Yesterday we drove north in the sleet and rain, on icy roads, to help Ben bring some of his stuff home from college.  It wasn't all going to fit into his small car.  He will follow next weekend; we can hardly believe his freshman year is almost over already!  I'm looking forward to having him home for the summer.

On the drive up, we stopped in at an antique market.  I enjoyed myself immensely, while my husband paced around and tried to be patient, and I tried to ignore that he was so I could continue to enjoy myself.  I'm sorry there are no photos to show you, but the market had a "no camera" policy -- which is a shame, because there was so much fun stuff to see there, all beautifully displayed.

I have a real love of antique and vintage sewing notions, and I saw a lot of that at this market.  I especially loved a pincushion I saw: a tiny round pillow with a metal bird on top of it.  The bird opened on top to reveal that it was a thimble holder; there were two pearlized egg-topped pins in the pincushion.  It was enchanting, but at $139, I had to leave it behind!
Instead, I bought this little cube of glass head, steel pins from a different dealer.  It has four sides of pinholes/pins, and I loved the blue label.  I'm adding it to my display of vintage sewing notions.  I noticed that many of the same items in my display were on sale at this market, and I estimated that my own little collection was worth about $600 at those prices!
But, some of the items in my collection are truly priceless, like this little pincushion, above.  Made in Japan, it sat on my father's bureau for my entire life.  Curiously, I don't remember my mother ever using pins to sew anything; I think all of these pins are from corsages and dress shirts!  I brought the pin cushion home after the loss of my mother, and I cherish it.  Today, in fact, I took out all the pins, cleaned it, and re-inserted the pins.
The only other item I bought at the market was this vintage valentine.  I couldn't resist the bird motif, and I hadn't ever seen one like it before.  I sure miss all the treasure hunting and antique shopping I used to do -- but, outdoor market season is coming, so I hope to indulge my passion more this summer!
A few weeks ago, in fact, I went to an estate sale and found a bag of Vera scarves (mistakenly marked "Vera Wang"!)
 The bag contained five Vera scarves in pristine condition; three were Vera Sheers...
and then there was this one, which I'd never seen before:
I think it will be a favorite find; according to this Vera website, it dates back to the 1960s (like me!)
I love the vivid blue/purple/lavender.  I could look at Vera's designs all day, and I'm happy that they are still being sold new -- and excited whenever I find something new!
I'm excited it's May; I hope for a peaceful month of re-grouping, healing, and, hopefully, creativity.

Comments

Lorraine said…
What great finds! Those scarves are so pretty.
Marrianna said…
So happy for you for lots of reasons: Ben coming home for the summer, treasures found, and summer outdoor markets to find great treasures. Yup, the wind this weekend wasn't fun and the sleet/rain was cold. The sun is out this morning so I can only hope the nice weather is returning.
Take care, friend,
Marrianna

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