Antique-Mall Road Show!

You know me, I just can’t resist a sign that says “Antiques Ahead!” I didn’t think I’d find many quilts down here in Florida. In fact, what I found were definitely more of the tropical to pastel color range of quilts…light weight, and fun!

I never know what I will find. Some places will have more junk than most. Some will have quilts that are really dirty, smelly and over-priced. Some won't have any quilts at all...but you just never know. And if you don't go looking, you won't know what you could be missing! And rest assured, I have come across MANY MANY quilts that say "Vintage, Rare, Hand Stitched, Hand Quilted" and you don't even have to look at them closely to know they are the "made in china" ones....falling apart at the seams, inch long stitches, polyester batting falling out! It cracks me up when something says "made in 1850" and it has poly batting peeking through the seams!

But still...we look. Because we have to. Because there ARE gems to be found amid the junk!

Of course this wonky string quilt caught my eye! Lots of 50s/60s fabrics in it..maybe some into the early 70s too. If it looks retro, it’s because it IS…or the epitome of what retro is trying to recreate anyway! This one was used and used hard…It was tied instead of quilted….

I fell in love with this tiger oak parlor cabinet! I SO wanted to buy this JUST for the cabinet ((ARE YOU READING ME DIANE?!?)) But there is so much stuff in my car, I couldn’t fit it in if I wanted to. Am I going to shoot myself? For not getting it? Probably! I definitely thing my next car is going to be a mini van! I never wanted a mini van….I made it all the way through kids without one…but now? Yep. I think I see a minivan in my future!

Here is a pic of the machine itself….seriously. I just wanted the cabinet! This is a Free, No. 5! Probably needs a good cleaning, but the bobbin shuttle was still there, and all the parts moved…at least it wasn’t frozen up!

But…the price?

$165.00! Should I shoot myself, Di?? Should I? Auughhh…..next time, maybe next time. LIke I said, there is NO WAY JOSE that that will fit in my car anyway!

I LOVED this beauty in two colors…a watermelon pink and crisp white! I definitely see this quilt in my future! I love how the broken dishes units just criss-cross through the bigger pinwheels. Isn’t this fun?!

This Jacob’s Ladder was really fun too! All the blocks used different yellows, and the other fabrics were very fun 50s early 60s prints! I love these big splashy roses:

Aren’t these fabrics great? The quilt was pretty badly stained in some areas…the price was well..PRICEY! But sometimes a picture is worth more. Besides…I really am out of ROOM to store these things!

Isn’t it fun how the blocks and areas look so different depending on which fabric was matched with what yellow? I’m thinking I’m going to have to start some yellow 4 patches for my next leader/ender project! Looks like 5 identical 4 patches, 4 half square triangles also using the same two fabrics per block….anyone want to join me? :cD

THIS lovely took the cake!! It was SO BEAUTIFULLY appliqued and embroidered! It’s a shame it was in as bad of a state as it was…looks like water stains had yellowed in in several areas…and it was too pricey to want to bring home and fix, but I loved looking at the ladies! I am NOT a Sunbonnet Sue lover….but these Colonial Ladies are charming!

		Colonial Ladies Quilt VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I didn’t get pictures of ALL the blocks….I was trying to be discreet in my photo taking! If I had a daughter….I might have snatched this one up. I hope it finds a home with someone who really appreciates the workmanship that went in to it!

I’ve got an antique top like this one at home that I’d love to hand quilt some day! Would I ever want to piece one? NO WAY! LOL! But I sure love the look of the chains those leaf shapes make as they criss cross their way through the quilt too. Designs that are strongly positive/negative have always caught my eye as well…

And as always, I wonder what the NEXT jaunt through the Antique Mall will unearth! Oh, how I love a treasure hunt!

Good Morning, Beautiful Thursday!

Up and at it….ear buds and ipod ready! Off I went for a 6 mile walk jog this morning! I woke up about 6am…I LOVE early mornings! Seconded only by that time right before evening falls..when shadows are long and the sun is working it’s way down…that 3 hours of time left before dark…

And lest you think that I run the whole thing……there is a reason I call it a walk/jog. I tend to walk a song, run a song, walk a song, run a song as I listen to my music. I can’t DO long distances just running. I’ve never been able to….but I think the important thing is that I am out there moving my body. I’ll never win any races, I probably even look pretty ridiculous, but you know what? Who cares. My health matters to me, and that means exercising when I can.

I ran by some orange orchards!! I admit I don’t know a lot about farming, but these all seemed to have just left last year’s crop still on the tree….they are just rotting there. How sad!

You can see them still on the trees. I’m sure there are reasons why…like…maybe orange prices were down and it cost more to harvest them that they would bring in…but I still think it is a shame that someone wasn’t able to pick these when they were good!

However, I did see LOTS of trees with exciting abundance of NEW FRUIT for the next harvest! These oranges are looking quite happy as they grow!

Last evening another huge storm rolled through….and that squashed my plans to be out and about….so after dinner, I braved the rain to go to my car and bring in some handwork. The lobby has a nice seating area and a big screen TV…so I sat and finished the binding and hanging sleeve on my pineapple quilt! YAY! It’s really REALLY done!

I know….that blue/mauve piece does NOT go with the backing fabric! But you know what? When showing quilts and handing them to the holders during my lectures, we have the hardest time finding which way is UP if the sleeve MATCHES the backing fabric! I don’t care what the hanging sleeve is made of. It’s a great way to clear out a 1/2 yard of some old 1990s cutesy calico! Gone! Good bye! Good Riddance! LOL!

I haven’t written on the label yet…it’s just an 8” square of white on white ((Yes, I want that all GONE from my stash…Labels are a great place to use it!)) folded on the diagonal, pressed, and placed in a bottom corner. The binding seam anchors it, and the edges are covered and secure by the binding folding over the edges. All I had to do was hand stitch that folded edge. DONE! I’ll write on it when I’m home. I want to include things like how many pieces it has, how long it took, the name, the date, that kind of stuff. But for now…It’s FINISHED. Whew! :c)

Yesterday’s Star Struck Workshop was FUN!! So many different fabrics, so many different ways to go!

		Star Struck, Sebring, FL June 2011 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Today I move on to Lakeland for a lecture tonight with the Ladies of the Lake guild!

Tomorrow? I’m meeting up with my friend Lisa who is here from Stuttgart, Germany with her daughter doing all kinds of fun Orlando things!! We are going to EPCOT!! OH YEAH!! I’ve never been….and I’m looking forward to spending the day with them!

Evening Edition! Free Kindle Book!

Yes, it’s another cook book! But the list of recipes sounds really good to me right about now. I love Hungarian food, and there are just not a lot of Hungarian places in the cities I’ve visted lately. Lots of Tex Mex and plenty of BBQ --- but the last time I was in a specifically Hungarian restaurant was when I was in Ohio a couple of years ago! I’m wanting myself some Chicken Paprikash!

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Review

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I was enjoying the pool this afternoon after the class was over….Beautiful blue sky, hot hot sun, about 4pm. Doesn’t this look inviting?

This is the pool at the Kenilworth Lodge. I swam a bit, lounged a bit, talked to a friend on the phone with my eyes closed while basking in the sun….but within 20 minutes..I couldn’t feel sun anymore, only shade! Peeling one eye open and glancing up revealed that the sun was now covered by mean looking quickly approaching clouds!

Within 5 minutes, the clouds were definitely rumbling overhead and I know enough to not be by a pool when a thunderstorm is rolling through..and let me tell you…it is HOSING RAIN out there as I am writing this post!

SO here I sit, in my room….dreaming of Chicken Paprikash, and wishing I had brought some handwork in from the car with me….can’t go get it now…it’s ACROSS The parking lot…and it is COMING DOWN…

NOTE TO SELF : Whether you think you will need it or not, never NEVER EVER leave your busy bag in the CAR!

When the rain slows down, I’ll run out and get dinner…..and spend the evening stitching….I’ve got the pictures from today’s Star Struck workshop to edit down and will post those in the morning…we had so much fun today!

Toodles for now!

Hello, Sebring!

This picture is an aerial view of Lake Jackson, Sebring, Florida!

I should Never never never trust a Tomtom ((yes, even my new one)) to get me to somewhere I’ve never been before!

Well, or….maybe only trust it as far as you can throw it. And then…..double check with google maps to be sure!

Yesterday morning, after my fiasco with nary a hotel luggage cart in sight to help me load my “way too much needed stuff” back into my car….I keyed in the address for the Women’s Center where the guild meeting was being held, and headed on my way.

((Yes, it is a HUGE pet peeve when people take the carts and keep them in their rooms over night....Other people NEED them TOO, ya know? GRRRR!!))

I had no idea WHERE Sebring was on the map, really….just that it was about 90 miles from Brandon, and off I went. It was pretty much an easy jaunt, out into the countryside! I’ve never seen much of the agricultural side of Florida, and this was so fun seeing cattle, horses, fields, orchards…very different from the high rises and sprawling beaches of the gulf coast!

And I let Tomtom take me…..16 miles PAST where the meeting really was, on a DIFFERENT Lakeview drive, out in the middle of nowhere! And I was at this point nearly running late.

In desparation, I pulled out my trusty iphone, googled the women’s center……and used the GPS on google maps to get me where I was REALLY supposed to be. And all was well. And we had a great time!

It was SO stinking hot, my car thermometer registered 100…I was SO glad when temps dropped as a storm rolled in right after our dinner!

I am staying at the NEATEST old hotel-- You know how I love historic places, right? Well…get a load of the Kenilworth Lodge in Sebring, FL!

This is a post card from 1940….

This is the picture I took today!

Other than the parking lot, it hasn’t changed much!

The hotel was built around 1916. It’s like stepping back into time as you climb the steps and see the chairs on the veranda…

It was SO SO SO hot though, that I couldn’t wait to get into the lobby for a bit of “COOL!”

Beautiful stair case! My room is on the second floor, so I’ve been up and down these stairs a few times already. The sewing stuff? I left most of it in the car. I did bring the hexagons in with me, and a couple quilts to bind should the mood strike, but after the storm, I decided to put on my running shoes and go pound some pavement…

On my way back out I took these pictures in the lobby as well:

Do you know who else has stayed here? There is historic memorabilia all over the walls, and I found THIS list while exploring:

You may have to click it to biggie size it. And I admit I didn’t know many of the names in the left column, but as I followed the time line into the right hand column, these names caught my eye:

Very cool!!

So out I went to enjoy the cooler evening temps after the rain…in a bit of a hurry because sunset was quickly approaching! Down the side walk, along the lake…and found a public beach access!

Lonely empty shore of Lake Jackson! I loved the look of the pier going out over the water, so I wound my way around and found how to get onto it…

Evening colors are so brilliant!! There was still some rumbling of thunder going on in the clouds across the lake, but here the rain had stopped and it was just beautiful out.

This is the view from the end of the pier back toward shore…just catching the last rays of the sunset reflecting here! It was a great evening to squeeze in 5 miles…..come back to the hotel, take a shower, relax in the room, take care of email, and get ready for today’s Star Struck workshop!