Antiques From Memory Lane

Long Day Getting Ready For Show

2010-04-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

Up bright and early tomorrow for the Remnants of the Past spring show. Don't miss out. It was a fun day of preparation. All the dealers were arriving from all over the country. The old barn was a buzzz, and things were shaping up splendidly. It promises to be terrific weather and a fabulous show as usual. See you there! Nancy

March, In Like A Lion, Out Like A Lamb. April?????

2010-04-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

What's April all about, anyway! Am I the only one still working on taxes? Well I guess you can see from my post below that I've been happily doing other things. Anything but the boring and mundane work of taxes. If March is "In Like A Lion, and Out Like A Lamb", I guess April is "Hours of Boredom and Moments of Sheer Terror!" And I'm coming up upon the Moments of Sheer Terror!

Sometime between April 15th and April 24th, I'll be working diligently on my FAVE show, Remnants of the Past, soon to be followed by Three Speckled Hens! Until then, see you at the Accountants office! Nan

When Did HE Grow Up?

2010-04-07T08:29:00.000-07:00

"Why You Want To Leave Me?"

Brandon and Bapa are checking on last minute details before their 0700 departure time.

We had a terrific weekend with our Grandson: He got his permit to drive; his soon to be new car is almost ready to be relinquished to him; he got plenty of hours behind the wheel; and NOW....... Bapa is driving him back to So Cal just in time to be turned over to the Army Recruiter for his physical. WHAT????? Hey wait a minute.

"Why You Want To Leave Your Nana?"

Brandon and Bapa heading to So. Cal in Brandon's soon to be new car. (After the AntiquesFromMemoryLane advertising info removed from the window's of course, & a proper New Car detail performed.).

Where does the time go? A proud (and in a little way) sad Nana. A lot of milestones for one weekend. Good luck on your Army physical tomorrow! Miss you already Sweetiepie! Love you, Nana

Antiques Road Show in the Pacific Northwest

2010-01-27T10:46:00.001-08:00

Well, no pictures to upload yet, but I'll have some on soon. We are making our annual trip to the Seattle Gift Show which is held every January, during which time we convene at my sisters homes, (Karen and Patty) for a small but ever so lively family reunion.

Don and I have a terrific time buying antiques on the way up and back, and we use the Gift Show pretty much just as a reason to go. Usually each year other family members join in, just so we can make it more fun. This year Betsy and Paul joined so 4 out of 6 are represented in our Third Annual Dunbar Family Reunion/Antique Buying/Gift Show/Shopping Spree. I don't have pictures yet to download onto this post, but some can be found on the facebook post since I can download those directly from the iphone. Check them out, the link is on the righthand side of the page.

However, we have found some FABULOUS finds. I bought some terrific antique textiles at the show, which will turn up in the shop and at the Remnants of the Past Antique Show and hopefully at Three Speckled Hens. Don made a great score on some antique Arts & Crafts tiles. More info on those to follow shortly, with pictures. Bookends, jewelry, interesting and rare finds galore! And loads more to come.

Keep posted. Until then, see you on the road!

Nancy

MemoryLane Couture Susie's Bag

2010-01-09T08:43:00.001-08:00

Susie's Bag
Paisley Back.

Cute Tapestry Front

Perfect Dark Background For Sue.

Designing Susie's Bag

2010-01-09T07:51:00.000-08:00

Awww well, exactly how long can I pretend like it's still the winter Holiday season, and avoid getting back to all the fun of working in the shop. I guess it's time to get mobilized, particularly because I have a buying trip coming up in a couple weeks! Yep, we are making our annual trip up to Washington state to the Gift Show, and then also hopefully to the Puyallup Antique show (so long as the timing of it will dovetail with he Gift Show again). Then spend fun time with family followed by a slow meander back to the central coast, finding the treasures all the little towns along the way have to offer.

But in the meantime, I'm show casing one of the sweetest bags I made over the Christmas season. It's called Susie's Bag. The way I work when I go out to create a gift for someone in particular, or even just to design a bag, is to start with one piece of fabric that I like and then to build from there to design the bag. In this case, I selected this darling Japanese scene for Susie because I loved the figural aspect of the tapestry, and also I like black for Susie. Sue is a gorgeous gal with dark, dark hair and I think looks terrific in black. So black background it its....for Susie!

Then using the primary piece, I rummage through my shelves and bins to select the remainder of the textiles, pulling everything together before proceeding to the next step of creating the actual design. In this case, the piece I chose for Susie's primary piece is smaller than what I normally use for my signature bags (MemoryLane Museum Bags). So the design for Susie's Bag had to be created anew. Instead of the usual vintage velvet back, I selected a terrific paisley tapestry back because again, I loved the dark color for Susie and it complemented the front piece perfectly. Laying the front and back out onto the table, I fit the pieces together and put the bag together in a newly created design, adding a few fun touches. Silk lining with rose adorned pockets etc.

Handles: Should I attach them with key rings? That could be cute. But not perfect. Too casual. Plus, I like to have something vintage on each bag if possible. Ahh Ha! Alas something I have saved for over 45 years (Lord knows there is a good explanation for all this clutter!). Grandma Rogers knitting purse handles. I pulled them out from under the sewing table and lo, they are just the right size. So with a simple yet darling attachment (sewn on with ribbon to tie them on) Voila! Handles! Not to mention, something vintage for Susie's Bag.

Normally, each MemoryLane Museum Bag has a multitude of embellishments. i.e. a sachet, a vintage photo, a cosmetic bag. etc. etc. etc. But again, this unique bag is a new design and worthy of it's own special style. So looking around......what will set off this special Susie Bag. Then I remember. Those antique Chinese tassels I had in the shop. Perfect. I tie one on the front of the bag. And.....Finished!

Now the only problem is, how do I part with this darling bag. Well, I did make it for Susie, and she is deserving. AND, she is a gorgeous gal, and she DOES look good in black! Hence, the bag is shipped of to Chicago for Christmas.

So goes MemoryLane Couture, and Susie's Bag is born.

Beautiful Handmade Chistmas Stocking!

2009-12-05T23:22:00.000-08:00

It's getting COLD out in that sewing barn! I do have a little space heater, but I kept thinking I'd be just a few more minutes. One thing lead to another. You know how those projects go. I nearly froze. But in the long run I had fun. And once I got the cutting and machine work finished, I came into the house and finished the hand work in front of a nice cozy fire.

These gorgeous 100% handmade Christmas stockings are a luxurious velvet outside, lined with a vintage damask - Huck cut tablecloth. The green stocking shown has snowflakes of vintage and antique buttons. The blue stocking has a beautiful Victorian embroidery piece taken from an antique textile, and an antique metallic lace trim. The blue also has 3 antique glass buttons along the spine. Of course buttons. Buttons are a MUST!

These beautiful handmade Christmas Stockings are available in the shop or online. Each individually designed stocking includes an assortment of vintage and antique textiles, buttons and / or trim. Contact me via the website if you wish to order one of these Christmas Stockings online, otherwise stop by the shop to see them.

Meanwhile, back to my needle and thread, and a cup of hot tea.

Until next time,

Nancy

Thanksgiving. A Family Affair

2009-11-29T21:26:00.000-08:00

What we didn't do this year, and now I wish we had, is have Kevin, our 15 year old photographer, take a family photo. He left me with a host of his spectacular pictures (which I'll have to save for another posting), but we didn't get a picture of the entire family in one photo. And that was a shame, because Thanksgiving is so much about family.

My sister Betsy wasn't at our house this year, but she called with a good idea that she tried. She went online and did a search of fun Thanksgiving quotations. There were so many sweet, funny, interesting and inspirational quotes, both old and new, that she typed them up (giving credit to their author) and put them on place cards at each of her guests places at the table. What a wonderful idea. The guests read and ended up talking about their quotes to one another. So creative Betsy.

We have so much to be grateful for, not the least of which is our wonderful families who can be the source of comfort, support and encouragement in our lives. Thanksgiving is my favorite of the holidays because it does not become about the gifts, the parties that lead up to and follow the holiday, the shopping or the stress of getting it all done (well maybe the stress of getting it all done). It is simply about spending time with your family and loved ones, and remembering with a grateful heart all that you have, and all that you will have, and all the sacrifice that has made that possible.

Our sweet Kevin took some family pictures to help us remember this year's fun Thanksgiving. We missed out on seeing our son Scott this year because of his job. And we had an addition to the group, Connie. Connie is my sister-in law, Laura's sister, and is an adorable and delightful gal whom I hope will be joining us for many years to come.

Thanks for a wonderful Thanksgiving, family. Looking forward to scores more!

Until then,

Nancy

Thanksgiving. A Family Affair

2009-11-29T21:00:00.001-08:00

Matthew saying "I see you taking my picture Kevin!"

Work and relaxation.

The Crab Feast ~ Friday Night's Tradition

2009-11-29T20:36:00.000-08:00

Friday night, Dave & Laura host a crab feast. We set up the table with shipping paper and napkins, and toss fresh crab out along the table. All you need to go along with the terrific fresh catch is a salad, sour dough bread and a ramekin filled with melted butter. No plates, no utensils (other than a crab cracker and pick.) and and glass of wine for the grown ups. Sorry kids, A few more years before you get to enjoy for full experience! Thank you Dave & Laura. You've outdone yourselves once again.

The Crab Feast ~ Friday Night's Tradition

2009-11-29T20:23:00.000-08:00

No shortage of food. Young and old, everyone enjoys the annual crab dinner. We anxiously await the news.... "Will it be in season when Thanksgiving rolls around?" If not, Laura always comes up with another wonderful substitute.

Our Quiet Evening. The Wonderful Thanksgiving Weekend Over.

2009-11-29T20:18:00.000-08:00

A quiet evening in Arroyo Grande. Grandma and Grandpa's house is still, and the sun is setting over the ocean. Our Grandson, Brandon and mom Loree have gone South to L.A., and Dave, Laura, Connie and boys back up to San Francisco. The dishes back in the cupboards, the extra chairs back in the bedrooms and we're all ready to jump back into our routines.

And as for me, the barn is screaming out to me.....time to get sewing. Christmas is on it's way!

Until next time.

Nancy

Victorian Ornaments Going In Today!!

2009-11-18T09:44:00.000-08:00

What a gorgeous assortment of Victorian ornaments I received from my friend Ann Adkins the other day. Ann passed along her entire set of Christmas ornaments to be sold. Some are up for auction on ebay right now. (My seller name is buttonsandtrims, or my ebay store is The Shopper's Shop.) And the remainder of the ornaments are going up in the shop this afternoon and tonight in time for our Annual Christmas Open House and Anniversary Sale!

These spectacular ornaments range from 50 to 150 years old. Ann's own collection was purchased when she and her husband lived in Germany over 50 years ago, and she is also selling some of the ornaments she saved from her Grandmother, which she says makes them between 125 and 150 years old. Most are in excellent to MINT condition for their age. They are just glorious. Come in and see.

AND, Don't forget to come into the shop this weekend for our Christmas and Holiday Sale. We have Thanksgiving, Christmas and everything in between going on. Refreshsments too!

I hope you'll join us. The address of our shop at the The Antique Center is:

1239 Monterey Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

805 541 4040

Monday - Saturday 10:00 to 5:00
Sunday 11:00 - 4:00

Until next time,

Nancy

A Most Delightful Meeting!

2009-11-11T08:31:00.000-08:00

A week and half ago, a delightful couple came into the shop who had traveled up from Glendale, CA. Glendale is about 4 hours south of us. They are getting married later this month and she (Jill) wanted to look for a couple of antique buttons for her wedding gown. Jill's gown is all lace. No beads, jewels, pearls etc. She showed me a picture. Jill is gorgeous, and her gown is beautiful as well. A perfect marriage. Jill pondered all the antique buttons for some time and finally settled on a couple fabulous Victorian buttons to adorn one sleeve of her gown.

Jill also fell in love with one of the pillows in our shop and was hoping to have something like it for her Ring Bearer pillow. Actually, she fell in love with the fabric. And who wouldn't it's a spectacular french satin figural brocade, well over 100 years old. I purchased an old drapery panel some time ago, and I am piecing it out for pillows, (lamp shades should I ever get the nerve to try and attempt such a thing), purses etc. Jill requested no buttons, or beads, just antique lace and the beautiful satin brocade. She has an eye for beauty, and I had a fabulous time creating her pillow. Your beautiful pillow is in the mail today Jill. Best Wishes on your upcoming nuptials! Hope to see you and your darling Fiance' on your Honeymoon.

Jill's Wedding Pillow

2009-11-11T08:18:00.000-08:00

Jill selected the fabric, which is an antique french silk brocade, and wanted lace trim to match her dress. No beads, buttons or jewels.

My Sewing Barn Is All A Buzzzzzzzzzzz

2009-10-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

I'm back to the beautiful Central Coast, and things back to normal. Fall is in the air, and I'm inspired by all the fabulous bits and pieces of vintage AND new fabric and trim calling me from the barn, (not to mention the buttons still sitting on the dining room table).

Last week I brought a bunch of darling clutch purses into the shop, each bag uniquely made & each adorned with it's own vintage button. Ahhh, they were so fun to make. I want to keep each one. Or as I was making them, I'd think....."Oh, Hallie would like this one", and "This would be cute for Jan". Betsy already has one, which I took down when I went down for her surgery, and Karen snagged the prototype right out of the barn. Hers was a spectacular fabric but I didn't like the finish on the top. She does however, she finds it a perfect fit for inside her purse so it went to the right home.

They are so darling. Perfect to tuck inside your purse as a compartment to hold your wallet and check book, or for your cosmetics. Or even better, it can be carried as a clutch or purse alone. They are really cute. All lined with a unique lining to compliment the outside fabrics and naturally I cannot resist that vintage button embellishment. Each unique handmade bag is modestly priced at $18. They can be purchased in our shop, or by contacting me through the website or blog to order online. I take all major credit cards through Paypal.

Shop early, the Holidays are coming.

Until next time......

Nancy

2009-10-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

Three Fabric Clutch Bags with Vintage Buttons.

Back to the OC

2009-10-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

We've been home from So. California for about 2 weeks now. We had the fabulous show in Nipomo, we worked in the store for 5 days, then enjoyed the terrific weather of the central coast, and now it's back to So. CA for a few days. (We had a horriffic rain storm for 2 days followed by California sunshine.)

Log into www.amandalynnphotography.com and click on her blog to see the gorgeous pictures of my nephew Danny's wedding. It should be the first to pop up: Dan + Julie = Married. You'll see why we had such a fabulous time down there. Beautiful ceremony, beautiful Bride & Groom, beautiful setting, beautiful day!

Now after 2 weeks home I'm back down however to hang with my sister, Betsy, who's undergoing surgery on Tuesday for Breast Cancer. Just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month ~Go figure. We'll she's doing her part to raise awareness at least in this family!!! All thoughts and prayers welcome! Will be in touch later.

Until then,

Nancy

Another Fabulous & Successful Show

2009-10-11T21:13:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a wonderful day in beautiful Nipomo, California. It was a fabulous and successful show. Hundreds of people came out for the antique show. Everyone was friendly with smiles on their faces and seemed to be having a terrific time.

The buttons flew out of my booth along with antique textiles and lace. I sold some furniture and a gorgeous set of 4 matching antique leaded glass windows went to a new home! It was a beautiful day, well worth all the work that went into it. Thanks to everyone who came out. Hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.

Until next time,

Nancy

Getting Ready For The Show

2009-10-08T22:33:00.000-07:00

Why, just when I most need to be blogging do I have the least amount of time to spend at the computer? Suddenly I realize I haven't had a minute to sit down and talk about the upcoming show. I've been so busy getting ready that I haven't had time to talk about getting ready!

Don and I were gone to "The OC" last week to Nephew Danny's wedding. It was a joyful celebration which his lovely bride, Julie and he so elegantly pulled together. We had family from all over the country, and so after the terrific exchange of wedding vows, and festivities to follow my 4 sisters and husbands all came up here to Arroyo Grande for a couple days to continue the fun. We have plenty of room and we've been partying and enjoying family for about a week and half now.

Meantime, back to the drawing board....we're sorting, and pricing, and pressing, and busily getting ready to hit the road for the Remnants of the Past antiques show, the GREATEST show on the west coast. Wish I was blogging more frequently to keep your posted, but for now we'll just have to go with a quick post and hope to touch bases at the show.

See you there!

Beautiful Buttons

2009-09-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

Who could ever tire of looking at these beautiful antique buttons? Don has spent tireless hours sorting thousands of button's and is proving to have an incredible memory for such a task. His piles of buttons stretch from one end of our 6 foot dining table to another, and covers our game table and coffee table in the living room! And as I peruse the stacks and piles of buttons I can see that within each similar pile they are yet sub-sorted by type. Metal button pile: left side gold, right silver; coat of armor at 12:00, rosette at 1:00, crossed swords at 2:00, military at 3:00 and so on.

My array of buttons are completely different. I go through an entire quart jar of buttons and oooh and aah over each glorious button and set it aside in it's own pile. And hopefully I will find 3 more like it so I can put it in a bag and price it. I've gotten a plenty of bags of buttons priced and down to the shop, but Don has far and above been instrumental in emptying the tons and tons of jars we brought home a few weeks ago.

But now, alas we are getting some of these fabulous buttons into the shop, and ready for the October 10th show. It's fun to be showing them off. And not to mention selling them too! We both get excited when we find a new and rare button.

It has been an interesting migration to watch. First we brought home two huge plastic crates of buttons. Then the sorting, the swell, the overtaking of the dining room, the living room, and now the slow, steady migration to the shop , boxed for the show, and now the trickling into other peoples homes. The swell moves on. Like doing the wave at the football game.

Meantime, our beloved Danny gets married in seven days. After the Wedding the entire family comes up to stay with us for a few days. Hummmmm, where will we be eating?

Until then,

Nancy

Aw, Fun Time With Old Friends

2009-09-24T14:06:00.000-07:00

Well in case you haven't noticed, I haven't been at the key board for a few days. That's because we received a phone call the other day from some very old friends Larry & Bonney, (friends of 30+ years) with news that they are moving to a resort development in a nearby city. They came up this week to oversee the building project and so we got to hang out for a couple days. It was great fun reminiscing , sharing old stories, reliving some experiences that you hoped would have been forgotten by now. We celebrated Larry's retirement by taking them out to dinner. It was a fabulous night in Nipomo!

By now my laundry room and the work barn are filled with cleaned white vintage linens, patiently waiting to be ironed and readied for the Remnants of the Past show. I did manage to get a couple days in spotting, cleaning and moving them down the assembly line to the ironing board. They are not to the pricing stage yet, but they are looking good. It's hard to get excited though. I want to get to the sewing machine! Purses, sachets, pillows. That's the fun stuff. Buttons, buttons, who's got the button? We do!

Nine days until my nephew Danny's wedding. That's what we're really excited about!

Until next time,

Nancy

We live In A Beautiful Place

2009-09-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

We went to dinner last night with our next door neighbors Randy and Karen. Armed with binoculars in hand, we sat at one of the outside patio tables, watched the sun set, talked until dark, and waited for the sea life to pass by. Food was fair but the company was fabulous as usual & the evening was just so glorious! We live in such a beautiful place.

We went by the antique shop today and the check out counter was full of a bunch of our buttons waiting to be paid for! That was a fun surprise. The only thing more fun then selling our newest acquisition is coming across someone who is nearly as excited as we are about them. It was a couple from LA who was having fun going through all our buttons, and who actually accused us of having taken some of the fun out it by pre-sorting the buttons for them. It was a perfect marriage. We were happy with the sale and they were happy with the buttons.

Well, it's another beautiful day in the neighborhood. I'll see you in the sewing room.

Until then,

Nancy

Five Days At The Shop!

2009-09-15T09:27:00.000-07:00

What a busy past 5 days! Five days in a row working at the shop is overwhelming. I need some R & R, and then back to the projects. We put a couple new items in the shop, and reduced the price on a few wonderful antiques, and best of all made a few great sales. But the house is falling apart and the barn is waiting for my return. Can't wait for tomorrow when I have time to rest and get back to the work I really love.

Until then,

Nancy

Back To The Buttons.

2009-09-11T21:14:00.000-07:00

This is what you do when you can't pass up a batch of vintage or antique buttons. We bought a huge batch of buttons (over 20,000) because I love old buttons. This picture of our sorting table (formerly our dining room table), is just one small portion of this huge, wonderful project occupying our spare time these days. (Did I say spare time????)

As much as I'd like to be up in the sewing room right now, I ended up working in the shop 5 days in a row, and so I decided to package and bring in a large bowl of sorted buttons to sell.... We have sewing buttons, bakelite buttons, tons of large coat buttons, cute animal buttons, celluloid buttons, glass buttons, just a wonderful variety.

Each time I sit down to the table I think "I'll just put 1 or 2 of these in it's place, and maybe price a couple of these before I go to bed." Two hours later I'm cross-eyed and hunched over, but I just can't walk away. There are so many different kinds. It is so fascinating. So much fun.

And I love it when I get to find out what people are going to use the buttons for. A gal came in today who bought a button to put onto a cute locally handcrafted purse. Often buttons are purchased by crafters or jewelry makers. Naturally seamstresses are looking for buttons, but also just folks like me who love them and can't resist.

One of the fun things about this business for Don and I, is how we can mix it up. I love the time I spend shopping for the antique textiles, lace and trim, and of course the buttons. Don loves the rare and unusual antiques. But everyday brings something new. We get to move from the sewing table to the sorting table, from the flea markets to the antique shows, from the shop where we work to the shops where we buy.

This weekend we have our brother down from San Francisco area so we won't be doing much of the above. Just enjoying family and the beautiful surroundings of the Central Coast of California. And that's good enough too!

Until next time.....

Nancy

What to do with my bits and pieces!

2009-09-08T13:32:00.001-07:00

How do I turn my boxes and stacks of antique textiles into treasures? It must be a bit like writers' block. The first step is a slow endless wandering. A meandering between the stacks, bins & boxes of fabrics & trim, the sewing books & magazines & the work table, sorting things here and re-stacking there. Sometimes taking a few nights to sleep on it. Sometimes perusing the internet and shuffling through old pictures.

Then I move into a faster more focused mode and begin testing some ideas. Some land in the trash, others get torn apart, some ideas are okay, but woefully ugly. Then voila, I have a winner (or at least I'm headed in the right direction). And that's about where I ended last night. After spending some time sorting through my vintage lace and linens, I got a start on a few decent projects--I think. Time will tell. I'll have to let you know in a few days.

In the meantime, I moved on to work on one of my main projects, my Memory Lane Museum Bags. They take some time to make, but are an ongoing item we sell in our business and so I have to work on them whenever possible. Plus, we are offering them as a special featured item in the Remnants of the Past Show this year as our "Show Special", so I need to boost the supply while I have time.

I love sorting through the old fabrics and trim and often find my mind drifting off into the past with thoughts such as: ....."Who wore these beautiful things and whose hands made this wonderful old lace with such tiny stitches? Who made these buttons with these teeny notches and etched designs rather than just plain finishes to adorn their clothing & decor?" Then I focus and start sewing again, moving back into 2009 where I can give these terrific relics a new life.

What a treasure. What a love.

Meet you again tomorrow.

Until then,

Nancy

Antique Textiles, Trims, Buttons, lace, & the Antique business I share with my husband.

2009-09-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

Don and I started our antique business several years after we retired from our real jobs. Don loves interesting antiques, and my passion is for antique textiles, trims, lace, linens, buttons and so on. And of course we both love those terrific discoveries found in yard sales, hidden in corners of antiques shops and estate sales.

But my real passion, and the purpose of my blog, will be to talk about some of the great finds and the creative projects I end up making out of my vintage and antique textiles & trims.

Right now I'm getting ready for the Remnants Of The Past antique show Oct. 10th in Nipomo, CA. Have you been to it? .....It's Terriffic! I invite you to take a look at their website, www.remnantsofthepast.com. You won't want to miss this fabulous show which is on a lovely property in Nipomo. The show is held inside and around a huge old barn. The weather in Nipomo is almost always spectacular. The food at the show is wonderful and the vendors top notch. I'm so excited about it I just can't wait.

Well, I'm off to the sewing room. I'll be back tomorrow to let you know what I've come up with. Until then.

Nancy

Come see me at the Remnants of the Past Show!

2009-08-21T12:32:00.000-07:00