Grain Sack Floorcloth

You don't always need a rug under your feet.  Sometimes a floorcloth is just right.  With that in mind,

I've created this simple, yet fun, floorcloth from an old grain sack.  Just as with my grain sack fleabags, I chose to include and celebrate the stains & imperfections of the old sack.

The wonderful texture of the heavy cotton is not lost, but the floorcloth has a coating which allows light soil to be wiped off with a damp cloth.  (If you have farmboys tracking axel grease into the house, this may not be fore you....)

It's that time again...White Wednesday at Faded Charm - let's go check it out!

A Super Day At a Country Auction

I love auctions.  I especially love country auctions. A country auction loaded with great items and sold by a top-notch auctioneer?  Triple love.  At 5:30 Saturday morning I hit the road for a 163 mile drive to attend just such an auction.

 Chuilli's Auction Service was selling the estate of a collector gone wild.  Auctioneer Jerry Chuilli, (pronounced chili), assisted by two other auctioneers ran the two-day, two-ring sale.

  I don't get to many Chuilli auctions; most of them are 3-5 hours away from me.  Their ads are often enticing and this one looked just too good to miss. I was able to attend only the first day.

 The first thing you'll notice at a Chuilli auction is a big tent. (In this case, 2 big tents). With chairs.  That's rare. Most outdoor auctions in Wisconsin are byocaiywsosbau, ('bring your own chair and if you want shade or shelter bring an umbrella').

Items were clean and well-organized.  There was a huge amount of merchandise to be sold, yet it was sorted in a way that  made it easy to preview each item. Large items were lined up on the grass.  Small items were divided into box lots.  And guess what? They sold the whole lot without piddling around. I can't tell you how many auctioneers bring up a flat of stuff and then start choicing out the items...it can take 10 minutes to sell one flat.  Not here.  Shown & sold. 

The auctioneer stood in the center with a table on each side. Each table had a staff member who put the small items up on a platform so you could tell exactly what was being sold.  In the meantime, the staff member at the other table was loading up, readying his lot to go up.  This is the most efficient system I've seen.  Buyers were able to see what was about to come up and there was no delay for the auctioneer...sell from the left, sell from the right, sell from the left...

And speaking of staff...all seemed relaxed, yet very efficient.  A group like this doesn't come together by accident; the tone of a business is set by the leader. Jerry's demeanor is calm, confident and professional.  (So many auctioneers in this state get frustrated, snap at their employees and bidders, don't know where they're going next, waste time trying to wring blood from a turnip....). 

 A few select items came home with me; a wonderful box of prisms, a delightful folk art memory jug, an advertising umbrella, some clocks, toys and other odds & ends. Some of it will be available at the Elkhorn Antique Flea Market next weekend.  You'll see the shabby table & bench that I got at the Viva la Cottage Door County show next month. 

This auction was well-worth the long trip; I only wish I could have returned for round two today! 
Enjoy the rest of the photos.

Saturday Shopping Fun

ChiPPy! ShaBBy! Sale

Yes, some things are worth getting up early for on a Saturday morning.  I was out the door by 5:30 to shop at the "ChiPPy! ShaBBY!" sale in Cedarburg, Wisconsin.  A line formed well before the 7:00 a.m. opening, and the two gals next to me were up at 3:00 a.m. ,(!), to drive down from Upper Michigan for the event! This chair at the gate gave just a hint of what was to come.

Jeanine's staging was amazing; at every turn was another dreamy vignette.  The place was packed and it was difficult to get many pictures; check Jeanine's blog for more.  I came home with a big old barn key and a large tin vase that I dearly love.

By the time I left, there were cars parked along the road for as far as I could see in both directions.  Congrats to Jeanine, (& crew!), on a great sale. 

Farm Auction

Rushing off from Cedarburg to get to an auction in Franklin, my hopes were high.  When I pulled up it certainly looked promising.  

As it turned out, there was a lot of stuff but little that was of interest to me. Condition was poor on most of the vintage items.  This birdhouse was quite charming; it sold for far more than I was willing to pay.

A few linens, some doll clothes and a couple of carnival canes were the only items I purchased. The most memorable thing about this auction was the fact that the family had been unable to agree on the division of property, thus all items were up for auction and they had to bid on anything that they wanted.  The large crowd was stunned when a common china cabinet sold for $19,000.00, (yes, you read that right!)   Two family members were dueling it out for the right to have it. I always feel a little sad when I see a situation like that.

I hope that your weekend was fun, that your finds were fantastic and that the coming week will be a pleasure for you!

"Old Stuff Sale" in the Big Woods - Great Fun Today!

Kathy spotted the ad for an "Old Stuff Sale" a couple of days ago and we made plans to meet there this morning.  The location was near the little town of Eagle, on a narrow country road.  A small crowd was waiting at the gate.

What we didn't know was that this was an annual event, eagerly anticipated by the regulars. Just before 8:00, the gate was opened and everyone hurried down the winding driveway.

I was torn between my "touristy" instincts, wanting to gawk at the beautiful scenery, and the urge to dash on in to see what was for sale.  Dashing won, as I figured I could see the sights later.

What was at the end of the driveway was "Josie's Sale", and what fun it was!  This photo was taken long after my van had been loaded and many others had taken their finds out.  The items in the center of the driveway were purchases waiting to be paid for.

This is Josie, a wonderful lady who has been collecting for decades and offers her treasures just once a year. 

And what delights she has...planters, chairs, benches, wheelbarrows, birdhouses, signs, baskets, primitives....old paint, chippy paint, no paint - you could tell that she truly loves objects with character.

Josie's sale was so well run, with her husband, daughter & granddaughter helping out. You started a pile - they tagged it with your name and watched it so that you could keep shopping.  You had a question, it was answered with a smile. You wanted to check out, they were right there to tally you up.  And then, Josie's husband loaded the wagon on his tractor and hauled your purchases right to your vehicle.  Is it any wonder that Josie has such a loyal following?

I owe Kathy one for finding us such a great sale to attend. 
Thanks for a great morning Josie and family...and for letting me take some pictures of your beautiful property.

Next post, I'll show you what I bought.

Vintage Children's Hats

There's something about an old straw hat in a small size that charms me.  

A few of them are hanging in the sunroom.

Last summer my granddaughters borrowed two of them for a bit...

...to keep the sun off while walking Gracie.

The favorite of my small collection is this one.

I call it the "coming & going hat", as it has a brim front & back.

 It's tattered and worn...

 ...and has a little surprise inside.

Sweet!

I Heart Farm Sales

Going out buying wasn't on my "to do" list today; I'm in the midst of cleaning my overstuffed storage area and need to finish.  When I woke up early and saw what a beautiful day it was, I couldn't resist the 45 minute drive to a farm sale...those of you who love to go "junking" understand the siren call of a big sale. This one turned out to be worth the drive.

The farmyard was nestled up against an old cemetery.  That proved to be a fitting location, as the farm itself appeared to be the final resting place for dozens of farm implements and hundreds of other old items. 

The owner of the rusty abundance bounced around answering questions since he "didn't have time to get everything priced"...ya think?

Aside from what was out in the yard, there were numerous outbuildings on the property; a peek inside revealed more waiting for future sales.

I had a lot of fun poking around the property and gathering a pile of shabby primitives to bring back. Here are some snapshots of what you may find in the Gracie's Cottage booth at upcoming shows...enjoy the pictures!