Vintage Feedsacks from Arkansas

I just returned from a trip to Arkansas.  We were there mainly to visit dear friends, but also to see a part of the country we hadn't been to before.  We spent a few days in the Ozarks in the lodge at Mt Magazine.  Gorgeous place and stunning views. 

Then we headed over to our friends in Fayetteville.  Fayetteville is a cute little college town with a Farmer's market in the town square, little coffee shops, and hip vintage stores showcasing Midcentury Modern décor. 

While I would have loved to come home with some of the furniture pieces, room in the car was tight, so I had to limit purchases to smaller items.  As with many of the antique malls around here, fabric yardage was scarce, but thankfully, I was able to find some fun feedsacks.
Of course, the pink is my favorite.

I really like it when I can find multiples of the same print and this navy blue dot and pink & blue floral came in pairs.  :)

And I thought this blue one with little doodle flower pictures was just too cute.

I also found a couple yards of a Waverly Glosheen fabric in pink and orange...such a fun color combo!

I bought a 6 yard length of vintage toweling, but it's still drying on the line, so I'll have to share that one another time.  :)
It was still pretty green in the Ozarks, but we drove through some pretty fall color in Missouri.  Have the leaves turned yet where you are?
Enjoy the week, everyone!

Antique Fabrics

I think most collectors categorize "antique fabrics" as those that are 100 years old or older.  In quilting cottons, that means that generally the selvage width is around 24"-27" wide.  (By the 1930's, most cotton quilt fabrics had transitioned to a 34"-36" width.)
 Although I've found small scraps and quilt blocks, I can't say that I've found very many unused, full width antique fabrics.  But I do have a few...so, I thought I share them with you today.

This first one is my favorite.  Its a double pink or cinnamon pink dating from the 1880-1900's.  It is a 4 yard piece in lovely condition with a 24" selvage width and it retains it's original "Allens Pinks" label.  SCORE!

I also have a cute paisley with polka dots likely dating to the early 1900's.  It, too, is several yards long, has a 24" selvage width, and is in amazing unused condition.  (I should hold up so well after a hundred years on this planet. lol)

Another paisley, a popular design motif of the era, this time in darker, richer colors.  This one feels like a brushed cotton or light weight flannel and has a slight twill weave.

This next pretty paisley is terribly faded and was likely used as a part of a quilt back. But, it was so pretty, it had to come home with me for reference or just a bit of eye-candy.

I can only imagine how pretty the colors were when it was first made...pink, tans, and robin's egg blue. Such a pretty combination!
That about does it for the quilt fabrics of that era, I think the only other antique piece in my inventory at the moment is an unused toile home décor or drapery fabric.  It has a 30" selvage width and a finely detailed cherub and pastoral scene in a deep aubergine or eggplant color.

I imagine that these early fabrics may be more readily found on the east coast, but around here, they are few and far between.  So, I'm grateful for even the small collection I have.  :)
I have a couple listed in my Etsy shop this month, but they are also available on the website.
How about you?  Any antique textiles in your stash?

A Day at the (Vintage) Salon

I just wanted to share photos of some fun vintage Beauty Shop items. I was a hair designer for 25 years, so I enjoy finding these old salon collectibles. Gram also kept some of them for me.

Here's a small group of curling and crimping irons.

And I LOVE these two business cards! The top one advertises $5.00 permanents and was perfume scented to encourage ladies to keep for their purse. (Brilliant marketing!) And the bottom one plays off the Mae West quote, "come up and see me sometime". I think both of these are from the early 1930's.

Hair pins were a must in the 1940's.
I hope you enjoyed this little peek at vintage Beauty Culture. We've come a long way, baby. LOL

Treasures from Grandma's Attic~ Around the House

For this , the fifth, installment of "Treasures from Grandma's Attic", I'm showing some of the wonderful items I see and use on a regular basis around the house. I feel very fortunate to have these daily reminders of my grandmother and her interesting life.


The most prominent item is no doubt the large armoire in the living room. Although Gram did have a couple of furniture pieces that may have been considered "nice antiques", it was the more rustic/shabby/cottage/quirky items that lived in the attic that I was drawn to.

This particular piece was in a corner of the attic with a broken door and painted three different colors...but I could see it fitting right in at my house. :-) It did eventually receive some additional crown moldings and a coat of cottage white paint.On the inside of the door are scribbles made by my dad and his brother when they were youngsters, this just made it all the more special.

On to the dining room... In here I have a fun old kitchen cabinet that houses my cookbooks, wine glasses and serving pieces. Extreme care is needed when moving this piece as the top and bottom appear to be attached by only a thick coat of paint. LOL

And in the bedroom...

Atop the vintage dresser sits a lovely baby picture of Gram tinted the most beautiful robin's egg blue. And in front, an antique bisque baby doll. Gram had quite an impressive antique doll collection. Although I'm not really a "doll person" (even as a kid, their fragile nature made me nervous), I do like this sweet little girl. Thankfully, the majority of that collection is being curated by other family members.

I also have a fun trio of vintage alarm clocks on the mantel headboard.I'm not sure if Gram kept these because she knew of their potential collectibility or if in her frugal nature she thought someone might fix them to use. Either way, I'm glad she did! :-)

Thanks for sharing another walk down memory lane with me!