On A Glorious Day Such as This!

Martha and I stopped at the overlook on our way to Chilhowie, Virginia – It’s a pilgrimage that needs to be done and appreciated during every seasonal change. 

And yesterday things were highlighted in the most gorgeous of golden glows.

The drizzle of the day before had dissipated, and we would find ourselves amidst cloud cover changing over to sunshine and blue skies, and back to cloud cover again as if the sky couldn’t yet decide whether it truly wanted to be autumnal, or hanging on to the slim remnant of summer.

My first outing in 2 weeks really – and it felt so good to be taking these long and winding roads to where our hearts lead us.

Make up your mind clouds!

I need some vitamin D after the past couple of weeks!

Stop number one!

Oh, I love these old buildings -

And those window panes!

And here is where I made a complete friend fail.  Martha found the most wonderful blanket chest, and I was so busy I didn’t even stop to get a photo of her purchase!  She has plans for the perfect spot in her dining room, and it is from the same time period as her old farmhouse.  It was handmade in Tennessee and is the most wonderful folk-arty piece.

I also found a small china pitcher that will be great with a silk plant or some flowers in it – my total cost? $12.  And I forgot to take a photo of IT!  (It is already at the retreat house, will grab a snapshot of it later – I’m playing lazy and typing from the cabin this morning.)

And did you know that on this day, THIS DAY ONLY – the purchase of that little pitcher came with a free bonus?  No, not a bamboo steamer, or a set of ginsu knives, but….

Free with purchase!  One decrepit Singer 66 Red Eye.

LOL!

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Sept 20th, 1921.

Now queue the twilight zone music.  What was yesterday?  SEPTEMBER 20th!  Wow.  Just WOW.

The story went like this – when the owner of the shop found out that I worked with vintage machines, he said he had a “boat anchor” he was willing to give away for free.  Free intrigues me.  Do I need another machine?  NO!  Do I want another machine?  Not really.  BUT. (There is always but!)

I have another 66 that is missing a decent face plate because the thread guide is broken off.  And I was trying to figure out a way to replace the thread guide – and I do NOT weld.

This lovely freebie may just become a parts donor. Things I could tell the shop owner about the machine?  I could look up the serial number and date it.  I could tell that whomever owned it loved to sew – and sewed A LOT.  The decals are completely worn off in front of the needle, and the evidence of former pin rash are still present.  (Pin rash is the term for where a piece of cloth was wrapped around the neck of the machine as a place to keep pins close and handy, and they always scratched off decals in a noticeable fashion.)

There is a bobbin inside.  The slide plate is present.  The needle bar doesn’t move up or down– it’s frozen solid, even though the hand wheel turns. But the tension assembly is good, as is the bobbin assembly – and even the spool pin.  The spoked hand wheel could be shined and restored and used to turn a machine into a hand crank with the addition of a hand crank mechanism.

And that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

Antiques at Winterhurst.

(See how blue the sky got? For a bit at least!)

We came up to this lovely antique shop in an old house to mostly browse – it’s full of VERY FINE antiques, most of which are English or very high dollar.  No chippy pitchers or freebie machines or even primitive blanket chests to be found here.  But it was a chance to see inside the house, full of gorgeous crown moldings and Victorian pianos and chandeliers to die for.

Besides – isn’t that the most inviting front porch?

Not sure what I adore most - a pick up full of pumpkins, or advertising signage on old brick building exteriors.  It was farmer’s market day in Marion, VA!

Past Time Antique Mall in Marion -

This USED to be a boarding house above a shop below. Now the whole thing is an antiques place.  SO much fun to wander. 

Oh, sweet ragged thing!

Can you imagine not only quilting this, but doing the chicken scratch embroidery around each piece?  Such a great folksy piece!

There were not many quilts this day – but I also loved this one with big hexies.

Sweet fabrics.

Martha busted a gut when I named this scene:

“Suitcase Taxidermy!”  LOL!

(WHY would you do this? Just WHY?)

And I really am proud of myself not only for what DIDN’T come home with me, but what did.

Bath salts jar full of old buttons.

Hand embroidered pillow.

Destined for Quiltville Inn decor!

The JAR is what is really cool about this one.

However, I don’t think anyone CLEANED OUT the remaining bath salts before putting the buttons in.  There is all this crystal-y sand looking stuff in the bottom of the jar – hmmmm.  May have to clean this up a bit.  The pillow I think is going in the blue bedroom with the white iron beds.  Just too sweet. 

AND THIS!  Perfect lunch!

What’s a Dip Dog?  Think Corn Dog, only much much better.  It was just an awesomely fun day out.

The long and winding way home.

This morning I’m not moving so quickly.  I think I may have overdone it a bit – so this weekend is going to be VERY low key.  And that is perfectly fine with me!

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Sometimes I can even do things that make me wonder about myself! Lol!

Have a wonderful Saturday, friends.