A Box Of Old Lace

My husband and I are already climbing the walls with cabin fever.  Spring fever actually.  This has not been a terribly cold or snowy Winter but every year, by mid-February, we need to get out!  So, we went a flea market yesterday.  It's an indoor flea market and not one of our favorites but it was something fun to do. 

I never find much at this flea market but this time, I hit the jackpot!  Look at this box of old crocheted and tatted lace:

There are a few pieces of manufactured lace in here but most of it is handmade.

I washed it yesterday when I got home and now it's ready for pressing. 

I don't know why, but I just can't leave a box of lace like this sitting around a dirty old flea market.  I already have more than I will ever use but this is just such a treasure to me.

If you're lucky enough to find some beautiful vintage and antique lace in a flea market, garage sale or thrift store, here are the directions for washing old lace.

In this article, I recommend a product called Orvus.  I do not know if it's still available or not.  I don't have any here and have actually been using Dawn dish washing detergent.  My thoughts on that are, if it's safe to use on precious wild life, caught in oil spills, then it's safe for textiles. 

Sunday Flea Market Treasures

Despite being hotter than Billy Blue Blazes on Sunday, I just can't pass up a Flea Market!  I hadn't really planned on going anywhere this past weekend.  I wanted to hang out at home and get some stuff done around here, but when my sister sent me a text message saying that there was a Flea Market at the McHenry County Fair grounds in Woodstock, Illinois (a hop, skip & a jump from where we are), I just couldn't skip it!

All in all, it was a little disappointing.  Not many dealers for the $5.00 admission fee and of the dealers that were there, they all thought they had gold!  I'm a Flea Market Queen so I know my prices! 

I did manage to find a few treasures though and all for only $10.00!

A couple of pretty hankies, a gorgeous piece of crocheted lace and some fun trim with sequins!  Not bad!  But I really do need to stop buying it and start using it!  My stash runneth over!  'Course, that won't stop me!