On our way to the DMV (which was closed, so after spending the whole morning rounding up all of the paperwork I needed to renew my drivers' license I didn't actually accomplish a darn thing), the kids and I saw a sign for an estate sale. The sign itself was pointing towards an auto wrecking place, so I had low expectations and decided to stop on the way home instead of finding a place to turn around and going right away.

That might not have been the best decision -- they had neat old stuff and I'm sure that there was more when we first drove by than there was when we came back.

I resisted the neat old kitchenware which was just like the neat old kitchenware I was drooling over on someone's blog last night. I resisted the embroidered linens and and crocheted doilies. And the absolutely fantastic little vintage game table with the ABCs and animals on it.

What I did bring home was a pair of vintage pillow cases for fifty cents, an old white sheet for two bucks, and two old flour sack towels for a quarter each. I've been picking those up at estate sales with the idea that I'll applique something on them, or add a pretty fabric edging like the ones I've been drooling over at Craft Warehouse.

I was putting my haul in the washer when I unfolded one of the towels and saw a blotchy yellowish stain across the middle. Yuck. I thought I'd checked them well before buying them, but I guess they're still okay for trying dishes once I was them and make sure it's a clean stain...

I'm SO glad I didn't notice in that dimly lit back bedroom, because what looks like a stain is actually the logo of whatever company made what I didn't realize was a "real" flour sack towel -- hooray for happy little accidents! Both towels have logos from different companies, which are faded to such a ghostly stain that I can't even make out what the letters once said. Easily thrilled, aren't I?

And a white sheet! I'm determined to pick up as many nice ones as possible this yard sale season because, with the quilts I want to make, I'm going to go through them fast. I'm getting a little crazed about the white sheet hoarding, to the point where I took down the one I had hung in the sewing room for design wall (which I never used anyway) and lay away late one night wondering if that sheet I'd used to line the cedar chest to protect its contents was white or not. It is white, and went through the washer this afternoon with my estate sale finds.

Sure, I could save up the money for a bolt of Kona muslin, but it wouldn't be this much fun.