What I'm Collecting Now: Feedsack Quilts

 

I've never been much of a quilt collector.  I think simply because I could never afford the price when they would come up at the local PA auctions I would attend.  I would often sit by and watch as the Mennonite and Amish women fought it out for antique quilts and vintage linens.  They had good taste and deep pockets.  Though I was never able to purchase a vintage quilt at that time, I've always enjoyed seeing the designs and fabric used in making them.   Feedsack patchwork quilts have always been my favorite.  I love the random cotton fabrics used and the crazy stitched designs. I also happen to love a well worn and broken in quilt.  Why you may ask?  See above and times those two by a bunch more beasties.  I like using my vintage treasures and I prefer them to not be perfect.  It takes some of the guilt out of any accidental destruction that might some how occur with daily living.  Yes, that's right....imperfect means, no quilt guilt for me!

 

I happened across an auction the other month and was finally able to snag a few quilts at really good prices. Don't get me wrong, there was still competition for them when they came up, but the prices didn't go that high.  I discovered later from talking with some of my friends in the "dealer scene", that quilts just don't have the demand that they use to have. They're just not hot right now around here!  Well now, I guess this means it's the time for me to start my awesome feed sack quilt collection! Five out of six cats agree that this is a most excellent idea.  The dogs don't care, they'll lay on anything!

 

The quilt below, I fell in love with because of the most fab fabric on it's backside.  Oh did I happen to mention I also love a quilt with not one but two awesome sides.  Please don't give me a boring backside, Momma likes some fun colorful fabric junk in her trunk!  Like pretty seafoam green and pink!

 

 

 

I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for more vintage quilts in my future! Now's a great time to start picking them up for fairly decent prices. 

Happy Collecting.

MaryDeluxe

Summer 2013...so far...

It's hard to believe the Summer is just flying by so fast. Here's just some of the things I've been up to around here this Summer. 

 

An afternoon terrarium project (that I still need to complete) using an old vintage slate bottom aquarium.  I also have the cool iron stand for it too! 

 

Dog days of Summer have arrived and boy, hound dogs sure are lazy beasties in the hot, humid weather....but so are their owners.  Time for another nap Chet!

 

Exploring the tallest waterfall in the state of NJ! Butter Milk Falls.

 

Yup, still have those chickens.

 

See, I told ya hound dogs are lazy in the Summer time.  I woke up one morning to this guy looking at me....just had to take the picture!

 

Eating out of the garden all Summer long here kids!  Harvested a ton of cucumbers, zucchini, squash, peas and beans.  Tomatoes will be arriving any day now!   

 

Weeding, weeding, weeding.

 

The top of Butter Milk Falls!  Yup we climbed to the top wearing flip flops, cuz that's just the way we roll around here some times!

We've also had some neighbor drama around here, as our neighbor has a lack of pet responsibility, which caused the loss of two of Sgt's meat chickens.   Yup, she believes in just opening her door and sending her two new dogs out to roam....on other people's properties... where they have chickens.  So needless to say, it was not a fun event to have happen and be a witness to.  Wild animals I can understand, but a domesticated dog with an irresponsible owner, I can not.  We're hoping for a more quiet second half to our Summer.

~MaryDeluxe

Awesome Vintage Kitchen

A few weeks back, I was at an estate auction that had the most amazing, cool, little 1950's kitchen!  The bathrooms had been redone sometime in the 70's but the kitchen remained in it's original state.  It even had the built in clock above the oven and turquoise laminate counter tops!

But the most amazing feature had to be the over head cabinet supported by a very unique shelf!  I also LOVE the door hardware...atomic door pulls!

It was a small kitchen but so well laid out!  I would have bought the house just for the kitchen alone!  I hope whomever purchased the house will kept the kitchen just the way it is...but I have my doubts.
 

~MaryDeluxe

Harvest Star Antiques Summer Open House

If you're local and have nothing to do on Saturday, why not take a drive over and do a little shopping! There will be food, door prizes, and hot deals!  Stop by and say hello :)

One More for the Collection

Oops I did it again!
Yes, I scored another vintage patio umbrella. 
This one I found at an estate auction in one of the closets in the house. The auctioneer didn't even know it was there but I spotted it right away and immediately almost peed my pants.  I had to ask him to include it in the auction so I could buy it. 

 
Hand crank ones are hard to find.

I wonder if people drive past my house and say...."look there's the crazy umbrella lady with all the old turquoise patio umbrellas"....that would be cool!

~MaryDeluxe

Town Wide Yard Sale 2013

My haul from our local town wide yard sale this past weekend!  Town wide yard sales are huge around my area.  It seems like just about every single sleepy little town around here holds a town wide yard sale in the Spring, Summer, or Fall months. Their little streets become jammed with people and traffic, so it's best to find a parking space and set out on foot with a shopping tote.  It's also a lot of fun to participate in some house voyeurism as you walk around!  Oooooo, look at the turrets on that one!

 
Pyrex Gooseberry Pink serve and store casseroles #472 and #473.  Now I just need to find #471! I really limit myself to only collecting certain types of pyrex designs when I can find them at a good price.  I pass pyrex pieces up often at auctions because they go higher than I'm willing to pay.  I found these beauties all dusty and dirty at the bottom of a box, they cleaned up really cute!  Also pictured is an old cast iron soap dish with a star fish and a wooden knife holder with a rooster on it!

 
This is a 1950's child's twin Cinderella/Prince Charming/Fairy Tale Themed comforter.  I loved the novelty fabric and it was to cute to pass up.

 
Up close look at the cute 1/2 pint Atlas jars.

 
Perfect 1950s religious kitsch....St. Jude and Virgin Mary night lights.  St. Jude just needs a new bulb! Really, now how could I pass these up?

 
Yup, I found bakelite...it's only a thin red spacer... but still bakelite and something that's rare to run across at yard sales anymore or thrift shops for that matter.  It pays to look at the junk bagged jewelry.

When participating in such a large area of yard sales, it's important to have a plan.  I have my established route down fairly well and I stick to certain areas of town that have an older population or houses that I've found something cool at the year before.  I don't usually venture into new sub-divisions that have lots of toys or baskets displayed on table tops.  I also don't haggle over something priced at just a dollar or two.  It's rare to see anything priced at less than a dollar at a yard sale anymore.  So, a dollar for something little, like a pyrex dish, is a good deal to me! 

~MaryDeluxe

Strawberries...A Love Story

Fresh picked strawberries...

 

A strawberry ice cream recipe....

Ingredients:
* 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* 2 large eggs
* 1 cup sugar, divided
* 2 cups heavy whipping cream
* 1 cup milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup sugar in a mixing bowl, set aside in fridge for 1 hour. In large mixing bowl beat eggs until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add 3/4 cups sugar, mixing well. Stir in milk and vanilla and mix well. Add strawberries with juice and mix well. Gently stir in whipping cream just until combined. Pour into ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions.

An old ice cream maker picked up for a few bucks at an auction...

Plus two goof balls...

Equals YUMMY homemade strawberry ice cream!!!

 

I LOVE this time of year!!!

~MaryDeluxe

Spring Veggie Garden....

As you might remember, we started our Spring veggie garden at the end of March. Things have really started moving along in the veggie patch!  As you can see, we have our big garden very organized with specific areas for veggies and straw paths for walking.  The straw helps cut down on the weeding, which will be a big deal later this Summer!

 
My pea army is all ready to get down to business.....

 
Spinach, mixed lettuce, radishes (which we've started eating!), and kale.  Can you spot my blurry garden buddy in the upper right?



 
Here's my other garden buddy...Capt'n Gus (the feral cat I trapped by accident in December) ...the most awesomeness, sidekick garden cat you could ask for.  No really, he's better behaved outside than the Hound dog.  Comes when called, stays in the yard, follows me around, and doesn't bother the chickens.  Sgt thinks it's the weirdest thing to watch him follow me around the yard as I do various chores.  To be perfectly honest, I also find it very weird how much he has attached himself to me. 


Lots more yet to plant.  We'll be laying out plans for our Summer garden this weekend, which includes...tomatoes, basil, squash, watermelon, cucumbers, peppers, egg plant, cilantro, zucchini,  beans...the list goes on.  Then in July we'll plan and plant for our Fall garden.  But I don't really want to think about that right now!  I'd much rather enjoy my Spring veggies and eagerly anticipate the strawberry harvest coming soon!! May has got to be my favorite month of the year.

~MaryDeluxe

Gliding into Spring

I have a love for old gliders and recently picked up this one at an estate auction the other weekend.  I fell in love with its bright lime green and yellow floral pattern.  I'm always excited when I find all the original cushions in fab condition (once I cleaned the mouse turds off) with these gliders. 

I put the glider over in a semi shady spot so Sgt and I can sit with a cup of tea and watch the chickens meandering around scratching for bugs. I also picked up a few old Coronet magazines.  I think I'll save reading them for a nice warm Spring day, as the weather has decided to turn a bit to chilly and windy for my liking.  My Spring garden however, is loving the colder temps!

 

A few of my other vintage gliders I've shown here on the blog over the years...

 

This is a late 1930's Bunting Glider that I found in 2003.  I paid $1 for it at and estate auction around the block from my house.  I waited all day for them to sell this glider, it was one of the last things that they sold.  It had the original cushions  with it but I'm sorry to say they weren't in the best of condition :( I do however plan on someday having the cushions re-made so at least I have pictures to go on!  I doubt I can ever get a glider like this again for a dollar at an auction....maybe for $5 but never $1.

Then there is of course my shabby chic back porch glider from 2011...

 

It didn't come with all the cushions, it was just a chippy little two seater glider that needs a new paint job.  I put on a cute set of bark cloth cushions I had laying around for a little extra softness! 

 

So are you starting to bust out your vintage patio furniture now that Spring is here?  Show me what you got going on!  Next weekend I hope to be taking my vintage patio umbrellas out for a good Spring cleaning!

~MaryDeluxe

 

A Year of Chickens

It's been one year since Sgt and I got our first batch of laying chickens with three accidental roosters thrown in!  It's been a fun year and I have to say we've had no major problems with our flock as of this point.  It's been lots of fun raising them and not as much of a time investment as you might think.  There's of course routine maintenance but you have that with any animal.  In my opinion, the benefits of having chickens totally out weighs any maintenance involved in keeping them.

 

 



 

Before you start sending me hate email...yes, we harvested the three roosters.  They were mean, nasty assholes.  It's not necessary to have roosters with your hens...so they needed to go.  We debated about whether we should find someone to give them to or to just go ahead and slaughter them ourselves.  We decided since Sgt does eat chicken...(I don't eat meat, I haven't in over 20 years)...that we would harvest them and put em in the freezer.   Yes, I helped.  Sgt said it was the best chicken he's ever eaten....I took his word for it :). I do however eat eggs and nothing compares to a fresh egg omelet first thing in the morning.  

 

Keeping chickens, a most eggcellent experience!

~MaryDeluxe

The Spring Victory Garden

 

I finally got my Spring veggie garden planted today! These last three days have really warmed up around here and I was able to till the ground on Friday and add new organic top soil! Today I planted half the garden with Spring veggies such as...green lettuce, spring lettuce mix, peas, beets,spinach, radishes, and kale. I still have carrots, parsley, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage to add later this week.  This is the earliest that I've gotten our Spring garden in.  For the last two years, we hadn't gotten a real Spring planting in until late April.  When I lived at DeluxeVille I never bothered with a Spring garden, I only ever planted a Summer one.  It's nice to be on schedule this year with the veggie garden!  

Even when I had my tiny back garden, I always planted veggies. It was small but perfect for a single gal of one! I would have one of each plant...pepper, tomato, zucchini, egg plant, cucumber, a row of beans, and a bunch of herbs! It didn't take up much room and it kept me well supplied! Of course now, I have tons of room and Sgt and I try to add on to our garden each year. I think everyone should have the satisfaction of growing their own food at least once in their lives. No matter how big or small your property is, there are lots of ideas out there on how you can utilize it to grow food! When I was a renter, I would always grow fresh herbs in planters on my balcony. I always thought growing herbs was a great way to start into balcony gardening and herbs were always fun and convenient to use when I was cooking!

~MaryDeluxe