Treasure Hunt

Usually when hubby and I go to a flea market, he comes home with lots of treasures and I'm empty handed. Not this time! I found a bunch of very cool stuff at Wednesday's free (free! and free parking too) flea market at the Ventura Fairgrounds.

 
All my friends have baskets like this but I've just never found the right one.  Love the leather handle - it's super comfortable to carry. Now I just need to keep from over-loading it and breaking out the bottom.

My favorite find was this little thimble. I bought it because it fit my finger (hard to find one that does) and I liked the gold detailing. 

Then I took it out into the light. Wow!
  
I was calling this 'stained glass' but it's actually plique a jour* (open to the light), a variation of the cloisonne technique. Darn it - now I have something else I need must want to collect. At least they're small!

I used to collect vintage linens but haven't seen any lately that caught my eye.  

But these - $1 to $2 each -

 
were so pretty, and in such good condition, that I couldn't pass them up. 
A little cleaning, a little ironing and I'll have treasures that will last for years. In theory; cats and grandkids willing.
  
I also picked up a Beanie Baby Rhino named Spike for Leia,
  
a tiny, real leather saddle that - after a bit of cleaning and oiling - will become a present for Addison,
  
and a few trinkets from a vendor's $1 bin. 
 
I got one other bracelet, but it's already in my jewelry rotation and I forgot to take a picture of it.
  
Not bad for a couple of hours spent hanging out with friends. 
Next time we go, I'm sure I'll be back to finding nothing I like. But this week I was lucky.

*Plique à jour (open to the light) -  a variation of the cloisonné technique. The cells are created with metal strips or wires, but the metal backing is temporary. After the enamel is applied and fired, the backing is removed or polished away and light can shine through the translucent enamel. It resembles stained glass and can be very fragile, thus making it a somewhat impractical choice for thimbles.   

Oopsie - Look What Followed Me Home

I'd decided awhile back to stop buying spinning wheels. Seven was enough (3 functional, 3 antiques, 1 - a Clems and Clems - to fix up and find a good home). No, really.

Uh huh. Look what followed me home from the Ventura flea market today. This is Elspeth. She's German, from about 1849 according to the seller. Isn't she beautiful? I spotted her last month but the $300 price tag was way too much. I had no intention of buying her when I stopped there again today, but the vendor really wanted to make a deal. Let's just say I got a bargain. Elspeth has the square nails and joinery you'd expect from wheels of that era. What attracted me is her small size, jaunty angle, and her treadle. I can't explain why, but I love the look of this treadle. She needs a little work - some wood polish, new leather pieces, and a few wood repairs - but I think she's functional. Can't wait to get her cleaned up and see how she spins.

I found a few other treasures. This crocheted table cloth is in perfect shape, just needs a gentle cleaning and a few threads woven in. The workmanship is beautiful. I spotted this table runner as we were leaving. It too is in perfect shape - not something you often find in vintage, flea market textiles - and I love the subtle shading. Dick and I had gone through all our cash by this point, so we had to borrow $3 from a friend to make the $5 purchase price.

I found these at one of our first stops of the day. The vendor has boxes and boxes of vintage textiles, a lot of them hand-made, in various states of disrepair. I got a purple and green silk scarf for $1. This blanket, which looks like doubleweave and is in very good shape, was also $1. And these vintage fabric remnants, that I'm planning to hem and use as runners on blanket chests? Yep, just $1 each. I love flea markets.

Treasure Trove

I love going to flea markets, especially the one in Ventura. I've found some incredible things there, including my beloved Bekki, an unused, fully-functional Ashford Traveler spinning wheel for just $65. We occasionally go to the Rose Bowl flea market, but the prices are usually higher and I don't find as many things I can't live without.

Today's favorite find was this casserole dish - I love the fluid lines and the steam vent in her mouth. No chips or cracks, and the dirt from its days as a planter was easily removed. A bargain at $15.

Sandy spotted this gem but decided she didn't want it. It's hand-painted and the turkey (chicken? The painted tail looks turkey-ish to me; this is now my Thanksgiving egg plate) comes off to reveal a little yellow bowl - great for olives or pickles. $9.00, marked down from $20 because there's a little chip on the red comb.

A lovely crocheted apron for a whopping $3. It's in great shape except for a little discoloration in one spot. It reminds me of the "dress" aprons from the 50's and 60's. It's probably of more recent vintage but it's still cool.

Dick found some old tools and calipers that he wanted and we also bought two Edison records. Dick has a small collection of these, and a player to play them, so I try to buy unique ones when I find them. These are both in good shape, still have their lids, and the songs listed on the container are what is actually on the record - which is rare. I've seen these go for $20 or more; our two were $8 each. The day's most unusual find? OK, the most unusual find that actually came home with us? A spinning wheel - just the wheel, nothing else. The metal and wood are in good shape, just in need of a good cleaning. Dick plans to build a functional spinning wheel around this. No need to reinvent the wheel, right? (sorry; I couldn't resist.) A $10 treasure. I spotted three spinning wheels today, but none came home with me. One was a great wheel that looked to be in excellent shape; I'd love to have one, but they are just too big to fit in this house. Another was a traditional wheel with a metal treadle, probably from the early 1800's, also in good shape. This style just doesn't appeal to me as much as castle wheels and the $280 price tag was a little much. The last was a castle wheel with a lever on the front so you could push the treadle with your hand rather than using your foot. It was only $65 and I was tempted - but it was in sad shape, with thick black paint covering every surface. It will have to be someone else's treasure.

Yesterday we went to a sale by Ojai glass artist, Teal Rowe. We have a couple of her pieces that we love - including a glass paint brush (scroll down) - and added two more to our collection. Dick chose this teal bowl - I couldn't get a good photo; it's much prettier in person.

I picked out this yellow vase - I love the fluid lines and swirls of color. So pretty.