Tuesday, after Jason headed southward home to Columbia, South Carolina –I looked at my watch and decided to “Detour to the Depot” ---The Depot at Gibson Mill in Concord, NC is “sort of” on my way home ---and if you have the desire to wander and explore, this is the place!
Be prepared to spend a lot of time.
The Depot really IS an old mill – and is the largest antique mall in the whole of the south with over 550 booths and covers over 88,000 square feet.
MECCA!!
Upon arriving --- this was my first glimpse down just one aisle:
WHERE. TO. START?!
I walked all the way to one end, and then began to thread my way across this vast space ---cool! The photos I took are in no particular order. Just kind of the way I came across things. In my wanderings there are certain things I keep an eye out for ---and I’m sure you could have guessed:
Quilts, quilt tops and quilt blocks
Sewing baskets and Sewing Notions
Vintage machines –including toys, treadles and tails!
kitchen items
tins with advertising – especially toiletries and medicinal tins
And anything from “MY” childhood that should not be in an antique mall in the first place, because I am just NOT THAT OLD!
Take a walk with me:
Lovely string quilt, pieced quickly, batted thickly, and tied for extra warmth!
Vintage Sew Master toy machine – too spendy for my blood!
Ocean Waves variation – LOVE LOVE LOVE!
Did she not have enough blocks to make the quilt big enough? SO added sashing, cornerstones and borders? Or….did she run out of red? LOOK:
One of these things is not like the others!
Were these earlier blocks finished by someone else later? And just one more block was needed? I love the bottom block on the right…flipped the other way ---one of THESE things is not like the others either! I just love this about antique quilts…spontaneity, with make-do attitude. This really makes for an interesting quilt, much more so than if it had been pieced perfectly all matched and “RIGHT”.
I hurried over here – and walked away.
Both of these machines, though they look “Vintage” are actually Chinese reproductions. There is no serial number plate at the bottom of the pillar as with vintage machines. Learn and know what to look for ---the one on the right had 15C as its model number. The C means it was manufactured in China.
Now This one is Real!
The serial number gives it a manufacture date of 1938.
Old New Home, cabinet in bad shape ---machine frozen solid.
$200.00 ---too pricey!
What a great idea – there are comfy chairs and couches – just hand the man the remote and keep shopping!
Simple bow-ties on a ladder – I love how these are placed in rows!
Sweet fabrics from 1900! But this has been quilted later – it has poly batting in it.
Cute quilting though! And I love the navy/yellow/pink combo!
ANOTHER Black side 127! I swear they made gobs of these!
Hanging Baskets from an old bed spring? Won’t work in my house, but was cool here!
OH! LOVE!!
But left it – $1,000.00. Not even on a good lottery day!
Now this I love more! Little 9 patches in windmill blocks…FUNKY fabrics!
Would those plaids and stripes and color combos drive you nuts?
I LOVE IT!!
One more machine – a Universal. With certificates of ownership!
I had to fight the urge to remove the PIN RAG--
1955!
If you see a machine with a bit of cloth on its neck like this….check the decals underneath. Often times they are obliterated by pin scratches otherwise known as “pin rash”. Do not do this to your machines!
The only thing that came home with me was a vintage iron. And it’s still in the bag, and I haven’t tried it yet – but it was worth a long wander for the inspiration and surrounding myself with things I love – the thrill of the hunt! You never know what you can find.
Today is not going to be so fun. Tax time you know? Which means I have an appointment at the bank to move some stuff around --- I can see myself sitting in the bank lobby for hours waiting for someone to shuffle me into their little glass walled cubicle-office. I’ve never sewn hexies in a bank before….but they are coming with me!
From there, Shamu needs an oil change, tire rotation and since we are headed back to the mountains for more property hunting tomorrow, it has to be done – of course—TODAY. More hexie sewing time!
Glamorous? Nope! But must get it done!
And just to leave you with a smile:
That's life!
ReplyDeleteI have one of those universals that I picked up a while back from salvation army of all places. Defiantly going to be checking out the Depot on my next trip to Charlotte. Those are some great treasures and I could only imagine all the other lovelies that you saw.
ReplyDeleteLove your posts. Takes us to places we many never ever see!
ReplyDeleteCheck the prices of the thread cabinets at Houston quilt show....$2500 and up. That one is a " steal". Lol
ReplyDeleteLoved Quiltville last night! The new angle is great!
ReplyDeleteBonnie, can you please post how you make those bonus spools? I think it's great to do two or three quilts at a time!
Ok--good luck at the bank!
Sue from Ninigret
The instructions for Bonnie's Spoolin’ Around Leader/Ender Challenge! can be found under the Free Patterns! tab.
Deletehttp://quiltville.blogspot.com/2012/08/spoolin-around-leaderender-challenge.html
Love, love, love that last antique quilt with the crazy mish-mosh of fabrics. It's not too different from some of the 'modern' quilts being made with 'retro' fabric right now. So. Much. FUN.
ReplyDeleteHope the errands go smoothly. Enjoyed quilt cam last night while I sewed some X and O blocks :-) My kind of fun!
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking us with you on your trip through the The Depot. You always come up with some beautiful finds!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first saw that thread cabinet, I couldn't wait to see if you had bought it. Thought maybe I'd be heading to McGill St. until I read the price. Maybe I'll just go by and visit it. ☺
ReplyDeletelove the pinwheel nine patches! - I would like to make one of those. if there was a pattern ....hint. ;-)
ReplyDeletethank you for taking me places beyond my imagination
Sandy. in South Australia
love the pinwheel nine patches! - I would like to make one of those. if there was a pattern ....hint. ;-)
ReplyDeletethank you for taking me places beyond my imagination
Sandy. in South Australia
I thought I recognized the "pinwheel and nine patch" block! I am working on a Tales of the First Ladies quilt, and this block is included in that quilt and it is called Lady of the Whitehouse. There is information and history on the block here. http://quiltinaday.com/theater/tales/tales1.shtml
ReplyDeleteLove the Pinwheel and Nine Patch scrappy quilt.I bet you could make one of those...after the Sister's Choice quilt is complete!
ReplyDeleteLove the Pinwheel and Nine Patch scrappy quilt.I bet you could make one of those...after the Sister's Choice quilt is complete!
ReplyDeleteOh, Bonnie! I LOVE this! I felt like I was right there with you. And, it is good to know that the "c" means it was made in China. Thank you!!!
ReplyDelete