There was an online auction a bit ago. Sadly the auction house is about 50 minutes from my house so I don’t take the time to drive over and preview the sale. I just bid and hope for the best whenever I find something I think I might like.
Hoping is what I did when I bought my spool cabinet. If you missed that story, you can read about it HERE.
I just love my old cabinet even though it is very used and worn. Here’s one more picture of it…
This time at the auction there were old quilts, quilt tops, old picture frames, and sewing notions. There were so many things I was interested in. I was tempted to drive over and preview the items…but it would be an hour there, an hour back, and time to look. It might take up three hours of my day and I had stuff to do. So… I decided to again bit without previewing the auction.
I put in early bids in hoping I might be able to snag a few things super cheap…
The auctions typically are live for about a week. Initially, I had the bids on over a dozen lots with vintage quilts only going for $5 and $10 each. I had a tote of picture framers for $5. It was great and I was busy counting my chickens before they were hatched. I was thinking of all of these great deals I might get.
As the week wore on, the bids increased. I started to try to negotiate in my head…would I rather have vintage quilts or would I rather have sewing notions. Would I rather have sewing notions or picture frames?
Slowly the quilts came to be more and more expensive so only my favorite ones kept my attention and my bidding. They weren’t expensive in the world of buying quilts but they were expensive to me who would likely only be putting them on the auction page and auctioning them off to all of you.
They had a lot of small vintage sewing baskets. I bid on them but let them go. The lot I really, really, really wanted was a box of vintage sewing notions. There was a blue tomato pincushion…there were two dog tape measures. They looked like a stuffed animal dog but a tape measure came out of its mouth. They were so cute. Kelli has one and I wanted one. UGH. The bidding kept going up and up. I reasoned with myself and would count out the items. 13 vintage items…if they were only $3 each I could reasonably bid $39 for the lot…right?
On and on it went until the day of the day the auction ended. By the final day, I only have five lots that I was really serious about bidding on. Sadly, things were crazy here and I only got to the computer when the auction was 1/2 finished.
What happens is they tick down and people are allowed to bid online and continue bidding as long as no other bids come in after 25 seconds or so.
I was sad. The box with the sewing notions had already closed out and I missed bidding. By then I was frustrated that I didn’t just put in a high bid rather than play the bidding game. UGH. Well now that my favorite thing was gone I decided I just wouldn’t bid anymore and hopefully, I wouldn’t get anything so then I wouldn’t have to make the hour trek over to pick anything up.
Well…my luck, no one upped my bid on a lot of picture frames so I had to drive over and pick them up. BLAH!! This is the lot of picture frames I got. Oh my. I love them.
They are all old and in good condition. I think I’m just going to love them for cross-stitch frames.
I ended up happy. I only paid $7 for the lot of frames.
I love the details on these little frames. So pretty.
I went to pick up my picture frames and was sad all over. I saw some of the quilts that were waiting to be picked up. I had bid on some of these and missed out. You just never know looking at pictures if the colors are nice or if they are in good shape.
Be still my heart. The pink and blue one was WONDERFUL!! Darn, I wish I would have kept bidding. But now that I have the picture, maybe I could reproduce it. This might be a great quilt to present as a stash user quilt. Don’t you just love how that polka-dot fabric landed in the little nine-patch? I love it.
After I got home I quickly went to the auction site to see if I could get pictures of the quilts and have them to possibly reproduce them.
I was able to get the pictures…Here they are.
This was the sewing basket with the blue tomato pincushion.
Here are the pictures of the quilts…
This one, I loved. I think the colors are fabulous. Simple but nice.
You can see that the pictures they took really didn’t do anything to help the sales of the quilts. I really do want to reproduce this one. Let’s do it in a Sew with Jo!
I was able to snag a picture of the sewing baskets. I didn’t bid more on them as I didn’t know where I would put them. Now, of course, I figured out where I would put them and now it’s too late to buy them. Bummer.
Here are the two tape measures. Darn. I wish I had bought those too. Oh well. Lesson learned. Even if it does eat up three hours of time, GO TO THE AUCTION PREVIEW!!!
Is anybody game to reproduce that quilt with me? I think you’d need 1 1/2″ strips to make the nine patches in the quilt. I won’t be making it tomorrow or even start this year, but I think I’m going to make it happen!!
Would you have bid on any of the items??
Fab stuff from the auction. Just out of interest, do you know what the final bids were on any of the quilts?
Regards from cold and foggy England.
And yes I’d love to make a reproduction of the pink and blue quilt, especially if you do it as a sew along. Many thanks for offering.
More regards from cold and foggy England
And yes I’d love to make a reproduction of the pink and blue quilt, especially if you do it as a sew along. Many thanks for offering.
More regards from cold and foggy England
Nice online auction exhibits! I liked the Ohio Star quilt the best, I can see why you would bid on the items as they were all very interesting. What is the name of the auction company and their online info, do they do quilt and notion auctions often? The sewing basket with the blue pincushion was nice also! You will enjoy making projects to ukase the new frames for sure. I would check out the website as we do not have anything like this in my neck of the woods!
They don’t do specific auctions. This was just a household auction and the family happened to have a lot of quilting related items.
Bonjour Jo ! Qe de merveilles nous montrez-vous ? J’aurais pu enchérir sur tout, mais je n’aurai pas laissé passer les cadres ! C’est de loin le plus beau lot !!! Bonne journée. Amicalement
Sew along with Jo sounds like fun but not until the new year. Happy stitching!
Yes interested in SAL but love the yellow/grey nine patch one also!
I would love a sew-along! I already have some 1.5″ strips cut from watching your “How to Cut Up Scraps” video. I will join whenever you are ready. I am sorry you missed out on the sewing notions – especially the blue tomato pincushion and the doggie tape measure. I love the frames you purchased and can’t wait to see some of your beautiful cross stitch projects framed in them!
Thankfully our local auctions tend to have sewing stuff much cheaper. I just got a wonderful all handmade quilt for $35 – it was quite yellowed but I soaked it and washed – looks brand new! I’ve also got 4 boxes of frames in the last two auctions for $2.00 and $4.00 per box. Many nice ones – I’m stocked up for a long time. One box even had a vintage linen cross stitch piece in a frame. Came from an antique store and had a $325.00 price sticker on it. Unfortunately no date or other info except initials LS. So much fun!
LOVE those tape measures – I would have bid on the too! The pink and blue quilt is so pretty! I’d do a SAL but like the other ladies here, after the New Year!
The tied quilt that looks like a spiderweb I’ve seen before – like that one too!
Love and prayers
Would love to do a sew along with this quilt.
I would love to do a sew along maybe even try using some thrift store shirts for my blocks
Oh boy, you should have gone to the preview! I am certainly game sew along with you. It would be a fun project.
Yes, I like using 1 1/2 strips.
Thanks again for all you do for us.
Wow ! What an auction!! I agree reproducing those quilts is a great idea! I’m game!
I have that silver-ish colored frame, found it in a antique store for like $5! I also have a swivel mirror in the same style that belonged to one of my grandparents. You did get some great little frames in that purchase. Now to find the right stitch project for those cute frames.
I loved everything you showed from the auction.
Many unique ideas. I would love to do a sew along too.
The moral of the story is…next time, take the time to go see stuff in person so you know if it’s worth bidding on or not. Personally, I didn’t see anything that I would have bid on in this group but we all like different things :) Sorry you lost out.
I would have bid on the dog tape measures and paid to much for them. They are so cute.
I’ve been watching for frames and none have been as nice as this lot you won. Every time you use one I predict you’ll be more and more pleased you spent the time. Your cross stitch will look lovely!
Heck yes I would bid on all of those too. Hubby and I do online auction and we don’t preview sometimes. I’ve been successful bidding on 4 vintage sewing machines,2 cabinets . Never see quilts. It’s fun to see what you get. Keep looking you never know what will come up.
I would love to to a Sew Along which I have never done before. Sounds interesting.
Oh I’m so glad we don’t have that kind of auction near me. I would spend money I shouldn’t for sure! I love the idea of reproducing the 9P quilt! And I love the idea someone had of using thrifted shirts for it. I have a bin of those to use up!! I also have a stack of fat quarters of shirt fabrics that would go well in it. Hmm, now I’m not sure. But for sure, as far as the sew along, Let’s Go Jo!!
Count me in.
I have zero familiarity with auctions like that. Maybe they don’t have them around Buffalo, NY. I love the quilts and the one you want to reproduce.
I have an old quilt from my husbands family that’s very worn but uses the butterflies in the one quilt in blocks that is just beautiful. I’d be interested in where that butterfly pattern could be found. I’d like to reproduce that quilt! Any idea where that could be found? I’d never seen it. Guess I could just try to copy it.
Hi Jo! I’m totally in for making the pink and blue quilt!!!
A sew-a-long with Jo sounds great! Bummer that you didn’t get the bids! Next time! HUGS… and stitches
I did the butterfly pattern in a quilt. I found the pattern on Pinterest. I did the quilt with calicos and had an alternating block. I will try to send a picture of the quilt to Jo. My six year old grand-daughter ask me to make a quilt like that for her.
A quilt along in the new year sounds wonderful!
I would love to do a sew along for the blue and pink quilt.
Sorry you didn’t get the bids on the things you wanted. I love the sewing baskets. I have my grandmothers and I cherish it.
I love the butterfly and the nine patch.
These on line auction sites are so much fun…and addicting. I try to stick local but sometimes willing to drive. I try to place my max bid and then look after the auction… Some times that works. There have been several lately with beautiful vintage quilts. Some I have really loved but just go too high. I sigh and am glad the family got their worth and hope maybe next time I will win. I have gotten some neat items and glad I don’t have to attend the auction.
Yes Jo, i would love to sew along with you !
Carolyn from cold France
OH my lands JO, the lavender and yellow quilt pattern is like one I made after my husband’s suicide. I did it as my therapy. –Long story short, my ex-daughter-in-law threw it in the garbage because there was some mold on it. (That was over 20 years ago). I have been looking for that pattern again, to make it. The only thing is the handle may have been a little different.
Now that I see it, I can draw it out and maybe make a sample block.
I would have spent way too much on that first quilt with the yellow and blue pieced sashing! I really love your stand up/tilting picture frames. I can NEVER find those!!
SAL sounds like fun! Currently working on Bonnie Hunter’s mystery quilt, next year would be perfect!
PS. Just how many Kathys follow you? LOL
A lot of Kathy’s, Cathy’s, Cathy Sue’s, Catherine, Kathryns, Kat, Kates and even more. Often time email addresses are Kathyrn but they sign their names Kat or Kate. It’s so confusing to keep up with it all. I am however thankful for the the versions of Cathy that read my blog!!
Would love a “Sew With Jo”!