Weekend Spin

Saturday I got to spend a few hours doing something that brings pure joy to my soul.  But let me take you back a few months...while doing a little treasure hunting in Lilburn, I stopped in at Antiques in Old Towne, where there is a lovely space dedicated to American Primitives.

 The dealer, Linda Napier, was working her space so I asked if she had any spinning wheel parts.  That conversation turned to spinning wheels and she asked if I knew anyone who could show her how to spin on her wheel.  A serendipitous meeting because "SeaWitch" not only spins but demonstrates spinning fibers and also teaches one on one.  We set up a date and time for me to come to Antiques in Old Towne to teach Linda how to spin and also spend a few hours demonstrating this to visitors to the shop.

I demo using a Scottish Castle Wheel as it is easy to travel with. Although it looks like an antique, it is actually a contemporary wheel that I acquired in 1976.  

Antique baskets filled with raw, natural and painted fleeces, my pair of carders and a swift and it was a marvelous afternoon of spinning and teaching another how to do this as well.  I am always interested in hearing what viewers of this craft have to say but my favorite was from a stunning woman who stopped to watch and then asked me where I purchased my raw fleece.    When I mentioned that I purchase much from wool farms in Wisconsin, her face lit up and she shared that she grew up on a wool farm in Wisconsin where lambs were welcome in the home and that it had been many, many years since she had seen anyone spin on a wheel.  Watching the fleece draw through my fingers and twist into fiber as it wound into the bobbin brought lovely memories of her childhood and we both got a little misty eyed as she shared her history.  It is moments like this that make this very simple craft such a powerful one for me.

At the end of my demo, I did a little hunting and found this delightful pair of vintage stockings and garter belt from the 1930s.

Picked up a box of linens that I won at a local auction.  Love it when you can leave an absentee bid and find out you won.

The box was filled with these stunning antique French tambour, net lace dresser linens.  I kept the huge chaise lounge piece and have the smaller ones in my Victorian space at the Buford Queen of Hearts.  

The box was filled with linens from the 1950s as well and these are priced to move quickly in my main space.

Customers are already asking for Halloween decor and decorative elements so I have begun bringing them in.

Beautiful candelabra with a Victorian print of witches in a window frame.

Vintage Stairway to Heaven shelf unit from the 1920-30s.  

1900s Victorian witch print in silver frame.

A happy coven and jewelry caskets.  

 Ticking cats and pumpkin bowl fillers.

 Steins for Octoberfest, pumpkins and of course, that favorite holiday server, the vintage Amber hobnail deviled egg tray.

Summer is nearly at an end with Labor Day fast upon us.  I can honestly say that we are all looking forward to cooler weather as this has been a brutal summer of heat for the nation.  Wishing you blessings to you and those you love.  SeaWitch

Holiday Open House at the Queen

Can you believe that the Thanksgiving holidays will be kicking off in two weeks?  I can't and the way the holidays fall this year, we actually lose a retail weekend.  Those of us in any business are scrambling like mad to get Holiday Open Houses off the ground and then, of course, we want to visit every one ourselves.  Part of my holiday madness is due to spending a week in Anchorage, Alaska visiting my son and his wife and their three children, my raviolis.  It was a wonderful visit and one that I sorely needed following the passing of my husband in September.  To be surrounded by those who love you helps heal a broken heart.  

Had a great weekend for finding treasure and in between the hunt I was pricing and setting items up in my booths.  With my main living area looking like the holidays have thrown up in it, I was happy to get most of it out of the house and in the booths.  I spied a sweet transferware piece on the Vintage Village facebook page and asked "the vintage hag" to hold it for me until I returned from Anchorage.  When I came by the shop on Friday, I found a lot of treasure that had to come home with me.

Pretty little chippy child's rocker is perfect for the upcoming holidays.

Keeping this baby for myself.  I adore vintage tinware pieces and this US Kreamer is a keeper.

Ditto with the treenware, these two antique butter paddles are fantastic.

Sweet child's feedsack dress will be in my booth next week.

Gorgeous flow blue soft paste platter and a sweet pewter salt and pep set.

The transferware piece that instigated the buying frenzy. LOL  

One of my Christmas displays in my main booth.  Trying to get ready for the Queen of Hearts - Buford Open House on Thursday. Is there ever enough time?

Filled the hutch with pretty plates.

Mercury glass piece are a popular seller.

Pretty primitive Christmas pins and other decorative elements.

Delightful light up Candyland house will enchant children.

That pretty little chair at the start of this post is now decorated for Christmas.

Mica snowballs are fun decorating elements.

Sweet mica house and snowballs on a silverplate tray makes a nice holiday display.

I almost kept this pretty Victorian quad plated bowl.

My best find this weekend, a gorgeous Victorian quad plate tea/coffee service set in excellent condition.  It is in my Victorian booth waiting for someone who will take it home.

My Victorian booth almost ready for the Open House.

I repurposed wool sweaters from Goodwill by felting them and then turning them into stockings.  This was a fun project as I was able to get about 6 stockings of different sizes out of one sweater.

These were so much fun to make and I like the idea of repurposing thrift store sweaters into holiday stockings.  I'm gonna try and catch up on my blog reading this week as I have been missing the posts.  Wishing everyone a wonderful week and blessings to you and those you love.  Sea Witch