woof!

Ok, I know that barkcloth has nothing to do with dogs but really, there aren't many situations in which a female can 'woof' without there being a negative connotation (which I have now invoked in my blog post but anyway ...) I bought this wonderful piece of fabric at an estate sale on Saturday, along with some books about lace, block printing, woodcut printing, samplers, a candlewicked bedspread and rather dilapidated but irresistible pin cushion.

I love estate sales. (Quick note for non-US readers who may not be familiar with the phenomenon, as I wasn't before we moved to Seattle: estate sales are the sale of the contents of a house that takes place in situ so you get to stroll through someone's home where everything is for sale.) I love the opportunity to enter houses that I would otherwise perhaps never have visited, I love to get a glimpse of other people's collections and peruse their books, wondering if they were ever read.

Of course, estate sales mostly occur after someone has passed away or moved to long-term care and no longer has any use for their worldly possessions. And of course, seeing as many of my books and household objects have been purchased at estate sale, it leads me to wonder what will happen to all of my belongings one (very distant) day. Will half my yarn stash still be sitting there? How many of those textiles and art books will be there, collected but still unread? Time to get knitting and reading.