The weather was very cool and overcast but no rain so we gave it a shot. I love looking at all sorts of junk. You just never know what you'll find. I do try to restrain myself and only buy "necessary" items that won't add to my growing collection of clutter. Still . . . a girl's gotta have SOME fun at a flea market.
I saw a few vintage quilts but not many. No real antiques, mostly contemporary ones imported from China.
Nothing I felt I needed. I do believe I need to make a small quilt using pink, indigo and apple green, though!
In addition to quilts, I'm always on the lookout for authentic Barbie dolls or outfits from the early '60s to add to my vintage collection. Don't see many anymore.
Don't tell anyone but I actually paid $10.00 for the sunglasses a few years ago. Yes, for a doll. You don't want to know how much for the little zippered travel case to complete the outfit, LOL. Hey, I didn't buy any fabric that week. The outfit is original and belonged to my Barbie from my childhood but the accessories for most of the clothes got lost over the years. I like to try to replace them sometimes, just for fun. Maybe I'll take a look at eBay later : )
I'd been wanting a small iron like this with a green handle for awhile, ever since my publisher used one as a prop to photograph the Feedsack Flower Garden quilt in my first book, American Doll Quilts.
Now I have my very own toy iron. And then I spotted this one and knew I needed it just as much as the other one -
I haggled a bit and got both for almost nothing. What a deal! The little one with the green handle is something I would have loved as a kid. I do not believe my mom would ever have let me have one if I asked for it though. I was kind of clumsy as a child and you can guess what would have happened. But I can almost see myself ironing doll dresses alongside my mom. She was a great ironer, my mom, as were many women from that era. Me, now? Not so much. We live in a different world today, don't we? My own kids would not have known what to do with a toy iron. Wash & Wear, that's been my motto for years and the one they grew up with.
Of course, my husband wanted to know what I was going to do with my finds. Like there's an actual answer to that question . . .
I know what you mean about it being hard to find vintage Barbie things these days. I collect Barbies too and have my original 1959 doll and all the clothes and trying to add to the collection is hard and pricey. My mother used to work for Mattel so I have a lot of things, but more current than the older more fun things.
ReplyDeleteAnd no, there is no actual answer to your husband's question. My husband asks me the same thing (like when I bring another child sewing machine into the house).
Loved the photos of your flea market trip - we haven't had a good flea market in this area in ages. I've been to a huge one at the Nashville fairgrounds with lots of architectural items and would love to go back some day...
ReplyDeleteI use many irons at the end of a row of dvd's to keep them on the shelve. Some have been used by my grandmother to iron the working clothes of my grandfather in their grocery store, almost 70 years ago. And I also use them to keep patterns flat when making clothes.
ReplyDeleteLove your little iron. I have one from my childhood - it has a lever that losses the bottom which you can heat on the stove. Thanks for sharing the trip to the flea market.
ReplyDeleteYour irons are just wonderful, who cares, what for LOL!!!!! They needed a loving home and now they have found one......
ReplyDeleteLove the sad iron too, I just love mine, I think every vintage quilt lover just has to have at least one!!!!!
My mom was an ironer. I did not inherit that gene. Almost all her blouses were 100% cotton or mostly cotton. She had about 25. When she passed away last May we bagged up the unironed bloused and took them to Goodwill. About a week later I realized I could have made memory quilts with them. Another week went by and a daughter and I went to find them at Goodwill. WE looked for any that looked like mom and/or had the tags cut out of the neck. Another pet peeve of hers. I found about 20 so bought them back for abut $62. The good news was it was senior citizen discount Monday and I paid less for them than normal. I've made 11 quilts for the family members.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was young, we lived in a small house. For some peace and quiet, I would take my transistor radio to the basement and iron my dad's chambray shirts and anything else that needed it. It was quiet time. And I had Barbies and my younger sister had BARBIES! So my sister took them all for her daughter. which was ok with me.
ReplyDeleteÉs molt divertit passejar i comprar als mercats de les puces!!!
ReplyDeleteUn petó
2 in the morning and can't sleep! Time to blog hop! So glad I came to visit you and see your wonderful flea market finds. One of my favorite things to do and haven't done for too long!! (So many quilts and not nearly enough time!) And it doesn't matter what you do with the fabulous finds! They are FINDS for heaven's sake!! What more does he need to know? LOL Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteWonderful flea market finds. We don't have to have a reason for them do we.
ReplyDeleteKathy, I love your little irons. I have a red one similar to your green one. My granddaughters use it to iron their dolls clothes when they are visiting.
ReplyDeleteMy aunt told me when her mother used to iron years ago in the summer she always had to have a cold beer to keep cool! Isn't that a hoot!! Karen/IL.
Your iron could keep your book on the shelves and you could see them everyday.
ReplyDeleteHusgs
Cute little irons! My mom is a master ironer (not a word!) as well. Me...I only use my iron for quilting and rely on Downy Wrinkle Release for my clothes!
ReplyDeleteNos encantan esos mercadillos, siempre encuentras cosas muy curiosas.
ReplyDeleteUn beso.
well of course there IS an answer but one he might not want to hear...
ReplyDeleteGreat items at the flea market - love your little irons. I think an indigo, pink and apple green quilt is a wonderful idea....looking forward to seeing that one!
ReplyDeleteLove the iron. I loved homemaking toys as a child. Still do!
ReplyDeleteLove your new irons. I inherited one very similar to the 2nd one only smaller from a couple that I considered a second set of grandparents. I also have one of the quilts made by the woman's grandmother. My husaband asked the same question when I bought my antique wooden baby cradle.
ReplyDeleteBarbara Cissne - Garland, TX
I think some of us (we) are in our second childhood as we enjoy having those things around us. The iron is darling. I never had a toy iron, but I did help my Mom iron clothes when I got old enough (don't know what age). I enjoyed ironing in the basement during the summers, as well as helping hang up the clothes outside to dry. I was just telling my son (who we are visiting) that I really enjoyed playing "house" when I was little and I think it's good for girls to do. I just made some clothes for my boy doll (who had been wearing a dress for years). I think he will be happier now. He was my Mom's doll, so is almost 100 years old.
ReplyDeleteWhere is this Flea Market? Looks like a great one!
ReplyDeleteKane County, Illinois.
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