What's New

Well,, the table/desk has not progressed much further as I've been very busy trying to get ready for a long weekend away. (I'll be closed the weeks of August 7 and August 21.) The biggest part of getting ready has been to go through a good-sized lot of vintage kitchen goods that I recently acquired from an estate. There is a lot to clean, price and inventory, but, so far, it has been great fun.


The Pyrex mixing bowl set is complete and in great condition. Same for the FireKing Jadeite. The Hall teapot - not so much, but would display nicely. And how about that stylish pitcher and glass set!



Vintage glass and pottery are particular weaknesses of mine. I love the weight of them. When you hold

them, you know you are holding something substantial. They were made to last, and because we now call them vintage, they did. As well as being functional they were attractive. And whose grandmother didn't have McCoy, Hall, Hull and FireKing. So, last but not least, they are evocative of happy memories.



Salad, fruit and vegetable bowls.



There is a lot more to go through so be sure to check back.

During the week of August 21 I'll be closed in order to organize and conduct an estate sale. This will be my first one, but I have attended enough of them to know the difference between one that is well run and one that is not. Should be interesting.

Because Patty Asked (see comments on Finally Remembered the Camera)

Here is the current project. I had already done a little work when I took this photo. This is a lovely little table/desk. It is of a size that would make a perfect end table, but I can see it being used as a small desk. I have had and liked this piece for some time, but no one else seemed to see its potential. So, I decided that maybe an new finish would attract some attention.

Would make a great end table or a cute little desk.

It looks as though there was a bottle of green ink in the drawer that spilled at some point. It seems to have run out of the bottom of the drawer and pooled on the floor around the two front legs and stained them at the bottoms. Maybe the white paint was an attempt to cover those stains.

I want to use an oil finish on this one, but it is made of several different types of wood. The top is mahogany, the stretchers and drawer front are probably poplar and the sides may be fruit wood. I've used oil finishes on maple, pine and oak with wonderful results, and am excited to try mahogany. But, I'm not sure how it will look after I apply the oil with the different types of wood all on one piece. If I don't like the looks, I can always stain the whole piece or only some of the parts. It's close to being done, so you will see the finished product before long.

Finally Remembered the Camera

Left the camera behind for days! But, Finally, here are the photos of the finished dresser.




From the front



The top from the side.

The newly-refinished top.

When I took the mirrors out to refinish the frame, I saw that they were dated 1935. It makes you wonder who, during the Depression could afford such a beautiful piece of furniture.

It is now ready for its new home. The price is a bargain at $175.

This 'n That

Shocked to see that I haven't posted since March. Then, I was bemoaning snow, but now it's rain. So things are getting better. Went to Brimfield last week with my daughter. She brought the camera and did all the heavy lifting, so check out the link for some good pics. It's the best place for people watching there is around these parts. Bargains are harder to find, but with some digging and good negotiating skills they can be had. I found a pair of glass drawer pulls for the next refinishing project at $6 for the pair. Not too bad.

Speaking of projects, I'm just finishing up on the most recent. It is a Depression-era dresser.

The background is very busy and the mirror is picking up more than I would like, but this is how it looked the first day at the shop.

This poor old lady has definitely seen better days, but the detail on the piece as well as the beautiful mirror made it a worthwhile project.

The top was really rough.

When I began to dig in, I marveled once again at how well furniture from earlier days was constructed. In refinishing, I used a light hand to preserve some of the wear this piece has seen, which, I feel, adds character. The backs of the mirror are dated 1935. All that's left is a second coat for the top. I'll post the finished product later this week.

Hitler Youth Belt Buckle

We recently came across a Hitler Youth belt buckle. In researching, we discovered that there were many manufactured by different comapnies for many years. They were made from a number of materials including steel, aluminum and nickel.

This buckle is stamped from solid nickel silver, signed and dated. The date indicates that it was made between 1933 and '34. It shows expected wear for its age and has a minor buckle on the left side.

Manufactured by FW Assman & Son.

This item is offered at $125.00 and may be seen during regular business hours.

Ready For A New Home

Everything for sale in my shop has a history. There are things that are unused, but they were all previously owned. Nothing came from the manufacturer to me. Sometimes I know the history and sometimes I can guess.


Way back, probably in the early 1900s, A Worcester family purchased a brand new buffet. As a cherished piece of furniture, it was lovingly maintained - dusted and polished. It occupied a place of pride in the family diningroom where we can only guess how many Thanksgivings, Christmas dinners, birthdays and dinners with friends it observed over the years. It held the best silverware, linens and china and, probably, some prized glassware nearby, ready to set the table.


Everything changes, including fashion. In later years it was no longer stylish. Most likely subsequent generations didn't value  it in the same way as the original owner. In any event, at some point, the buffet fell out of favor, no longer a prized family possession.

Part way through the process.

I found it in the basement of a home in Worcester in the fall of 2009. There is no way to know if that was its original home. When I first saw it, it was paint spattered and ink and water stained. The doors were in six pieces each. Evidence of someone's efforts to repair them was there. One center panel was stapled and the other was duct taped. An attempt to re-glue the frames was made using rubber cement. Nevertheless, most of the original hardware was there; its beautiful serpentine front was intact and the backboard was also present. So, I bought it with the idea of maybe refinishing it - someday.

Each step of the way revealed more beauty until, finally, even I was surprised at how good it looked.

Ready to go home.

Now, it is ready to be cherished again in a new home with a new generation. And yes, you can say that it was lovingly restored.

What Is It?

April may be the cruelest month, but, so far, March hasn't been any picnic. Snow yesterday; snow tomorrow. This seems to be the year of the winter that won't end. I thought I'd post this photo and see if we could have a little fun while we're waiting for spring weather.

What is it?

Too bad that the sun wasn't out because the diamond cuts really sparkle. This item would have graced every well-set Victorian table. It is silver plated and stands a little over 11 in. tall. Other than that, the photo is a pretty good representation of this item.

Just for fun, the first person to post the correct answer will receive a discount of $5 off a purchase of $25 or more at Aunt Lizzie's Whatnot Shop. For $25, you could fill several bags with goodies.

No more hints for right now. Just that I was mistaken as to its use when I first saw it. Now it's your turn.

Sideboard Update

So, what have I been up to all winter? Like most of the rest of you I have been snowblowing and shoveling. To think that I actually hoped for some way to exercise this winter. Be careful what you wish for. I know most of the rest of you have been doing that because visitors to Aunt Lizzie's have been few and far between. There have been many days when I thought to myself that if I didn't have to be there, I would be snuggled up at home too.


But the quiet hours at the shop gave me lots of time to devote to the current project:  the serpentine front, oak sideboard. Most recently, I replaced the bottom.

Old bottom.

I must admit that I considered leaving it in place. It didn't look too bad warped and separated only in one spot at the back. I also thought about just gluing the surface back into place.

Side view.

But, closer examination clearly indicated that it needed to be replaced. If I hadn't replaced it, it would have always bothered me. I brought the old piece home and used it as a template to cut a new one. Sometimes I measure once and cut twice, but on this project I made sure to measure multiple times and cut once. There was only one piece of wood large enough to use.

New Bottom.

I cut the notches in, and marked the existing nail holes too. Then the big question:  Did I do it right? The moment of truth came today when I brought the new piece to the shop. It was a challenge to try to fit the new piece into place from the bottom of the sideboard. I ended up having to remove the entire bottom brace. With the brace gone, it was only moments before the new piece slid into place. All in all, it was a wonderful learning experience for me. The next one will be easier!

It worked!

So, all that's left to do is the varnishing. (And maybe some new screws for the hinges.) I will varnish the inside of all the drawers and the new bottom as well as applying one coat to the outside surface. The top will get two coats for extra protection from wear.

Almost done.

It should be all finished by next week. I'll put the finished product photos here.

Hand Carved Rocking Horse



Hand carved rocking horse.


This lovely rocking horse arrived at Aunt Lizzie's about two weeks ago. Since then, I have been unable to date it with any degree of certainty. An identical one online was described as being 100 years old. It is old and may very well be that old. In any event, they definitely aren't making them like this any more and you don't often see them for sale! That much I do know.









I also know that it is hand carved from solid wood, with glass eyes and a horsehair tail. It has a leather saddle; both stirrups are present.

Close up of head.

I'm pretty sure that at some point in the past, someone tried to restore it. The paint is almost certainly not original and it has a bad repair along the length of one side that I believe could be vastly improved.

I suspect that this is a split or a gap in this portion of the body.
It does not appear to go all the way through the body. The repair is old.

I believe that this rocking horse could be completely restored by a professional or even a talented amateur. Alternatively, it could be displayed with the good side facing out and no one would be the wiser.

A lot of clutter in the background, but you can see the good side.

If you like horses you can really save on feed, vet and farrier bills This rocking horse can by yours for $350.00

Happy New Year

The Christmas decorations have all been put away until next Christmas. With all the snow, most people are staying home or going to the supermarket for bread and milk! So, with extra time on my hands, I've gone back to work on the oak sideboard. It's coming along nicely. I said that you'd get to see the work progress. So, here we go.

The second side and the top have now been sanded and re-stained. This side had some scratches, splashes of white paint and water stains. It looks pretty good now.

Even bleaching couldn't take out the ink stains on the top. But with the new stain applied, it is much less noticeable. And, once the backboard is reattached, the ink stains will all but disappear.

Here, the backboard is almost ready for its new stain.

Finished.

I'm saving the doors for last because they will take the most time. The panels have separated and I need to bring them back together and re-glue them.

Lots of work to do here.

Actually, after I had put the camera away I did re-attach the backboard. It looks awesome! But you'll have to wait until the whole thing has been varnished to see the finished product.