vintage apron & dresden plate quilt top

La Crosse had its first (much-needed) bout of sunshine in about a week yesterday, so I forced the boyfriend to snap these photos before I ran off to meet a friend for coffee. Both the apron I'm wearing and the quilt top are finds from the Prairie du Chien flea market; I've been waiting for weeks to have an accomplice to capture them, knowing I couldn't do it by myself. After a little prodding, Neil dusted off his 2006 Pentax *ist and played photographer for me.

apron: $4

quilt top: $38

The apron has a slight discoloration in the lap, evidence of a long-ago spill. I like to imagine what it could be from: soup, casserole, homemade salad dressing? This adorable apron was used and loved, and I feel lucky to be able to do the same now. I like to reclaim old garments like this. Not only do I find them charming, it's a waste to buy a brand new apron for twenty dollars while this apron that does the trick just fine rots away in an flea market bin.

The quilt top is even more stunning to see unfurled in the sunlight. It has been folded up on the arm of a chair in our room since the flea market. The yellow sashing, the dresden plate blocks... it is such a beautiful quilt. It has two tiny faint stains, and one larger stain. None were dealbreakers for me. The quilt top was originally marked at $46, but my grandpa took over and haggled the price down. I am excited to back it (probably just with Kona cotton) and bind it. I can never resist the allure of another woman's long-forgotten handiwork. And as you can see from the photo, it's a huge quilt. What a find. 

As far as the rest of my weekend, well... it would be a lie to say that things are wonderful in my life right now. It was a trying weekend, and more and more lately I am relying on the small kindnesses of my friends to prop me up. The intersection of several stressors pushed me to a very raw, emotional place on Saturday, and I'm actually pleased about that because it means I've been able to start over a bit this week. A good crying jag is cleansing, I think. And any weekend negativity was mostly outshone by awesomeness: celebrating a birthday and the passage of the New York gay marriage bill on Friday night with the most heavenly vegan cupcakes in the world. A super-supportive sister. Finishing a compelling read. A wine night with a cherished friend and a brief shopping trip with another dear friend. Catching up over coffee and planning a picnic with an old acquaintance. Perhaps things are not so bleak after all.