Cool Junk!

So my family and I went to Texas Art Asylum today for the second time since they opened less than a year ago.  We all love to go look at all the "junk"-- as the saying goes," one man's trash is another's treasure"! 

We were there for 2 hours. There is a lot of stuff to see. 

I like that it is fairly well organized and clean.  The ladies that work there can tell you really fast if they have something and where it is in the store.  This is really helpful AND amazing since I am sure their inventory changes all the time--nearly everything there is donated! Check their website for a huge list of items they take and think about donating something. It will make room for all the stuff you'll buy when you are there!

I was looking for some things for the shop that might work for display. I found this:

 The Valet, I thought it might work for draping quilts on etc... it was kind of dirty but my husband took some oil to it and cleaned it up beautifully. It had all four wheels on it even! It was wobbly but my brilliant husband just tightened up some of the screws and now he's perfectly steady. He said he is Italian. Sweet!

Then I found this odd shaped basket that I thought we could put some bolts in for clearance maybe?

 But my husband got the big FIND! He found an antique Singer hand cranked Pinker! It is a heavy little guy made of iron I think. It still works great the clerk said! 

We are going to oil it up and see for ourselves! 

When Cary saw this I had to call my mom to see if she wanted it. She looked on the internet to see what I was talking about and decided to go for it!

  When Cary first held it up I thought it was a pencil sharpener.  

See the little pinking rotary blade though?

I also got some glass jars for buttons and because I love how colored jars look on a windowsill with light shining in.

 A couple yards of cute baby flannel-- I know I don't need more fabric but our guild uses flannel to make premie blankets for a local hosptial once a year and the other fabric... I don't know why? I just have always wanted to do some of the navajo patterns in a quilt and I thought this might fit in somewhere...

 Buttons! I love buttons and at 1.50 a scoop!

I picked through and got the ones I wanted to be in my scoop!

 Hankies with neat little embroidery designs in the corners. 

Maybe an art quilt??? Not sure yet.....trapunto??? still thinking....

 This one- I loved the red and white polka dots on the edge and we have a red/white/black and gray fabric line in I am keen to try to mix it with this hanky and see what I get....

Houndstooth. My daughter is 14 and loves it.  I found a black and white in a tweedy decorator swatch--- thinking maybe a pillow for her room? Not sure about the red and white?  It is cotton with a sheen to it like sateen. There is about a yard of it. Any thoughts?

Lastly my daughter found these nice understated earrings. There are two of each but for the picture we just show one to make it easier to see the String Art detail on them.  Note her matching nailpolish in the first picture- that was a coincidence.

Okay, okay I don't have any after pictures on my sewing room yet because I haven't gotten very far in the cleaning process... ( head hanging in shame) I will try harder these next couple of days, I promise!