Shades of Blue.....

Shades of Blue...the color of the cloudless sky on a summer day.  The vibrant shade of the tropical waters that sparkle like blue topaz under a shimmering sun; The shade of your favorite gem stone as it dangles on your ears or enhances your finger. The color of your favorite pair of jeans that are worn in all the right places, a color that personifies peace and tranquility....all of these things are in  shades of blue!

Please take a moment to view our Lovely Treasury list and frequent the fine shops whose items are featured here you will not be disappointed!


http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTQzNzA3NzF8MzE5NzkyODk0/shades-of-blue

Emerald City....Treasury List

Oh, the beauty of the emerald glittering and green; the color of a cat's eye, the color of a lovely elegant gem stone; the color of the famous city in the Wizard of Oz and in Wicked.... the wonders of emerald the mystery and the magic.... Please take a moment to view the fine items in our Treasury list honoring the beauty and elegance of the emerald.  All of the shops featured in this lovely treasury are from Etsy please take a moment to view all the lovely items these shops have to offer you will not be disappointed.  Any vintage lover will agree that they all have a wonderful bevy of beautiful vintage wares.....

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4deeadaacbb16d912509c3c9/emerald-city

The Thrill of the Auction.....

Shandra's Fine Vintage Linens....is starting to operate in full swing.  Who or what is Shandra's Fine Vintage Linens you may ask?  Well, that would be our online store owned by  myself and my longtime friend Nancy.  We use to be known as Shandra's Treasures, but after a four year hiatus from the circuit we decided to come back with a new name and a new game plan....so here we are fully back in the swing of going to auctions and selling online.

I find the whole auction circuit very addicting.  You arrive with empty boxes and high hopes.  You hope that you will be able to find items that are desirable not only to yourself but your potential buyers.  The ultimate goal is to be  able to obtain these objects of desire at a fabulous price and sell them at a profit.  This is no small feat and not as easy as it may sound.  The auction house is filled to capacity with tons of treasures and tons of junk.  Weeding through the trash and treasure has to be done in less than an hour all the while trying to document what you want and how much you are willing to pay and then actually being able to stick to that amount no matter what.  In the meantime there are several other potential bidders doing the same.  Once that desired item strikes your fancy, like a poker player you remain straight face show no sign of excitement and hope that your competition does not notice the increase in your adrenaline.  The game is on and the auction is ready to begin, you take your bidding number take a seat and watch and wait in anticipation........

Your heart is beating fast as your objects of desire make their way to the auctioneer table....they are being presented and the auctioneer announces the starting price...you hold up your paddle and let the games begin....$10, $15, $20....no other takers!  YES!!!!!   SCORE...you just obtained a box filled to capacity with spectacular linens from a by gone era that after a little soak and a little stitch will be sure to sell for what in the auction world is known as "Big Money"......It can get even better than that and more rewarding..... The box of early 1900 cloth handmade dolls are making their way up..... a few other people labeled the dolls as junk...but you know better.....there are obviously no doll buyers in the house and the value of these beauties is unknown to everyone but you.......You take the gamble that no one will bid at the opening price....the auctioneer is now making the price lower instead of higher.... when he hits $5.00 just before the item is passed, you bid....you win and Whola....You just purchased a box of 6 vintage dolls worth hundreds of dollars for $5.00.....and so it goes.   A Victorian Chocolate Pot (worth $100's of dollars) hits the auctioneer's table....the auctioneer is tired and obviously not knowledgeable about Chocolate Pots, he calls it a Coffee Pot, no one is going to pay "BIG MONEY" for a coffee pot, but you know better......you are able to obtain that so called "Coffee Pot" for a mere $30 (which in auction terms is "NO MONEY"..... and turn around and sell it for almost 5 times that amount....Yes the addiction is real and the thrill is like no other....

As we all know with success comes failure....we have overspent on items that we liked and unfortunately no one else did at the auction house and on line....we have purchased what we thought were a box filled with beautiful linens only to find they all had a defect and would be hard to sell....but that is all part of the game and the hunt....that is what make the thrill so great when you buy that highly desirable object for "NO MONEY".... in the end it usually averages out.....which makes it all worthwhile.

When bidding on line the thrill is not quite the same, you are not caught up in the frenetic pace and the risk of over bidding is low, you set the price you want to pay and that is it, if you are out bid you are notified via email (in most cases)....at a live auction you may decide to pay $30....that annoying other bidder keeps going up and somewhere in the corner of your brain where commonsense does not exist you decide you will have this item no matter what...just so bidder "92" does get their hands on it..... it may take some doing, but after a few foolish buys like that....commonsense begins to take over and all is right in all the recess of your brain......

There is nothing like a good auction and strong cup of coffee and the company of a good friend to let you know all is right in the world of the true vintage lover..... we'll talk about estate sales at a later date...right now I am reflecting on the Thrill of the Auction!

. The Cleaning of Vintage Linens

When it comes to cleaning vintage linens the question I always ask myself is, Should I try to remove the stain or spot and risk damaging the fabric?  After all, the little spots and stains are all part of the character and beauty of vintage linens.  Then again, it would be wonderful to be able to bring them back to their original splendor.

When I first began collecting vintage linens I wasn't sure what to do about stains.  But over the years I've found that there are many different opinions as to the best way to clean your vintage linens.  I've actually tried them all and then some.  What I've found to be true is that different methods seem to work for different stains and fabrics.  What is the perfect remedy for one doesn't seem to work for another.

The one thing I think most everyone will agree upon is that you must be patient.  It takes time to rid a stain that has sat on the fabric for decades.  It can sometimes take 3 days of soaking and resoaking to finally lift a stain.  You'll need to change the water several times as the stain begins to lift.  I find that hot water is key.  And I would suggest to always hand wash your vintage linens.  The washing machine could do damage to the delicate fibers of the fabric.

Pretreating some greasy type yellow stains with Dawn dishwashing liquid can be successful.  For rust stains Whink usually works really well.  It's very strong so just a drop or two should do the trick.  You'll be surprised how quickly a rust stain can lift out.

Another way to remove stains is to add lemon juice and salt to the hot water.  This has worked well for me on many occassions.  Rock salt is another choice.  In combination with baking soda it makes a good substitute for the harsh choice of chlorine bleach.  Just use a five to one solution of rock salt to baking soda and add to hot water.  It will gently lift the stain and leave the fabric brighter.

I would only use chlorine bleach as a last resort and only on sturdier linens.  It is just much too harsh.  A good tip to neutralize the bleach is to add about a half cup of vinegar to the water.  But again, I would only do this as a last resort.

Rinsing and rinsing again is extremely important.  Leaving any residue in the fabric can be damaging to the fibers.  I would always rinse in cool water.  Never wring out the linen.  Wrap it in a dry towel to absorb the excess moisture.

Of all the different ways to clean linens I think the old fashioned way is by far the best and most effective way of removing stains.  This would be sun bleaching.  After you have soaked and rinsed your linens thoroughly, gently wrap them in a dry towel and bring them outside.  Lay them on the towel or on the grass directly in the sun.  It's best to lay them flat rather than hang them.  They'll get more direct sunlight.  You'll be amazed at the results of this tried and true method. 

None of these methods should be used on your delicate linens.  They are just too fragile.  For these you should just accept the stains and spots as part of the beauty of these fabulous old vintage linens and enjoy!

Our Etsy Treasury Lists.....

Here are a few items that to me personify why I enjoy being a girl. The jewelry,a fabulous pocketbook, luxurious linens, glittering make up; softness, items that shimmer & shine; great shoes; that little black dress and of course shopping and romance...All of the wonderful shops featured in this treasury are on Etsy a wonderful site of handmade, handcrafted and vintage items....Take a peek and you won't be disappointed!


http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4de24904eff48eef366dbc4d/i-enjoy-being-a-girl

Getting Started.....

Welcome to our Blog.  We will be featuring interesting posts about auctions, the highs of having that winning bid and the lows of losing that wonderful desirable item to another bidder.  The joy of searching for a treasure, the pleasure of seeing something old and worn be transformed into something renewed and beautiful by just a simple soak and a good steam!  The various feel of the finest fabrics from the silky linens, to the high thread count cottons, the shimmer of damask to the handmade crocheted detailing....The softness of an antique hankie that may of been part of a grand Victorian Wedding, the gorgeous cutwork and hem stitching of a master seamstress, the high quality detailing and workmanship that went into creating the lovely tablerunners and tablecloths of yesteryear.  The pleasure of adding a touch of whimsical romance to any decor by adding a vintage doily, runner or crocheted centerpiece.... We hope you will enjoy our blog and our upcoming posts...stay tuned....