Category Archives: Thrift Finds

Thrifty Finds

I was at the thrift store and rummaging around the craft section…no fabric on this day but nostalgia had me buying this.

See the saying on the bottom, “God Bless our Home”? Well I had the kit for that when I was in my teens. I stitched it and took it to the fair and got a blue ribbon. Stitching this is what taught me to do French knots.

I kept it for years and years and then ended up passing it on to Kayla when we moved to the house in town where we live now.

Well this kit is for the upper one that says “Home Sweet Home”. It has the cloth and all the thread for it. It was only $1. Who knows if I’ll ever actually stitch it but nostalgia could let me leave it there. Sometimes I know I am too sentimental.

I also found this and I’m in love.
It’s a lap desk. It’s no color I love and I think it suppose to be a kid lap desk. That’s okay. I love it anyway.

A bit ago Kelli told me she had a lap desk and liked it for cross stitching. I thought that was weird but after she explained how she rested her hands on it and how much she liked it I thought I’d keep my eye open at the thrift store to see if I could find one. I was to the store about three more times when I saw this one for 75 cents. I didn’t like the color but though I’d try it and see.

So I gathered my supplies for the project I am working on…
I started cross stitching. Oh my word. I love it. My hands can rest on it as it’s just a little bit higher. I soon agreed with Kelli that I liked it.

Being mine, unlike Kelli’s, had a lid and storage container on the top, I ended up opening the lid and put the things I wasn’t needing like the extra thread, in the top. I loved it. I put the scissor there and snuck my hand inside to get it when I needed it. Oh my…the best 75 cents I’ve spent in a long time.

When I was done I popped my whole project inside and shut the lid.

Did I say I loved this. I really do. I told Kelli that I found it and was glad she recommended getting a lap desk, and I told her mine had the container attached to the top. She told me if I found another to buy it.

I thought I’d look online so I goggled “the original lap desk company” into Ebay and no luck.
They didn’t have one like this. I went to Amazon and typed in lap desk with lift top…no luck. Oh well. I’ll stay on the lookout at the thrift store. I’d love to surprise her with one.

I didn’t find much fabric. One lone piece.

I don’t know if they are upping their prices for someone else was tagging fabric. It was $2 for a half yard. It’s still a deal but this normally would have 50 cents or $1. I’m not complaining…just curious.

This piece is going right in with all my other white base neutrals. It’s wonderful that I have those so nicely stocked. I had to dive in and make a quilt…but trust me, I will!!

I picked up a couple baby items for Kayla…nothing fancy just a couple outfits.

It was a nice thrifty day. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I don’t NEED too many things there. My house is only so big!! Thrifting is addicting so I am often reminding myself of that!!

Adventures in Thrifting

7 Replies

I was thrifting…

I was happy when the thrift store turned over to fall clothing. Although I’m not hunting for men’s 100% cotton shirts, I do still take a look because I’m not-not hunting either. I happen to find this orange one. I’m a cheap skate and won’t pay more than $2 for a shirt so when I find one in a hard to find color, I snap it up!

If you’re a long time reader you know I’ve been collecting shirts for Bonnie Hunter’s Oregon or Bust quilt only I’m doing in blues and oranges only. So although I don’t have immediate plans to make the quilt..it is on the list. The quilt is one I think I’ll keep for myself so…it gets set aside…and waits until other deadline quilts and gifted quilts get finished first.

I found fabric again…this time there wasn’t a lot. Mostly things I didn’t need but ended up buying as I will pass them along to the Cresco quilting ladies.

See the Christmas fabric on the far left…more of them have 1 1/2 to 2 yards and were only 50 cents each. The ones on the right were 50 cents each too. All of this I’ll put in the box for the Cresco ladies.

These were 1/4 yard cuts. It was 25 cents all together.

These I pulled for me… Continue reading →

Thrift Store Finds

14 Replies

You might remember that last week on Monday I went to Lacrosse to have a needle biopsy done. Kelli was doing childcare for me while I went to have that done so I wanted to get back as soon as possible. On the way home Kelli called and said, “Mom, I’m fine here. If you don’t stop at the thrift store, I’m going to be mad at you.”

Well I decided I’d stop but try hard to make it a quick stop. I hit up the toy section and the craft section but just did a quick once over on anything else and completely skipped clothing. I’m so glad I stopped….I found fabric!

Here’s my haul.

These two pieces were 50 cents each. The white with letters was two yards worth. The green was left overs from the backing of quilt I think. There is a yards worth of that but not in a traditional cut.
There was this kit of purple fabric that someone designed and put together. I says that two more yards of purple are needed. I’m going to have to read through it carefully and see exactly how I’m going to use it.

For $2.50 it was a deal. I think it will be fun to figure it out and make it into something…or I might throw the fabric in my scrap bucket and jazz up my scraps with some purple. It’s a color I don’t typically have a lot of.

These three pieces were rubber banded. They were “specially marked”. Two were $1 each. One was $1.50.
The $1.50 one was two yards…on of the $1 ones was one yard. The one on the lower left was left overs from a quilt backing. I think it is about a yards worth but again, not in a traditional cut.

People often wonder if the stuff I get at the thrift store is quality fabric….See for yourself…. Continue reading →

Thrift Store Happiness

10 Replies

I’ve been on such a roll making quilts. I’ve had so much fun. One would think I would have made a dent in fabric but to be honest, I don’t know that I have.

I did take a dive off of my fabric diet…I was at an actual quilt shop and bought fabric but I’ll save that story for next week. This story is an even better story as this fabric all came from the thrift store…and you all know my thrift stores…the prices are great.

I got all of this and little more. The “little more” is some great vintage fabric pieces that I’ll be putting on the next auction here on the blog. If you’re new here every so often I have an auction on the blog and sell things I find at thrift stores to all of you. The proceeds go into my postage fund for charity quilts. It works out great!

Anyway…onto the stuff that won’t be on the auction…stuff I’m keeping for the most part. I bought all of this. Most things were priced from $5 down to 25 cents.

I bought two prepackaged 4″ square bundles for $2 each. Last time I bought two packets that were 3 1/2″ square and there were enough square to make a baby quilt top. I plan on using these as a leader and ender until I can’t stand being that patient anymore and just sew them up.

These were 2 1/2″ squares…they were 75 cents.
This big gallon bag of blue and purple batiks was only 75 cents. These are the bags of stuff I LOVE!!
This pack of black and grays wasn’t marked so that means it was 50 cents.