Puzzlement

Now that it's the off season for the local flea market, i'm catching up on posting some of last season's finds...

When we stopped in one weekend, this was the very first thing i saw:

It's what's known as a "puzzle box" - and is the way the early Singer sewing machine attachments were packaged.  (I submit that plastic blister packs aren't one of the things that argue in favor of the progress of civilization: i'd much rather have something like this any day...)

I pounced.  I picked it up.  It rattled in a promising fashion.  I opened it to find a jumble of attachments, all shoved in, not clipped in their places.  I asked how much.  She asked for an offer.  I parted with three whole dollars, and left with the box.  I refrained from skipping, considering it to be poor form until well out of sight.

I still have to figure out which attachments actually came with the box, which came from elsewhere, and which are missing - plainly, some of the foot hemmers have wandered.

I'll be curious to see if some of the attachments fit my Elgin treadle machine.  And to figure out which bits are supposed to fit where in the box.

Packaging

(Gee, you can get anything from Amazon these days...)

Winston's recent favorite sleeping spot (proximity to the woodstove is not coincidental, i'm sure), in a box that's just his size... barely.

It'll do...

...it's not quite an end to my teapot quest, but until i find one i like better (or decide that i can actually afford that exorbitantly-priced one i've had my eye on), this will do for heating the water for tea and so on.
I certainly can't complain about access for cleaning, with a lid that size.  And of course, there was the undeniable attraction of finding it at a local thrift store for $2.99, just about my speed right now.  I can just make out a worn Farberware mark on the base.

Justification

I knew there was a reason i couldn't let go of the Crestone teapot, mugs, and saucers...

It's been so cold and damp this week that i got slightly obsessed with the idea of making onion soup. I've loved it for years, and it's not rocket science, but i'd never tried to make it. So this week i got all the ingredients that weren't already on hand rounded up, decided on a recipe to try (with only minor tinkering) - and then realized i didn't have any oven-safe bowls or crocks to put it in. Crestone to the rescue! I knew i could pop it into the oven without fear, and i love the way the melted cheese on the lip looks just like the drip glaze...

(Oh, and the soup? Not too shabby.  I added a little thyme, used sherry in place of the cognac - and sloshed some extra in for good measure, and went for sliced cheeses on top for simplicity's sake.)

Running late

So my little project for New Year's Day is - ahem - finishing up the Christmas cards.  (Hey, i live in Appalachia, i can claim we're celebrating Old Christmas on January 6th, right?)

I carved the block a while ago - even got my mother to mail me one of the antique reindeer so i could take photos to work from - but there were some technical difficulties with the ink i used to print it and more with getting a workable file set up on my computer (with somewhat limited software offerings, a recent virus, and complete refusal to speak to the network, including the printer...).

Anyway, here's the reindeer block print, and along with it, my best wishes for all of you in the New Year.

Christmas bonus

I sold a lot of prints last week, and picked up very welcome consignment checks from both of the stores where i've got them for sale. They've funded a minor burst of last-minute Christmas shopping, chiefly conducted on Etsy and at local thrift shops and used book stores.

Scouring one of the thrift stores - unsuccessfully - for bowls my sister would like, i found (and promptly bought myself) this flour sifter:

Honestly, i've survived a lot of years without a flour sifter, but i do bake a lot, and who could resist adding that much cheerfulness to one's kitchen, for four and a half bucks?

To-do list

The breathtaking late '40s (maybe early '50s) cashmere coat i found doesn't quite fit me, so i can add it to the shop without too big a twinge, but i have plans for a consolation prize: this gorgeous swing coat pattern from my stash - and from about the same date.

I love the full sleeves, and the hand topstitching.  I haven't figured out what sort of fabric i want to use - cashmere would be fabulous of course, but it's an open question whether i can find it, and a bigger question whether i can afford it.  An alpaca blend would be lovely too.  The bad news?  This - like a lot of vintage patterns - is in a teeny, tiny size.  Specifically a 30" bust.  So i'll have a lot of grading to do.  Since the style isn't really fitted, there's some fudge room, of course - once the shoulders and armscye are adjusted, the rest should be pretty straightforward.