{"id":21641,"date":"2012-03-23T05:45:37","date_gmt":"2012-03-23T09:45:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/?p=21641"},"modified":"2015-01-21T22:32:16","modified_gmt":"2015-01-22T03:32:16","slug":"once-in-a-lifetime-estate-sale-shopping-spree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/2012\/03\/23\/once-in-a-lifetime-estate-sale-shopping-spree\/","title":{"rendered":"Once-in-a-lifetime Estate Sale Shopping Spree"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Almost 20 years ago, they\u00c2\u00a0 <\/strong>(the lace portraits shown below) were purchased at an estate sale,\u00c2\u00a0 where they were pinned to a sheet of cardboard.\u00c2\u00a0 If any interest is expressed, I’ll write a post about that once-in-a-lifetime textile shopping spree.\u00c2\u00a0 Occasionally, I still dream about it!”\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"antique-lace-portraits-FI\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This quote is from an earlier post about these antique lace portraits.<\/a> Readers did ask for the story.\u00c2\u00a0 So let me tell you………<\/p>\n

This was the most amazing estate sale I had ever seen, or ever will again.\u00c2\u00a0 It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime shopping opportunity to acquire beautiful things.<\/p>\n

First, a few details about one of my finds at that sale, a set of 6 placemats and napkins with a matching table runner.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"blueSW<\/a>

Shadow embroidered placemat with surface embroidery and hemstitching.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

The shadow embroidery on this luncheon set is absolutely flawless.\u00c2\u00a0 Worked in two shades of blue, the stitches are so tiny and so regularly spaced that it’s hard to believe this is handwork.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"blue<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The surface embroidery is equally remarkable.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"blueSW<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The set of six placemats and napkins includes a table runner.\u00c2\u00a0 With my Blue Willow china,\u00c2\u00a0 it makes a pretty setting for lunch.\u00c2\u00a0 For tea, flow blue <\/a>cups are elegant.\u00c2\u00a0 My 7 yo granddaughter Laurel and I enjoy having tea on the breakfast porch with these cups.\u00c2\u00a0 Robert, 6, sometimes joins us but prefers a no-nonsense Gator mug.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"blue<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So here is the story about how this all came about.\u00c2\u00a0 My mother’s friend, Marybelle, had a daughter who did estate sales and auctions in New England.\u00c2\u00a0 She didn’t liquidate little Ma & Pa farms or cottages but rather huge estates with names like Rockefeller or DuPont.\u00c2\u00a0 Mind you, I don’t know the surnames, but the implication was that they were of this status, rich and\/or famous.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Suzanne bought these, then duplicated the technique. The article is featured in Creative Needle magazine.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

The story goes that the 4 or 5 adult children had already stripped the house of\u00c2\u00a0 everything that interested them, which apparently was the bulk of the mansion’s\u00c2\u00a0 contents. \u00c2\u00a0 Then, at the auction, more than $5 million worth of items were sold.\u00c2\u00a0 The leftovers were sent to Marybelle, a well-connected Southern lady, who was to offer them to her friends.\u00c2\u00a0 Fortunately for me, my mother was one of her friends.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"2<\/a>

cross stitch and Madeira applique’ tea napkins<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Having been told by my mother that I had a consuming interest\u00c2\u00a0 in lace and fine textiles, Marybelle called and we arranged for me to come see the goods. \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 With my like-minded sewing pal, Suzanne Sawko, I arrived at Marybelle’s lovely, sprawling riverfront home hoping to find some treasures.<\/p>\n

Ambling up the walk to the front door, we had to step aside for two ladies, grinning-ear-to-ear and toting armloads of bounty.\u00c2\u00a0 It looked as if all the good stuff was already gone.<\/p>\n

But as we walked in, we gasped!\u00c2\u00a0 The huge dining room table, buffet and sideboard were heavy laden with spectacular table linens, including the luncheon set shown above. Small tables lined the walls with more neat stacks.<\/p>\n

Table linens of every imaginable variety were displayed.\u00c2\u00a0 Bridge sets,<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"coral<\/a>

Suzanne bought this beautifully embroidered linen cloth with 4 matching napkins.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

cocktail napkins,\u00c2\u00a0 luncheon sets,<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"3<\/a>

Each of these napkins is one of a set of 4-6, with a matching luncheon size table cloth.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

tea napkins,<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"tiny<\/a>

Fil tire, drawnthread work, surface embroidery, cutwork edge–there is so much detail in this tiny napkin.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

lunch size napkins,<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"pink<\/a>

damask lunch size napkin with monogram<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

dinner napkins,<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"needle<\/a>

needle lace and cutwork<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

table cloths, bread cloths,<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"bread<\/a>

fine linen with finely tatted edge<\/p><\/div>\n

needle lace and cutwork\u00c2\u00a0 centerpieces, table runners…..the list goes on and on.\u00c2\u00a0 If you can think of any table linens not on this list, you can be assured that they were there.<\/p>\n

After we had gawked a while, Marybelle led us into the kitchen which was overflowing with beautiful porcelain, including English flow blue<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 The two cups mentioned above went in my stack.<\/p>\n

At this point, Suzanne whispered to me that it was a good thing we had come in my minivan, rather than her Buick sedan.\u00c2\u00a0 I said a silent prayer of thanks for our dumb good luck.\u00c2\u00a0 We needed plenty of space to haul our beauties home.<\/p>\n

Then it occurred to us and Marybelle that we had not yet seen any lace.\u00c2\u00a0 She led us to the living room where lace and other textiles were displayed on the furniture.\u00c2\u00a0 My oh my!<\/p>\n

Apparently, the family had a resident seamstress.\u00c2\u00a0 Bolts and bolts of spectacular heirloom lace were scattered on sofas and chairs.\u00c2\u00a0 Many of the blue banded “Made in France” cards bore notations scrawled in pencil, “5 yds for Mary’s pinafore, May 1944” and “12 yds for Louise’s dress, July 1945.”\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 For many years, I kept those cards, but threw them away in a regrettable purging spell.\u00c2\u00a0 I wish I could have shown them to you.<\/p>\n

When we saw the lace portraits, I knew it would have to be an eeny-meeney-miney-moe decision as to who would get them and I was hoping I would win.\u00c2\u00a0 Marybelle intervened to show that there were TWO identical sets!!\u00c2\u00a0 Two?<\/strong><\/em>\u00c2\u00a0 Who has two of such a unique, handmade item?\u00c2\u00a0 And why?<\/p>\n

So Suzanne and I each have a set.\u00c2\u00a0 Mine was featured at the beginning of this post as well as in this blog<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 Suzanne’s are shown below.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

But these are not the only remarkable duplicates.\u00c2\u00a0 We each purchased a linen, banquet size, shrimpy pink tablecloth embroidered with dogwood blossoms.\u00c2\u00a0 Organdy of the exactly the same shade\u00c2\u00a0 creates a 10″ hem on all four sides.\u00c2\u00a0 Twelve napkins came with each set!<\/p>\n

This post is already waaaaaay tooooo lonnnnng.\u00c2\u00a0 So I’ll conclude by saying this day was one of those memories I have stored away.\u00c2\u00a0 When I reach\u00c2\u00a0 the age when all my time is spent rocking in my chair, reminiscing, I’ll be smiling when I recall this magical shopping spree with Suzanne.<\/p>\n

But there is so much more to show you, like the wedding banquet napkins<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0 (scroll down), an elaborate fil tire’ and drawn thread work towel, quilted heirloom baby bib<\/a>, bullion crochet baby bonnet, ancient Assissi embroidery. \u00c2\u00a0 The list goes on and on.<\/p>\n

If you readers express an interest, I’ll share more photos and information in another post.\u00c2\u00a0 Otherwise, I’ll move on to those other topics I mentioned some time ago.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Almost 20 years ago, they\u00c2\u00a0 (the lace portraits shown below) were purchased at an estate sale,\u00c2\u00a0 where they were pinned to a sheet of cardboard.\u00c2\u00a0 If any interest is expressed, I’ll write a post about that once-in-a-lifetime textile shopping spree.\u00c2\u00a0 … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":21647,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[39,63,25,26,71,1,64],"tags":[478,1064,894,895,237,1069],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21641"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21641"}],"version-history":[{"count":66,"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21641\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33507,"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21641\/revisions\/33507"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.janicefergusonsews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}