Vintage Stitching

My latest sewing project is now complete - a pretty vintage pillow cover made with a vintage napkin & some vintage sheet fabrics:

A fresh bouquet of coral red wild roses framed in aqua & handstitching.

For added detail, all the roses have gold french knots in the centers.  The rest of the quilting was done in a simple running stitch using cotton embroidery floss.  Turning the cover over...

The back of the cover is a pretty aqua blue vintage sheet print with vines & butterflies.  I think it lends a little bit of serenity to the pillow, which would look so pretty in a bedroom.  The envelope style back is fastened with a beautiful vintage handpainted button. I thought it was a perfect little touch.

I also had another vintage DIY project that I finished up.  This one involved milk glass:

Another bit of pretty aqua!

I have always loved milk glass lamps & was lucky enough to stumble upon this one while thrifting.  Since I am lacking the before photo due to my impatience, imagine an old dusty dark wood base & equally murky milk glass that was more tan than white.  I scrubbed everything clean, sanded the wood, then put on a few coats of aqua paint.  The lamp worked, but the socket was very loose.  My dad (the electrician) replaced the socket with a new one with a nice turn knob, instead of a flip switch.  It was perfect, but still without a shade.

You all know how thrifty I am, so I visited the clearance section at my local Bouclair.  After scouring the shelves, I couldn't find just the right shade.  Then I spotted it - a silver lined linen shade.  It was perfect!  The only problem was that it was regular price.  A little deflated I put the shade back on the shelf, then noticed that the identical shade behind it had a tiny dent. A light bulb went off & I went in search of a clerk.

I pointed out the damaged shade to her & asked if they would be willing to sell it for a discount.  She thought it was possible, but had to check with the manager.  To keep this short & sweet, the manager gave it to me for half off!   So I ended up with the perfect shade, & the small crease faces the wall so no one will even see it.  How's that for frugal decor?

I would love to hear about any thrifty finds or frugal ideas you have made in your own decor.  Are you able to see beyond the dust & dings to save money or to repurpose vintage items into something pretty?