sink in there, so no storage, etc. I have old ones and newer ones...and have never paid over $5 for one! They make great decorative storage solutions! :)

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  5. Antique mall looks cool, but I can't believe you were that close to Mary Jos and didn't make a stop!! Guess you haven't used all of your cheddar? I love the border fabric, but doesn't look like it goes with the pink diamonds.

    Can't wait until step 5 is revealed tomorrow...happy basementing!

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  6. Like Becky, I immediately thought MARY JO'S when you said you were driving by Charlotte on the way to Columbia... *lol*


    I have a one-track mind!

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  7. ooh Bonnie, that basket! That s a great buy, I love those

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