Yard Sale in New Jersey, Kinda

I got to attend a blog friends yard sale in New Jersey!! Kinda. Susan at Black-eyed Susan's Kitchen had a fantastic yard sale in April....Stop by her blog on my Blog List and read the past posts all about it. I really wanted to attend. She and I have similar collections and when I read she was having a yard sale my heart skipped a beat. We share an obsession for hand-wrought aluminum from the 40's-50's and a love of vintage tablecloths. Well, hopping in the van and riding up to New Jersey was not going to fit in the agenda for that weekend. Sooooo, Susan thought of the next best thing. She provided me a virtual yard sale for the whole week!!! Isn't she the greatest? Seems we have the same pieces in aluminum (I must admit my obsession seems to be worse than hers. I have been collecting since my teens when my Grandma gave me her lidded casserole and have acquired about 75+ pieces since....and still growing.) Oh well. Then she previewed her tablecloth offerings. WooHoo....one was prettier than the next. I was getting all kinds of vintage design inspiration.....ya should've seen me doin a little happy dance.......I couldn't wait to get them.

Here are my vintage finds from Black-Eyed Susan's Kitchen all the way from New Jersey.

This red, white, and blue tablecloth is a tribute to our Native American heritage. I think I'll make a couple of pillows for on my porch swing to go with my flag throw.

This next cloth matches a dish set I just got.

These dishes have an ecru background with a little windmill and Holland girl with tulips. This whimsical scene will make a great applique for a table runner design I'm thinking of. I also have some ideas for pillows, a shirt with matching tote....This cloth really inspired me.

This 1960's card table cloth will make great appliques...hand-embroidered of course...for a lot of different applications. I have been trying to think of something masculine...maybe a shirt with a pocket made by one of these squares accented by a brown corduroy cuff and maybe, corduroy patches on the sleeves.

Now this cloth shouted Apron. I don't know why, but it did.

And, the way I like to fix them as sets I imagine a nice serving piece of crystal with a cookbook for elegant entertaining. It would make a nice wedding gift for a new bride.

This cloth matches a 1940's child's hankie I have already embroidered, but not used yet.

The hankie has a cartoon motif of Mr and Mrs Bird with their new baby bird in a birdhouse. I've been holding onto it for just the right background fabric and I think this will be it to complete a baby pillow. One side will have the hankie and this background fabric, the other this fabric and I'd be able to embroider the baby's name right on it. It also screams shabby chic with lots of lace and sworovski crystals or vintage looking charms...hmmmm. ..the embellishments to choose from....

This is my favorite cloth. I love red and white. For some reason I see Christmas all over this fabric. I have several ideas for this one and I think I'll let it be a future surprise for on my blog. keep watching for the pics!

And, finally this southwest cloth. I see silver conchs with brown suede fringe. Shirt with matching tote? Or, maybe jeans or a jean jacket applique? Have to think about it.

Keep watching the blog I'll have finished pieces here first before I put them on my website or Etsy. Remember, I do custom design. If there is something you see for a specific use for wearable art or home decor, let me know. And, I'd again like to thank Susan for allowing me to attend her yard sale across the miles.

It has been a very busy past month. Now that it is June I can now slow down a bit for summer. I love to relax on my porch swing and just sew away....when I'm home. Around here it's flea market season, yard sale time, and antique hunting season. Last weekend we went to the Ohio Valley Antique Mall. We hadn't stopped by there for a couple of months, so things seemed to be

bustling. They have added new vendors in some of the empty booths and are adding additional booths to lease. Glad to see that. Everyone seems to be geared for a good summer as far as vintage is concerned. Booths were filled. I guess it was a book day.

In one of the first booths we went in they had a basket of old cookbooks...if you haven't read one of my past posts I love vintage cookbooks.....hardcover, pamphlets, cookware inserts, it doesn't matter (check out my side panel for the Vintage Alphabet March C for Cookbook). These two delightful Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks help to complete my set. I have 6, that was all I thought there were, but it must have been a 12 set collection. Now I have to find the last 4! Don't you just love searching? There are some really good ideas in the party cookbook and the exotic dishes in the foreign cookbook would be great for a gathering....hum do I smell the grill??

The next booths have interesting offerings, but nothing jumped into my hands. Wait..........what is that peeking out from under a tablecloth....another basket filled with vintage soft cover cookbooks and pamphlets.

Eureka! A 1953 cookbook pamphlet....Home Baking Made Easy for the beginner or expert. It was published by the Lever Bros. Co. For Spry Vegetable Shortening. This will go perfect with a young girl/child's apron I found several weeks ago at the Webb's Antique Mall in Indiana. I need to get my vintage transfers...let's see, which to choose.....dancing bowls, singing silverware...
In past posts I mentioned finding vintage towels given away at the Ruth Lyons Show ...Google her to find out some interesting Cincy TV history.......during the 40's-50's. I turned one into a lovely pillow with hand-embroidery highlighting the floral frame, portrait of Ruth Lyons and her signature.

Well, what to my wandering eyes should appear, but a book I've been searching for to complete the set.

This book tells the story of her life. Her loves, The tragedies...the loss of her beloved daughter.... and people she met along the way, the famous and celebrity.

It was a surprisingly good read. I loved the trip down memory lane of all the old actors of the vintage films and the TV personalities of the 60's. I'm going to list this on my website with the pillow as a set. I'm debating on placing on Etsy too.

Well, my trip through the antique mall it almost done. Oh boy, another stack of books......

I love, love the illustration of this 1945 General Foods Favorite Recipes For Country Kitchen. The inside black and white stills and illustrations are just as great. I had to snatch it up at only $3. If you look real close you'll notice 'Mom' is wearing an apron that was made to match her dress and so is the little girl. Isn't that so... 40's? I was thinking of adding this to a themed apron, but sorry, this is mine. I can't bear to part with it. It reminds me of my great Grand-Parents (both sides) old farms and gardens. I may frame this for a kitchen wall hanging...maybe in a way so it can be easily taken out and used.....gotta think on that one.

Seems my trip through the antique mall was a 'fruitful' one with a lot of ideas 'cookin' in my mind. Have you been to any good antique malls lately? Have you made any cool vintage finds?

Let's here about it. Leave a comment at the bottom of this post.

Thanks for visiting!

Melody

Flourishes and Broadstrokes

When I'm not designing with flowers or thread, I love decorative painting. I paint on canvas, but I love taking vintage finds repurposing and sprucing them up with paint.

On one of my antiqueing drives I found a great old 1960's cherry tea cart/coffee table. This'll take a while to refinish and paint. Visit my website gallery and see more hand-painted pieces.......www.brownginghamcreations.com
Thanks for stopping by. I'm always happy to hear from you.
Melody

What A Day!!

Thought I'd finally get to tackle the stuff I needed to do around the house today..ha. Ever have one of thooossseee days!!?? Everything I touched...disaster. Got up went to church, fine. Stopped by the shop to check the computers. Fine. Went to Wal-Mart...forgot to use all the coupons...coulda saved $10...pooh. Went to Meijer (the grocery store)..kept picking things up out of date! or dropping things. Poor Jim, good thing he tagged along to check them or pick em up. Got home..the bags rip..arrggg. Went to sweep and the vacuum clogged...unplugged from the wall...oomphf. Jim finally told me he'd do it to rest. See, earlier in the week I fell a bruised my knee badly, so I haven't been sleeping well, I can't stand long..sitting in one position is......oh! I can't beleive I did it!! Anyway, I tried to do some creations, but can't sit long, so since my computer lost some of my pics..no not some...all.(it was not my fault, I could not hit a wrong button, could I...sob) ..have ya all noticed I haven't posted a pic latley? sorry posts are so boring. Even if I'm really having a bad blog day, pics seem to liven things up. Well, you guessed it I attempted to download all my picture CD's into the new file. today of all days. This is a new computer...yes blogger friends..it took me forever to figure out all the files to go thru and to tell my Techno Security I was not putting risky info from an unknown source into it's little world, but little pictures it could peruse at it's liesure...I offered pics of scenic beauty, bright posies, cute puppies..well Shadow is cute. It seemed to be appeased, it allowed the downloads, eventually. (especially when I threatened to turn it off til I was done, and it shot the message
Are You Sure.....). Now I decided it was time to stretch a little. I'd get my camera and take some shots of the garden and porch. I'd get my outdoor room decorated properly..I've been behind since the shop has been so hectic and we've a few medical emergencies. Of course , what was I thinking? I can't get up and down steps. Okay. Let's take some photos of the yard and garden..herbs are up, trees in bloom, butterflies gliding, bees buzzing, and birds on the wing and at the feeders. Quiet, slowly turn on the camera......it turns off. All by itself. Okay calmly, turn it back on..sigh. No batteries. Of course..go inside....out of batteries. I was done. The evil forces had won. I went in the bedroom propped my leg up and looked at the new Country, Birds and Bloom, and Country Living. I turned on the radio to listen to some classical music to unwind. The news came on..weather. A freeze warning for tonite. I looked outside. Yes the trees have leafed out, the flowers are blooming, the butterflies are still gliding..my luck Cincinnati will have an inch of snow by morning...but I will not have pictures!!!
Oh Good Night.

I hope I'm not to late to join in at the Blog Party? Isn't this the time the party usually gets started? Marcella has a great theme for this party.
' What makes you get out of bed early on a Saturday morning. What makes you giggle when you
find it, especially at a good price? What makes your heart skip a beat?
What gets me up early on Saturday? Usually on Saturdays we're doing flowers for weddings at our flower shop...so we're up early. So mine would be Sunday....When I hear 'Lets go for a ride' That means we usually go before sun up til the wee hours. As far as we can. Going antiqueing in different towns somewhere in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio,Maryland, or Tennessee. Leaving early in the morning you can get far in 5 hours. If you go to my past posts you'll see some of my favorite finds that brought a giggle, a little happy dance. My heart skips a beat when I see my husband Jim and our Norwegian Elkhound, Shadow....I know mushy. Two or three posts back you'll see a photo of Tennesse. That'll always make my heart skip, jump, beat it's own tune.
Sorry for no pics, but my computer just got back from the comp doc a little while ago. It seems I lost some of my files in the new computer I just got 14 days ago. They found most, but my saved pic have disappeared.
Well I'm off for visits. Thanks for visiting, come back often. Be sure to visit the Etsy Cottage Style blogspot link on the side of my blog page. to visit other party goers. Remember, leave a comment about what your answer to the questions would be.
Melody

Hello!
Wow, I can't beleive it's been this long since my last post and I've missed all my blog friends. I haven't even had time to peek at all my fav blogs recently. It has been a long past few weeks. I just wanted to pop in now to invite all to the Etsy Cottage Style BlogParty tomorrow, Wed. 5/13. The theme is "What makes your heart skip a beat ? " This should be a fun exercise. Be sure to leave comments at the bottom of the post and let me know what makes your heart skip a beat.
Okay, I'm off again. See you tomorrow!

New for Mother's Day

Just a quick note. I have added some new things to my Etsy site. Please visit me at www.BrownGinghamCreation.etsy.com Items will be added daily.

Etsy Cottage Style is having a blog party. Not just any blog party, but a Blue Blog Party!!!

Click this link to view the fun.

http://www.etsycottagestyle.blogspot.com/

When I think of blue ...a Robin's egg comes to mind. The vast blue sky comes into view and a deep azure blue sea calls, but when I think of blue some of my fav creations come to mind.

I think when one has the blues it can be a beautiful thing. Please follow the link above to all the wonderful blue finds.

Where's the Sun?!

Holy Cow. It's such a gloomy Wednesday outside my window and only in the 40's..yikes..what's up with that? They're saying it's gonna be in the 60's and 70's for the next couple of days....then storms 8( Thought I'd share some pics to brighten things up.

This reminds me of Eastern Tennessee. The Townsend/Cades cove area. It is my screen saver on the laptop. Every day when I turn it on..no matter what..it makes me smile.




















This apron is a new vintage find. I just finished embroidering the word 'California' The cactus and palm trees make me think of warmth and it's always sunny in southern California.

This is my newest table topper. The background fabric is a groovy 1960's retro motif in oranges, yellows, aquas, and greens. I was shocked to find a 1950's mod hankie with similar flowers in the same aqua tones. And, then to my wondering eyes should appear, but a 1940's dresser lamp scarf that has the same aqua color in the hand-crocheted edging. The hand-embroidered accent in the center just makes it pop. It just makes me think of Summertime.





















Just a sittin' and a swingin'. It was really warm and humid the day I took this photo.





















This display just says sunshine and warmth






















And, lastly as a parting shot....Fresh Flowers...always sunny, bright, and cheerful.

Is it gloomy where you are? What reminds you of sunshine and warmth?