Happy Birthday to Me

A happy to be alive birthday. I did one of my fav activities - thrifting! I will complete this nearly-finished packet of doll house accessories that include a rug, pillow, and picture frame. A great birthday present to me from mystery crafter. 

Quilting is a contact sport - it is you against the beast. It seems I have injured myself again and I can only attribute it to my full-on press to meet a deadline. Machine quilting, through any sewing machine other than a long-arm, is challenging. Quilting by check is definitely my future. I did utilize one service but she complained about my pieced backings, and I was not fond of the widely-spaced quilting designs she offered. 

So, I am splurging and sending in this basket block quilt top with a wide backing Moda Grunge basic grey to a new-to-me longarmer. 

Segueing to the subject of fabric and their use in reseller listings, I will utilize that Moda grunge fabric as my image background. I have also kept an eye out for yarn, see my post my-first-foray-into-yarn.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185478519252

This is my first post using the tips from the video below. I was inspired to be more inventive in my eBay listings.

Until next time,

Tami

Just Call Me Jonah-ette, and a thrifting update

I spent the vast majority of my vacation doing nothing. Nothing being simple things like eating at restaurants, walking the dog, and soaking up sunshine. 

One side perk of being on the ocean was a random visit from a whale. It circled the boat a number of times. The Mr. thought because the boat is red, it stands out from the rest. 

We spent a number of hours trolling for salmon. One silver was caught but had to be released. There will be other fishing excursions over these summer months. 

On to a thrifting update - 

On my return home my fav hospice thrift had bag of fabric, yarn, pool noodles (10 cents ea.) for packing. A pink Ty poodle NWT hitched a ride to my remote office. 

One of the mystery bags of fabric contained two partially completed quilts, some panels, the publication to complete the Chevron quilt, and a plaid woven *sings the words*.

Here is the drawing from kind-of mystery quilter that incorporated the quilt blocks in the corner left. There are templates and fabrics intended for the project. I will need to iron out the quilt blocks.

I note kind-of mystery because pinned to some fabric was a copy of a local real estate agent's Travel Agent Card. She had passed in 2020, and it seemed the estate had been settled because no quilter would willingly give up her stash. 

I will sew together the quilt blocks she provided. Completed quilt tops are quick/easy sales for me on eBay. 

Ending the post with the cutest of the appliqued quilt blocks in this unique project.

By the Ocean, and Snafu at the Fair

This bird greeted us as we set up camp.

A week away from all work, that includes Job #1 and Job #2. It has been many years since we have been able to vacation on the coast. We will be trailer camping so we can cook all of our own meals, even take a shower. 

I brought some sunflowers from home. I promise I won't turn this into a travelog. I will share the most impressive boat of the U.S. Coast Guard. 

Reporting on my thrift shop finds, after visiting four around the marina area. The first find was a $1.50 bag full of remnant fabric. I ended up throwing away 90% of this purchase. 

The keepers from that bag were worth at least $1.50. I can turn those bright remnants into crazy quilt cornerstones. Who knows what fabric will iron out in those batch of sewn squares?

The biggest score was a $20 large zippered plastic bag of crocheted squares. Found at Grannie's Attic, a thrift shop adjacent to a senior center in Fort Bragg, California. I love the handiwork of this mystery crocheter, I may keep some of the squares and learn how to connect them together. 

Even though I am on vacation, I am still sourcing. That is the most enjoyable part of being a reseller. In addition to the found squares, there were sewing patterns, some fabric, and 10 CDs for 25 cents a piece. Two of them turned out to be 25 dolla+ CDs. I chose CDs that have odd artwork, or parental advisories. Part of our driving trip back home means we lose radio reception for quite awhile, that is when the new CDs come into play. 

All sorts of oddness happened with the crafts competition at the California State Fair. First, I got an email that my art quilt was accepted for in-person judging. Then, I got another email of the accepted participants, and my name wasn't on the list. I chalk it up as a failed attempt. Not every idea is a good one. Where I had envisioned my quilt hanging in the exhibition hall at the fair, it will eventually be displayed in my barn-to-be.

Top 5 Things To Buy At Thrift Rather Than Retail

With the cost of goods going up, up, up, there are ways to save money by thrift shopping. 

1.    Glassware, including Pyrex

I have many sizes of glass casserole dishes, drinking glasses, clear Pyrex, all bought at thrift. I have a few pieces of the collectible Pyrex but rarely see the unique patterns. 

There are types of stemware, wine glasses, and shot glasses. Beer mugs (great kept frozen to drink with milk). I even include vases, tons of those come through thrift each year. 

I use clear glass custard cups for small/diced ingredients. 

2.    Ceramic mugs and plates

I have replaced our Sango Splash tableware pattern a few times by buying them secondhand. I routinely break ceramic coffee mugs. That means I routinely replace them with ones I find at thrift. Currently, I have a heavier white mug with the name "Nana" framed by wild roses. I am not Nana but I have her mug. 

3.    Media - DVDs, CDs, Books

Find your favorite movies, or something you haven't seen, for as little as $1 each. Sometimes CDs are 4 for $1. I buy the CDs and first rip them to my laptop, then sell them on eBay. I include books, because I am a lifelong bibliophile. 

4.    Blankets and linens

Don't go all "ewww" on me! Easily laundered, I prefer to use Woolite. I have a black granny square crocheted blanket in the back of my Ford Escape for my dog to lay on. Tablecloths, table runners, placemats, you-name-it delights found in the linens section. 

This quilted creation was offered on shopgoodwill.com but bid up too high. I have kept the image so I can recreate it someday. 

5.    Clothing

You think this should land higher on my Top 5 list, and it probably should. The easier items to find are uber casual pants, think yoga, athleisure, and well-loved t-shirts. There are racks and racks of jeans (who wears those anymore)? Every once in awhile, something cute might come through the pipeline. I am buying more and more clothing online from the sale/clearance section. 

Until next time,
Tami

COVID deals out another disappointment

I was all set to visit the mom in assisted living when they went into lockdown again!!! This is the third time I have had to cancel a trip, one week prior to my leaving. The flip side of having scheduled this time off is I will be able to be in Fort Bragg, California, for a week while Sacramentens suffer through predicted 100 degree heat. 

What did I do to stave off my disappointment? I engaged in thrift shop fabric therapy, buying two mystery bags for less than $7. The character cows in Santa hats is a little odd, but a great eBay order wrapper fabric. Love the bits of batik with a plaid woven thrown in for these orange/yellow remnants. 

Thankfully, we haven't had any recent bouts of the COVID in any family or friends. 

I knew it would be slow for eBay sales during the summer, since all of my items for sale are home-based activities. I am like a squirrel storing away for winter, here are the needlekits in my death pile. 

The cutest of the "quilt" sewing patterns I just listed. I bought these in a bagged lot and chose at least 80% to sell, the rest were thrifted back. There were 4 of these elinor peace bailey patterns. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185453414883

I've pinned the lot of 17 to https://www.pinterest.com/thriftshpcomndo/tam_gonza-on-ebay-specialty-sewing-patterns/

Until next time,

Tami

Rounding into June

Xnay on the retirementay. At 10 years as a state employee, I will receive a benefit of 50% state paid Medicare part C for the rest of my life. I need to work 1.7 years at a minimum to earn that benefit. Might as well make it 2 years and go to 65. So, no retirement for me in the the near months to come. 

I have all sorts of plans in retirement. I want to resume my art history classes. I would like to do a couple of jigsaw puzzles. Attending estate sales is at the top of my list. Fishing figures into my future as the Mr. bought a new boat. We waited a little too late on reservations for Fort Bragg, California, but might be able to squeak in at one of the coastal marinas. 

Here is an image of me hand sewing the binding on the state fair quilt. I found it easier to lay it on a bed so the bulk of the weight wasn't on me or laying on the floor. I would like to do a series of these types of quilts translating cubist paintings from the turn of the 20th century. We will see how this one places in the competition, results to be announced on June 8. I have never seen anything like my technique. 

Reselling update: I have made it habit to cross post my eBay listings to Pinterest. I focus on specialty sewing patterns, quilt blocks and tops, and clothing. 

These are the slow months in reselling. I am hoping things will revive in the fall. 

Ending the post with a vintage 1980s pattern quite intriguing, mainly for the names of the dolls. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185450524777