Taking A Chance Paid Off

An accountant friend of mine was administering an estate for one of her clients when she casually mentioned that I might be interested in some of the quilting items that were going up for auction.

What? Me interested in quilty items? She got my attention.

I looked through the listings of the online auction contents and was immediately drawn to a 1905 Singer treadle sewing machine that was in its original case, in excellent condition. Or did I want to bid on the Singer featherweight complete with carrying case, the original handbook and spare parts? Or wait - what about the multiple listings for quilting templates, scissors, thread, Otte lights and finished quilts?

Be still my aching heart. Just too much for a girl to decide upon.

So I made a list, wrote down the top amount I was willing to pay for each lot I was interested in, and then watched the bids throughout the week. When it came down to the wire, my plan was to wait until close to the buzzer to place my bids.

But then the worst happened. Our power went out! OMG. No lights. No internet. No computer. No air conditioning. No way to bid. What?

My husband, bless his heart, came to the rescue with his iPad and so we got online via his cell connection. Whew.  For the next hour I watched the bids, placed a few myself, and waited for the final hammer to come down.

I didn't get the featherweight - it went for $360 and was above my price range. I didn't get the treadle machine - it went for a whopping $2,600 and was WAY above my price range.  The lot that looked like it had every quilting ruler imaginable went for $205!  But what I did get was the lot that included, from all I could see in the photos, at least three pairs of Gingher scissors and a travel iron and some misc. quilty items.  I knew the value of the scissors, and so took a chance. My final bid was $92.50 and I prayed that I hadn't thrown my money away as we drove the 150-mile round trip the next day to pick up my allotment.

My goodness, I was not disappointed. Here is just part of what I hauled home:

 

In addition to the pair of Gingher scissors, there were more Ginghers. About 15 pairs more! And rotary cutters, a couple still new in the packaging, and replacement blades, and boxes of pins, and four measuring tapes, and snippets, and even a set of antique scissors.

And then there were the art supplies! Pastels and enamel paint and drawing pencils, crayons and Pentel markers, Micro pens galore, paint brushes of all sizes and descriptions, templates, compasses and graph paper.

And an entire box filled with containers of pins. And needle cases. And unfinished applique projects. And unfinished needlepoint. And redwork embroidery.

And oh my goodness.  For $92.50 a very special part of someone's life passed into mine. All I could think about as I sifted through these belongings, which were amassed through her lifetime as tools to aid her creative energy, was that she had lovingly used them for hours on end. Because you know, whether you know her/him or not, you know that every quilter quilts with love.

There are more scissors than I can ever use in my lifetime. But it's good. Because when the time is right, I can find someone special to pass some along to in the form of a gift or giveaway.  Yep, it's a good thing!

There was one item in this bunch that I don't have a clue what it's use would be.  It looks like a humongous clothespin. Does any one know what it is? It looks fairly old and is fashioned out of wood with a metal hinge. Maybe a very large binding clip?

Well, I need to get back to organizing this treasure trove and figure out where to put everything. My daughter is going home with a bunch of the drawing pens and supplies - she's a jewelry designer and was she ecstatic to see those micro pens.  Sharing the wealth is fun!


Quilting with a smile,


Barb

Linking up with Mollie Sparkles Sunday Stash