ann wood

From the Park Slope flea market, bits of old glass, fished out of the ocean by the same fella I got these from this time last year.

An owl trivet

and fancy glasses.

I just got a great box of old fabric, it’s very old- 1900-1910 but most of it is unused. The pieces are cut in pattern shapes so I’m guessing it originally came from a tailor’s or dressmaker’s estate. My estate has a lot of birds in it. Anyway, it found it’s way to me and I love the little prints, especially the black and whites. The one on the lower right makes me think of Lena Corwin’s blog ( as always,you can click the image for a better view).

And something else: little bird couples all dressed up and waiting to have their official portrait taken.

A magnificent mini iron and trivet I got at at the park slope flea market yesterday.

And nice winter light here this afternoon.

Here he is coming

and going.

And something I got at the flea market.

The lower half of a metal naked lady statue; it’s currently the best thing I ever got for a buck.

* shop update! Monday October 29th Tuesday October 30th- more info to come *

I’m working on a mini version of my owl. Part of the plan was to simplify him a little but I don’t think that’s going to happen.

I’m making him from a quilt I got at the fleamarket here in Park Slope a couple weeks ago ( I’ve been getting tons of good stuff lately and will post more soon). The nice lady I bought the quilt from said it’s made from WW1 army blankets. It has a beautiful indigo edge that I’m using for his legs and wing linings and probably his beak. I love the colors of the quilt and the check pattern; it is all hand sewn and must have been an immense amount of work. I didn’t buy it with the intention of taking it apart and would not be ( I feel a little badly about doing it) but it has some issues that make it unusable as a quilt.

Thanks very much to everyone who commented and offered advise on the bird rip-off post. I’ll let you know what, if anything, happens and I’ll probably have a tiny bit more to say about the situation in a little while - if you visit here regularly you know that that’s pretty much the most I’ve had to say about anything ever and it kind of wore me out. There is also a lot going on in my terrarium and I’ll be sharing that as well as the date of the long overdue shop update that I am working furiously towards later this week.

Top notch flea market in Park Slope ( 7th ave between1st and 2nd streets) this weekend. Lot’s of good stuff for future terrariums and dioramas and some beautiful old Christmas decorations.

All the stuff above was from one big estate, all their precious things - treasured for a lifetime, now on the sidewalk. That’s always a little sad and sort of jarring- even more so on this occasion because I got there pretty early and it seemed so complete.

Here’s the *special edition* part also from the above estate.

It’s a book made by a little girl in the 70’s (I’m guessing) called Runaway Tom. You can click here to see the whole book and read the story (just scroll down for the pages).

These last corroded things are from my other favorite flea market guy.

I’m not sure of the particulars but I know they come out of the ocean.

I got a CD of images of the show this Saturday. I love them. I’ll post my favorites here and there is a little slide show on flickr. (I’ll credit the photographer as soon as I get her name from tinlark).

This spiderweb is made from little last bits of very old and mostly handmade lace. I thought my huge antique lace collection would last forever but all of a sudden it’s almost gone. I’m going to at least start to replenish it at the Brimfield Antiques Show . I haven’t been in years and years but I’m hoping to hook up with a couple very serious flea marketers (they put me in shortpants)- my aunts Annie and Rita for a visit to the September show.

A new ship for the Tinlark show, The Bonnie Prince Billy

(you’re welcome to contact the gallery for purchase info on ships)

I’ve been a slacker on my flea market reports lately

I got this green pot a couple weeks ago. I love it, it’s my current favorite color.

WIP: another sail for the Ginger Rose and some first thoughts on a new ship.

I’ll start with the ballerina:

She was a special order but I plan on making more - maybe some swan lake ballerinas.

The fleamarket - an embarrassment of riches.

I’ve been kind of looking around for a new sewing box for taking the bird operation on the road and this turned up on Sunday.

A perfect box WITH STUFF IN IT for almost zero dollars !!! The little bit of fabric didn’t come in the box. It’s a swatch from a vintage coverlet - pale blue seersucker with tiny roses. A guy was using it to wrap furniture. It’s great fabric and I’m gonna make the daily bird out of it (8pm est). I think my favorite thing in the box is this button:

And the rest of it. An entire fisher price family? Oh my.

I’m not sure there is anyone, anywhere, having more fun than me. It probably wouldn’t even be healthy.

The daily bird for today, liberty:

She’s made from a vintage liberty of london tie purchased at the flea market this past weekend. She’s one of a small edition -till I run out of tie - and she’ll be in the shop at 8PM EST.

Here are some other fleamarket fabrics - a couple dresses, handmade handkerchiefs, some bark cloth. Good stuff.

I think that little rooster will be a flag for a ship.

The Park Slope flea market was especially good this past sunny weekend. I got these three fantastic little metal men for future dioramas and terrariums

and a bunch of amazing vintage pillow cases. I’ve got some ships in progress that I’ll show you next week and these will make great sails. Part of me wants to save them for the country home I will ultimately have but they’re just irresistible sail fabric so I’m cutting them up.

the daily bird nellie valentine.

and sammy buttons

He’s made from a vintage housecoat and he was going to be the daily bird today but I’ve decided to keep him.

And a flea market report: we had a warmer day on Sunday in Brooklyn so there was a little flea market action. I got this little sewing apron, cutest apron ever maybe.

There’s been lots of bird making going on. Here’s a little box-o-birds in progress.

They’re headed for various destinations, several are headed for my shop. The update will happen on Friday or Saturday and I’ll put a notice on the blog when it’s up. I’m still in the weeds, bird wise, but in the future I’m going to try to do at least little updates regularly.

I hit the vintage seam binding jackpot yesterday at the flea market. I love this stuff and it was almost free.

Part of the mess I made yesterday looked sorta pretty this morning. The whole mess isn’t so lovely but this is generally a nice place to be, a nice place to work. If it was twice as big I’d probably never leave.

I got the branches and some leaves and acorns (it’s a very good year for acorns, last year was a wash-out here) in Prospect Park yesterday after the flea market. I needed them for some pictures I want to take and something I’m making.

fleamarket/thrift report: mini hammer, little silver spoon with a ship on it, a cigar box and another thing I’ve already started to make something with, I’ll show it to you later.

*note on felt birds*
Little felt bird packages went out last Thurday so hopefully they’ll arrive in a day or two.