Saturday, September 25, 2010

Sewing Extravaganza

I took a field trip yesterday - all by myself - back in time in the world of sewing. I wanted to roam the fields of the Antique Extravaganza in Kutztown, PA - in search of sewing artifacts - implements and examples of our ancestors' sewing prowess. Want to join me?
The fields of the extravaganza were peppered with ephemera of the earlier days of the world of sewing - you could find evidence of our craft in the booth of nearly every vendor - of which there are hundreds. Old sewing machines were plentiful - could my Bernina 200 end up in the field of antiquities some day?

Buttons were everywhere, many displayed very creatively - I love this collection of buttons in old dairy bottles.
Many buttons were displayed on their original marketing cards.
I love this collection of white buttons - I would frame this and hang it on my wall - I just love the visual impact.
This thread "carousel" was so clever - this was my regret of the day - I really wanted it, but decided to shop around a bit before I made a firm decision. Drat! By the time I wandered back to the vendor it had been sold. I hope the new owner enjoys it as much, or more, than I would have - it was a beauty.
I'll admit I was saddened to see all of the quilts - just look at these lovely examples of our craft. I imagined the time, effort and emotion dedicated to making each and every one - and, I'm sure the maker never envisioned this would be their fate. Why were these beauties cast aside by families to end up for sale in a field in the middle of no where? Are my quilts destined for this end? I'm hoping their future keepers will appreciate the craft of their quilter.
Yo-yo's galore - they were everywhere - some sewn together and some jammed into bags awaiting their future.
Wow! I simply love this zinnia - and for $15 it could have been yours! OMG - $15 - don't let the maker see the price. This was about 20 inches round - stunning!
Look what I found - this was the fabric I used for my very first sewing project at 4-H Club - an apron!!! I spied it on the back of a quilt and just had to snap a photo - memories!I had a wonderful day finding sewing treasures - many thanks to our predecessors for their love of the craft! I think this next piece says it all - have a great weekend!!!

2 comments:

Vicki said...

Loved the photos of buttons, my passion. I found your blog through one of my customers yesterday. We have a store at Smith Mountain Lake (The General Store) with a Quilt Shack in the basement. She was telling me how talented you were with sewing and cooking. Look forward to more blogs.

Karen W said...

Hello mate, great blog

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