You've probably heard me rave about how we have the best flea market ever here in Nashville. New or old items, rare and common finds, cheap items or unaffordable goods. Our flea market spans the fairgrounds cattle sheds, milking parlor, barns, and hilltop parking lots. You can find me there every single month, rain or shine, (yes, I was there in a mighty flash flood last fall, hovering under tarps with old men and about 60 rifles!) usually wandering for hours upon hours. I always run into friends, and love talking up the vendors. Especially the old folk who are full of stories about their time-weathered treasures, which soon find their home in my little apartment.
Old rollerskate attachments! Keys! More Keys! Thingamabobs and handles!
The most gorgeous work desk that I NEED to set up on shop on, sadly, was boasting a SOLD sticker.
We got this handsome vice grip because well, I've never had one, it's candy apple red, and I started hammering metal. Plus it just looked so nice against his matching hoodie, no?
Ta-da! These lovely silver-plated forks (which I got from one of my favourite flea ladies) are a wonderful wedding, engagement, or anniversary gift. I'm happy to do personalized stampings as well. Keeping a lookout for old silver-plated cake cutters! If you had one, what would you stamp on a cake cutter?
During this particular flea visit, I was on the hunt for an old quilt for my friend Wijtze. He is about to release a Southern-influenced album (tho he is Dutch, he somehow has the Southern charm to him) and wanted one to weave throughout the album art. This one was quilted at the turn of the century, and I got it from sweet fork lady as mentioned above. (Other things I have bought from her over the years include heavy, gold, 1940s drapes, doilies, children's books from the 1920s, various vintage jewelry, heavy Victorian mirrors, and old Valentines.) Here it makes it's debut in the first of a round of videoblogs! This quilt was made of old feed sacks. Back in the early 1900s, people around these parts took these cloth bags to the store to purchase feed for their livestock. When the bags were pretty old and growing holes, the womenfolk would cut them apart and stitch them into dresses and quilts. Occasionally, you can even find screenprinted numbers and words left on the sacks that are now sewn into quilts. It's quit difficult to find the original feed sacks in one piece, so if you ever see one at an estate sale or in an old barn, snatch that up!
A couple weeks ago, I visited my sweet, 14 month old niece in Washington DC. I took my new Canon Rebel T3 and tried to capture her in all her crawling-glory! With her, I brought a simple little pig I made for her out of the softest pink baby fleece you ever did touch. It's just perfect for cuddling! My aspirations are to sew her a new farm animal for each visit I make to see her. In addition, of course, to dressing her up AS a cute, cuddly, somewhat ferocious animal.
I also knit my sister-in-law and niece matching turban bow bands! I think matching Mommy & daughter apparel is just precious. Though it's quickly turned to spring in Nashville, these are still available at Local Honey.
My boyfriend and I have been enjoying the process of creating food and drink in mason jars. We decided to pickle some pickles! They turned out quite yummy, and look lovely in my fridge. Find the recipe here! It's easy, I promise.
