Sometimes You Have to Dig...

We went to a tag sale this past weekend. If you haven’t been to a tag sale (sort of a cross between an estate sale & a garage sale), they are often a wonderful place to find treasures. They are also often a big waste of time. The key (I think) is to keep at it.

I don’t know how many times we’ve come away with nothing. We’ve been lucky on a few occasions. I found my 1911 treadle sewing machine at a tag sale (I don't use it, but I enjoy knowing its there) ha ha. I’ve found a box of vintage hankies, some lovely depression glass, and old cookbooks. But to find those things I’ve really had to go to a lot of sales that were just stinkers.

This weekend we were on the hunt for a "new" electric sewing machine (you may remember my old one recently died). As soon as we got to the sale location, I tracked down the machine which had been advertised. It was not what I was looking for, but we went on to look at what else was for sale. We found a few small things, but nothing to be overly excited about. We were headed toward the check-out table, when I spotted a battered cardboard box. On the side of the box was a sign that said “Quilts $5 each”. I made a bee-line for the box, and quickly pulled out the top two. They were in tatters – far beyond repair. The next one down was a queen size comforter/quilt. The top is pieced but instead of the three layers being quilted, they are tied together on the corners of each block. It had some wear around the edges (but hey, who doesn’t?) and felt soft and snuggly. One block needed repair, but otherwise it appeared to be in good shape. I flipped it over my shoulder and kept digging.


The colors in this photo don't do it justice.  The yellows are warm and buttery.

I  pushed aside another old quilt destined for the trash heap, to find (at the very bottom) the winner (in my opinion anyway). Patriotic in theme, it was assembled with Debbie Mumm fabrics (maybe one of her kits, though I honestly don’t know much about them – I only knew it was Debbie Mumm because the quilter had added a tag). The quilt (also queen size) is in perfect condition. The colors and edges are still crisp. There are no frayed areas, no rips or stains. It’s simply lovely! And for $5! I almost broke out in a happy dance right there. 

USA Themed Debbie Mumm Quilt - if you know something about this type of quilt, let me know.  I'd love to learn more.

So, we took our new treasures home. I laundered my “new” quilts, and carefully repaired the yellow one. It’s quickly become my favorite blanket to snuggle up with while reading a book or watching tv, and Little Guy loves to play peek-a-boo under it too. The other quilt is now displayed over the back of the sofa in our Living Room.

Obviously we’ve went to more than our fair share of sales that were complete duds. Coming upon one like this is what drives us to keep looking for the next one, and the next one after that.



Two lovely quilts for just $10 total: What a bargain!