After reading graceandhams thrift store find I thought I would ask all our fellow Cuties, what was your best garage sale or thrift store find?
I have a few really awesome finds as I loved when my body allowed me to go thrift shopping and garage sale searching! One of my very best finds was in the summer of 2004. I went to a neighborhood garage sale in a nearby town and found a queen sized quilt. It was made with batik materials, mainly in blues, but with some greens and fushia pinks for pops of color. It was machine pieced, but was quilted by hand, with wool batting. It had been made for a couple as a wedding gift. The couple had a dog that chewed 3 holes in it, and they sold it, (the quilt, not the dog),(& not the spouse for letting the dog on a quilt of that value) (Or both of the couple for at least not letting the dog in the bedroom while they were not home with the dog). Either way the quilt was put up for sale, at their garage sale, .....for under $20 ........saying someone could cut it into 2 crib quilts???!!!!!!!! Never mind that the piecing design of the quilt would have made it look like a chopped up quilt if someone had tried to "fix" the quilt in this way! I calmly hugged that quilt close to my heart, real tight! and I have lovingly repaired each of the areas, so you can not even find the spots and then since I had to add a new material to the overall quilt, I added a double border to make the design of the quilt flow on both the front and the back of the quilt and finished off the now king sized quilt with prairie points using 9 of the materials that had been used in the quilt.
I had been working on getting the additional border quilted when our 2nd car accident happened that lead to my 2 brain cervical fusion surgeries that has slowed getting that final quilting done on it. But it is so VERY awesome! The couple said the quilter was very active in our area and would be heart sick if she knew so I have not tried to find her, but oh the awesome love she had put into that quilt- Likely the couple could have had her make the repairs so it would have remained in the the family or just give it back to the quilter, but to value, even the damaged quilt, at such a low value, I am at a loss for words. When someone does not even have an inkling of the value of something, like this quilt- You can only shake your head at what was that couple even thinking!
Love to hear of some of other Cuties special finds.
Pam
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Forgot to say, my all-time best score was at a day-school's resale shop. A Neiman-Marcus gentleman's periwinkle cashmere cardigan with metal buttons and nice pockets for - wait for it - wait for it - $2. That was in 1983 and I still have it in nice condition and still wear it. I figure it was new and some man finally told his wife, I'm never wearing that purple color. Send it to the school's sale. Bless him! That was when I was dressing my children out of that shop because of hubby in grad school and living on very little income!
66905Awesome quilt story. I think sometimes some of the burden of responsibility falls to the giver for not helping the person to understand the gift of their time and skill. Or for choosing to give such an extravagant gift to someone who has no understanding of it. It's like giving fine art to someone who would be pleased with a coloring book! Treasure your beautiful new quilt.
1 comment
by pacmp
10 Jan 2016
I fully agree! I treasure the quilt immensely, hopefully, what I have done will have just increased it's value. I also hope my stitching is similar enough that it will not look out of place or like the quilt had been added to.
66905I don't usually Shop at yard sales. This past summer during the 127 yard sale, the county fair grounds rented spaces. I thought I would stop and look not intending to buy any thing. I walked along the first booth and some fabric caught my eye. I asked how much for this piece. He said that came as a box. The box was $3. Told him I would take it. He said he had 2 more each $3. I took those also. He said what about this stuff in a shoe box for $1. I looked and saw a coup of zippers. So I took it also and another shoe box of stuff. I think there was about 15 zippers, besides some other things. The fabric had several pieces of 2 and 3 yard pieces and lots of shorter ones. One box had other things besides fabric including 3 patterns. I paid $17 in all. My daughter and granddaughter looked at every place they stopped. My granddaughter found a bag of cotton fabric for $5.00. The last day of the sale, I went by the stand to see if he had gotten any more. He hadn't but right next to him was another booth with some fabric, being sold by the piece. I did want any of it except 1 piece of pre-quilted i bought it from the lady for either 3 or 5 dollars. As I was leaving the man said I see you found my wife. I cleaned up. My daughter bought a fairly new sheet sat, that I can cut up for cotton fabric. The sheets didn't fit our beds.
1 comment
by pacmp
10 Jan 2016
Sounds like you had a great day finding treasures! So often people do not think about just how much material there is in sheet sets or even a shower curtain, and then the value of that yardage, never mind the value of zippers and buttons. You will be stitching with those boxes of material for months!
5469I really enjoyed reading how you rescued and upcycled the quilt. It sounds beautiful. I also enjoy yard sales, flea markets and thrift shops. About 3 years ago, I purchased a Triple Irish Chain quilt, with matching pillow shams, pillows, one curtain, and a long-eared bunny rabbit. It was a steal for $30. Joyce
1 comment
by pacmp
10 Jan 2016
Yes $30 was another awesome find! Puts a smile on your face like the day you found that deal!
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