Limping Along

I had an exciting Saturday night, starting with a bat and ending with an ambulance ride, so I'm not getting around too well at the moment. Hopefully, after things settle down around here, I'll feel well enough to get some sewing done while I'm laid up. :) My friend Marilyn just left after bringing me an emergency supply of Diet Coke and my favorite blueberry fritters, so I'm set for the rest of the week.

I recently joined (oh no, not again!) a block exchange on the Jo Morton Yahoo Group. This is my first exchange, and since I already had the ingredients, I thought it sounded like fun. I bought these stamp basket stamps from Cindy Blackberg years ago in Chicago at Quilt Festival, but never used them. After this exchange, I'm going to get her Spools set and start making those Klosjes blocks I enjoy seeing on everyone's blogs.

I was sure the ink pads would be dried out after 8 years, and was just about to order re-inkers, when I unwrapped them and checked them just to make sure, and they were just like brand new! They were sealed in some pretty thick plastic, and I guess that made the difference. Now to prewash the fabrics, which is a requirement for the exchange, and also to successfully use the ink, but is something I never do.

I went to an antique market a couple of weeks ago with a friend, which was a huge disappointment, but we stopped at an antique mall on the way home and saw some wonderful things. This was called a field cradle. I know nothing about it, but it would really look nice in my living room with my dolls in it. :) A little pricey though.

I found this metal headed doll, though, and couldn't resist, especially since everything in the booth was 20% off to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the mall.

If you read my Dolls and Quilts post, I showed one that a member brought to the meeting, and I was really entranced by it, having never seen one. This one was in very good shape, although the dress was pretty faded and deteriorated, but I can always make a replacement. Lots of undergarments on her, even a bustle pad!

My local fabric store cleaned out the rafters and had a huge sale, with fabrics $2.97 - $3.97 a yard, and had lines going back to 2001. I found a bolt of this Bannister Hall Summerhouse by Xenia Cord, as well as a couple of Broderie Perse by Andover. There were some real finds, like old Kathy Hall, Jo Morton, quite a few Winterthur lines, and 1800's Blended Tradition, and I was out of money after visiting only two of their four stores in town!

Since the Northern Michigan houses were so popular last week, I thought I would show you a few more. Have a great week!