December 17, 2006

Back to the Hunt: Sampler Sunday

It's been quite a week. Here are two pictures from my latest visit to my LNS. They had this wonderful dress showcased in their window. I forgot to ask why, because I was rushed and we chatted about other things. Probably one of the local tourist-destination mansions loaned it out. Because I've loaded so many other photos, I won't show you my stash or ruminate on a sampler today. Hopefully by clicking on the photos, you can see the incredible detail. Good thing it isn't a kit--I'd have had to buy it!

Notice the bee! There are also butterflies and a spider web.

I haven't had much time to stitch this week, but here's some progress on whale hunting.

The sellers of the home I showed you last week wouldn't meet our offer, so we moved on to another house. It's wonderful also and has a prettier yard, so I don't feel sad at all. But it's a hassle, both for us and for the poor real estate broker, to have to do the paperwork all over again, particularly at this time of year.
The most amazing thing: yesterday we went to a newly listed home and were given a guided tour by the owner (note to anyone doing that--NOT a good idea since the prospective buyers don't have a chance to talk privately and also because the seller may wind up chat-chat-chatting as this one did about her hopes and fears and plans and intentions, which told us more than we should have known about her financial position). Although ultimately her house wasn't right for us, she was an utterly charming and a fascinating person. Two things: her husband has a stash of models (planes, boats, helicopters) in boxes, ready to be put together, that filled an entire ROOM. And we think our stash is big and bad? Mine doesn't hold a candle to his. The other is that in a guest room, hanging on a wall, was an antique sampler. A REAL antique sampler, stitched in 1837. Darned if I can remember the name of the stitcher, but she was a 13-year-old girl, and it was the most incredibly fine and complex stitching that I've seen in an antique. There were some little holes at the bottom of the fabric, but other than that, it is perfect. My goodness, and she didn't even know what she had. I asked her if she knew what it was worth and she said no, that her mom had found it somewhere and had given it to her, so it was precious for that. I filled her in on the likelihood of the thousands of dollars it might be worth and urged her to check with an appraiser. Whoa--if I had found that in a shop or at a yard sale, I'd have about had a heart attack.

Last, here's this year's glitzy wreath. Actually, we have a traditional greenery and red bow wreath for our gate, but this will hang on the front door. Because nothing says Merry Christmas like a cascade of falling sequins every time you open the door....

10 comments:

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

Glenna, You never disappoint! I love reading your blog and anxiously await its authoring every Sunday...I had a huge laugh over "nothing says Christmas like falling sequins..."
Your whale hunting gets more filled in everytime you post. Sorry about the house, but it wasn't meant to be...they'll be calling you back in a month begging you to buy it...that's what happened to us...(of course we didn't take them up on it because we'd found this house!)
The school girl sampler sounded amazing...too bad the lady didn't know what she had...that's what usually happens to precious antiques like that quilts, samplers, doilies, etc..people have them passed on to them and they don't have a clue...
The dress in your LNS is amazing!
Can't wait til next Sunday to read my weeks dose of "Eye of the Needle" :D

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

Glenna, You never disappoint! I love reading your blog and anxiously await its authoring every Sunday...I had a huge laugh over "nothing says Christmas like falling sequins..."
Your whale hunting gets more filled in everytime you post. Sorry about the house, but it wasn't meant to be...they'll be calling you back in a month begging you to buy it...that's what happened to us...(of course we didn't take them up on it because we'd found this house!)
The school girl sampler sounded amazing...too bad the lady didn't know what she had...that's what usually happens to precious antiques like that quilts, samplers, doilies, etc..people have them passed on to them and they don't have a clue...
The dress in your LNS is amazing!
Can't wait til next Sunday to read my weeks dose of "Eye of the Needle" :D

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

Glenna, You never disappoint! I love reading your blog and anxiously await its authoring every Sunday...I had a huge laugh over "nothing says Christmas like falling sequins..."
Your whale hunting gets more filled in everytime you post. Sorry about the house, but it wasn't meant to be...they'll be calling you back in a month begging you to buy it...that's what happened to us...(of course we didn't take them up on it because we'd found this house!)
The school girl sampler sounded amazing...too bad the lady didn't know what she had...that's what usually happens to precious antiques like that quilts, samplers, doilies, etc..people have them passed on to them and they don't have a clue...Can't wait til next Sunday to read my weeks dose of "Eye of the Needle" :D

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

Glenna, You never disappoint! I love reading your blog and anxiously await its authoring every Sunday...I had a huge laugh over "nothing says Christmas like falling sequins..."
Your whale hunting gets more filled in everytime you post. Sorry about the house, but it wasn't meant to be...they'll be calling you back in a month begging you to buy it...that's what happened to us...(of course we didn't take them up on it because we'd found this house!)
The school girl sampler sounded amazing...too bad the lady didn't know what she had...that's what usually happens to precious antiques like that quilts, samplers, doilies, etc..people have them passed on to them and they don't have a clue...Can't wait til next Sunday to read my weeks dose of "Eye of the Needle" :D

Anonymous said...

Sorry the house didn't work out. I still love Whale Hunting. I would love to see that antique sampler.

Carol said...

What a stunning dress! I love the bee! Looking forward to your next house update - just glad you aren't sad about not getting the one you had posted last week :-) Merry Christmas!!

LivnLaf said...

That dress is stunning...I'm curious what it's age is...if it's an original it came from serious money and then I wonder what it was worn to...maybe it was the Fisherman's wife in your last entry!
Sorry the house deal fell through...and that other lady's broker(if she had one) would have heart failure if she knew that woman spoke directly to you...never mind showed you the house...for the exact reasons you found out. Too funny!

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

Glenna: came back to see what other people had commented and to show my daughter the pics of the dress...she loved it!
Anyway...sorry about all my "comments" I switched to beta and have recently met with some bad problems...seems to be better however and it is easier...sorry again...
:o)

Michelle said...

That dress is gorgeous. I agree with Vonna...you never disappoint. I love seeing all the different things you have to show us. The dress is amazing. Good thing I didn't see this before I got married, I'd have been embroidering my own wedding dress! Whale Hunting looks great!

Michelle-ozark crafter said...

I think whale hunting is lovely! Never do I tire of looking at it! That dress is something else! WOW!!!!