"It takes ages to finish a quilt you're not working on!"

Friday, July 08, 2005

More goodies from eBay (and another dent in the bank account)

My eBay purchases come in fits and starts. I check out the Collectables and Textiles categories on eBay most days. Sometimes I can go for a week and find nothing that excites me, but other times, there will be a dozen items every day that I add to my Watched list, until it overflows and I have to make up my mind if I really want these things (or can really afford them), or just let them go. I probably let most of them go, as unless I come into a huge inheritance or win the lottery, I do not have enough money to bid for everything I would like to. Not only that, we don't have a big enough house to store all that I would like (we would if the Other Half would allow me to make major renovations to one end of our house, and we can't afford that either).
So, what arrived in my mail box this week? From the USA, a set of three doilies with the most exquisite peacocks embroidered on them. There were a dozen crocheted doilies as well but as I don't collect them, they will be going to a good home elsewhere. From local sources: A cushion cover that is about three quarters finished. It is an old fashioned cottage with the usual hollyhocks and daisies around it, all beautifully stitched. Just needs a bit of grass and leaves done to finish it off. I was visiting one of my elderly friends today and showed her. She said hopefully "Are you going to finish it soon?" I crossed my fingers behind my back and said "Of course!" Another cushion cover arrived a few days before, but this one is finished. It has autumn leaves and daisies on it, so pretty.
A child's apron, with a little girl and her skipping rope. The lady who sold this to me apologised by email for the fact that it would be posted in a large flat envelope, because she had starched it so heavily, it couldn't be folded into a smaller size!
Two simply stunning tablecloths - well, one tablecloth and one smaller suppercloth. The tablecloth has a pair of budgies perched on a branch with pink blossom, hand embroidered in each corner. I have another cloth with red robins stitched on it, so they will make a nice pair to display when I give my next talk on my collection. The supper cloth has an unusual design, at first glance Oriental, but at a closer glance, it is just a very intricate design, finely stitched.
Then, a rare find - a Carver cloth. I had heard of them but until now, had not seen one on eBay. It is a 50 x 80cm white linen cloth with a carving knife and fork embroidered in the centre. I understand from some of my books that these were used on the dining room table, for the dish containing roast meat to sit on, so it wasn't on the actual table surface or table cloth.
I have been lucky at the Opshops this week too, for a change. Today I found two teacosies, two pillowshams and a tapestry which hasn't been started. I don't normally buy tapestries at all, but this was titled "Geisha" and was so ugly, for 50c I had to buy it, just to show my elderly Japanese friend for a laugh! Most serious cross stitch and embroidery Geisha pictures are absolutely gorgeous, but this thing...ugh! My friend agreed with me! I will get the scanner going this weekend and put some photos of my new acquisitions on here then.

4 comments:

janet said...

You sound so much like me that I could have written this post. I spend at least an hour on ebay every morning, probably looking at the same auctions that you are - LOL. I sew with vintage linens and fabrics and especially love feedsacks, vintage fabrics, 1940s buttons, and unfinished embroidery. I found your blog through another one and just thought I'd say hi!

woof nanny said...

Oh my gosh, my beloved ebay. You know, I'm a bit of an expert here (my feedback, I'm ashamed to say is over 1000, and I have purchased waaay more than is indicated. Ouch). Anyway, searching by category can be a bit overwhelming. I have lots of helpful hints if you'd like. Actually, the official ebay guidebook is really a fun read. Say you want to find a vintage apron pattern with a cherries theme(who doesn't?). In the search box, type vintage cherr* apron* pattern* and all the auctions with those words in the title will come up. The * means you'll get plural too, meaning cherry, cherries, apron, aprons, patterned, pattern, patterns, etc. To the left of your page, categories will be listed, so you can click on those to get further detail, or avoid the categories that don't interest you. So maybe you don't want a patterned fabric apron blouse, so you'll avoid the clothing section, but you'll want the vintage sewing section. Does that make sense? Geez, I could go on and on. Do you know about esnipe.com? A bit like cheating, I know, but I'll resort to it on occasion if I just HAVE to have something. If someone is bidding on something I like, I check their auctions (search by bidder) and sometimes find other cool stuff that way. I absolutely adore ebay! Also, thank you so much for commenting on my blog. It is sooo exciting to get mail. And...I AM an Aries!

Pamela Kellogg said...

Gina, I can spend hours at Ebay too. I love to look at the linens and of course, I always look at the vintage transfers! But this time of year, I usually save my $ for the flea markets. Ebay seems to be my Winter source!

Can't wait to see your goodies!

Gina E. said...

Hi ladies, thanks for your comments, it is great fun to come online and find nice people have dropped in to say hello! Primrose, I have replied to you on your blog, and checked out your beautiful website - will be popping in there again!
Barb, that was a good guess about being an Aries, wasn't it! Great minds and Zodiac twins think alike...lol!
Pam - I will be scanning my stuff tonight...watch this space!