For the Love of Quilts!

 

A quilt is a symbol of warmth and artistic ingenuity.  This is so indicative of those items made by our ancestors as a necessity that was turned into a work of art.  I look at quilts as works of art!  If you are lucky enough to own a quilt made by an ancestor, it is a history lesson for you on what fabrics, dyes and prints were available during their lifetime.  The patterns had specific names and designs that were shared across generations. Quilts not only provided warmth but also, for a time, served as a signal of safety and direction for escaping slaves.  The slaves were taught to memorize the patterns and what they meant.  The quilt served as a mnemonic tool to make their escape safely. Quilts served as a means for women to gather socially when they did not have much time to themselves.  The women would gather to quilt together and share local news and family milestones.  They would often collaborate to make a quilt as a gift for someone moving from the community.  They would each make a quilt square with their name stitched into it.  They would gather together to construct the quilt then present it to the family leaving them and a memento of their time together.  I love the fine stitching you find in quilts.  This was tough as you were stitching through three layers of fabric at a time!  Not all quilts were patchwork.  There were those that had embroidered motifs on them or had the layers held together with knotted strings.  I especially loved those old crazy quilts that did not have any rhyme or reason to the quilt patch and had lovely hand stitched embroidery on each of the seams.  Quilts are pieces of history for us and should be cared for and conserved.  You will find a great selection of vintage and antique quilts at South End Antique Mall so be sure to stop by and check them out!

This is a patchwork quilt

This one has hand embroidered redwork motifs 

This is a patchwork piece; love the diamond!

This is the "Basket" pattern

This is a great example of a tied block

Wishing You a Wonderful New Year

 So we find ourselves at the end of another year.  Boy, they go by fast!  We here at South End Antique Mall have been so blessed to have met all of you this year.  New and old friends have passed through the mall and we have enjoyed all of you!  We can’t thank you enough for continuing to return time after time.  We constantly hear “this is my favorite mall” from so many of you.  We are entering the new year with the best group of vendors ever! They work hard at bringing in the unusual and the beautiful; constantly working at keeping our mall “your favorite”.  If you have not yet visited, please don’t hesitate to drop in soon.  Our next store-wide sale will be our “Sweet Heart Sale” February 11^th – 13^th. Don’t wait till then to visit! We look forward to the new friends we will meet this year.  We all wish you a very Happy New Year!

Last Sale of the Year!

 

The last big sale of the year is November 26^th – 28^th!  This is a storewide sale with a minimum of 10% off everything!  Mark your calendar for this one.  Our vendors have gone above and beyond to bring you beautiful vintage and contemporary Christmas items for you to enjoy.  Our  horse “Ambassador” is all decked out in his Christmas finery.  Notice the socks!  He is ready for your visit and, possibly, a “selfie” with him.  December 4th & 5^th is the “Wine and Chocolate Walk” in Aurora.  South End Antique Mall will be participating in this so make sure you get your tickets now!  This event has a limited number of tickets so don’t put it off.  Great local chocolate and wine will be featured.  Visit this website for more information https://aurorawineandchocolate.com/.  Visit South End Antique Mall today for 1^st dibs on great Christmas items before the sale rush!  We have what you need for entertaining and decorating so make sure you visit soon.

Warm Your Home for Fall

This is an exciting time of the year when it comes to decorating with all those beautiful fall colors.  I find that antique and vintage pottery fits the bill perfectly!  Deep browns, tans and pale greens.  These beautiful pottery pieces are timeless!  They display well with sprigs of fall leaves, gourds and nuts.  South End Antique Mall has a beautiful selection of antique and vintage pottery and fall themed linens for your decorating ideas. Bring the kids in their Halloween costumes to Aurora on October 31st from 3-5 p.m for some safe "Trick or Treating"! Merchants will have free treats for them at participating shops.  South End Antique Mall will be handing out treats so be sure to make your way down to our end of town! The North Marion Community Library will also set-up next to the American Legion Veterans Hall and will give a book to each child. 

When the Old is New

 

We have a new vendor!  We love celebrating our new vendors and highlighting their booths.  This vendor, #8772, is located in our upstairs area.  She has an extensive collection of china, glassware and just plain beautiful stuff!  Very nice furniture and unusual collectibles can be found.  Don’t miss your chance to be one of the first to shop this special space!  While you are here, take time to visit all our booths.  You will find hints of Halloween and Christmas making their way into our inventory.  We always have a wide range of inventory for just about anyone's taste! Stop by and check us out!

Poor Man's Porcelain

 

Chalkware is known as the “poor man’s porcelain”!  I feel rich when I find one of these classic pieces!  Back in the 19^th century, decorative items such as china had to be shipped to the U.S. and it took a long time.  They were handled many times during the trip so fragile items just did not fare well.  Early settlers relied upon their own artistic instincts to create chalkware.  It is a blend of plaster of Paris and lime or gypsum.  This first chalkware was made by German immigrants.  They were both hollow and solid. Beginning in the 1930’s chalkware was mass produced and was found being given out as carnival prizes.  These are the ones I remember and love!  Those wonderful piggy banks, dogs, cats, etc.  Great pieces with often garish colors! They were airbrushed with only the smallest detail hand painted. Cheap to make and cheap to sell!  Chalkware boomed in the 1950’s – 60’s.  There was a range of decorative items such as plaques, lamps, figurines, etc.  All of these are still around today.  Their value ranges from hundreds to just a few dollars.  Little chips here and there are expected so don't worry about them.  War themed items can be worth a few hundred dollars.  Carnival prizes and wall décor can be found for $10 and up.  A variety of chalkware can be found at South End Antique Mall.  They are fun collectibles that are hard to pass up!  Stop by and check out our selection of chalkware as well as so many other treasures! 

Meet the "Ambassador" of South End Antique Mall

 

You have seen our wonderful “Ambassador” in some of my posts.  It’s time to tell you a little bit about him.  He is a “must see” when you visit our antique mall!  Really, you couldn’t miss him if you tried! He stands 16.2 hands tall in horse speak.  In non-horse speak, that is 5’ 6” tall at his “withers” (between his shoulder blades).  Now, imagine how tall he is to the top of his head!  His breed is “Friesian”.  He is true to size for the breed.  He was used as an inspection model in Reno but was actually found by our mall owners in Dallas, Oregon.   Our owners purchased him and brought him here to our mall in Aurora about 10 years ago.  They loaded him into the back of their pickup and drove him home.  They kind of held their breath each time they went under an overpass!   The wagon he is hitched to is a Mitchell wagon made by Mitchell, Lewis and Staver Company in Portland, Oregon.  It is antique and is beautiful. You can just about imagine what had to happen to get both the horse and the wagon into the mall!  Each holiday, the wagon and horse are decorated in the flavor of the season.  We love it when visitors come to the mall and pose for “selfie’s” with the horse!  If you don’t do anything else on your antiquing trips, stopping at South End Antique Mall to see our “Ambassador” and his wagon is a must do!

Teresa is our store owner and an accomplished horse woman!

                                           This gives you a little perspective as to his size!