Cool finds over the weekend

The quilting machine is back in the shop. It's either breaking the thread, or the tension is wwwaaaayyyyy off. The mechs are starting to say it's me (I don't think so) and I'm starting to think either they just can't figure it out or it's not fixable. This last guy gave me a warranty, so I'm gonna let him play around with it a while. I'm trying to get a hold of someone with the outfit that put the whole thing together, but they have recently gone out of business so that's something of a long shot. Not giving up yet, but extremely frustrated!!! Ack!!! I still think that this machine 'should' work well and I still think I can make that happen before I spend anywhere near what it would cost to buy a new machine. Just wish I could make that happen tomorrow....

In the meantime, found some really fun stuff this weekend while estate saling. Hit a bonanza sale!!!

This was all together in a bag marked 'tatting kit $25'. It was Sunday, which usually means 1/2 off and it was 10 min till they closed, so they gave it to me for $10. That's more than I would normally spend, but I enjoy tatting and the book is worth $10 so I bought it.

This basket is actually something we found a week or so ago at a garage sale. I spent more than I should have on it, too, but I'm a sucker for neat baskets and this one has a sewing machine on the lid (a lid!!) and that made it irresistable.

This was just too cool! All this was in a bag marked 'bobbin lace kit - $25'. Got it for $10, too. Gobs of bobbins, a little thread and an instruction book. Always wanted to learn how to do bobbin lace and now I can! In all my spare time. Ha!!


Something else I find fascinating - wooden spoons. Guess I should say, wooden utensils! I like ones that are an interesting shape or decorative. I have lots of these and love finding them. I rarely use them, but they just make my kitchen look and feel so homey. Got all these for $1. Someday I'll have to blog about the time I set my basket of wooden spoons on fire. It's a pretty good story complete with fire extinguisher, but not exciting enough to include the fire department.


Also got this basket overflowing with tatting thread.

This bag of wool and the spindle was $.50. That's half a dollar. Can you believe it? I haven't looked really closely at the wool or tried to work with it yet, but I think it's felted a little. I'm confident I can fine something cool to do with it if it won't spin or needle felt. Dolly hair, maybe...

And this is (I think) a cushion used for making the bobbin lace. It was $1 and came with lots and lots of pins, a couple of prickings (the patterns for making the bobbin lace - aren't you impressed that I know that?? Read it in the book.) and two bookmarks. For $1!!!!

We also bought a light box for $4. I've always wanted a light box, didn't want to go buy one or build one, so always used the window instead. The problem with that is my sewing room is in the basement. It has windows, but they are tiny and higher up than I can reach. I don't get to do much sewing during the day, so I just don't do things that require a light box. Now I can! Husband and art major son were also excited about the light box. They are just so handy for some things.

This sale was so much fun. The house looked tiny, but there just kept being rooms and rooms and roome.... BIG rooms! They must have built onto this house 3 times, each time building on a big project room. Awesome antiques and more crafting stuff than you could shake a stick at. Painting, sculpting, sewing - way too much fun! We were there on Sunday and I can't imagine what had been there before we came. Didn't find a sewing machine, though.

Just heard back from the guy who built my quilting machine. He gave me a little advice and said he'd work on it if I got desperate (I'm just about there....). Don't want to drive out there (probably a 4 hour drive), so he suggested I ship it to them. Hmmm... We'll see.