op-shopping

op-shopping, patterns, vintage patterns

Some more vintage Style patterns

Firstly, what thoughtful, insightful, and perceptive comments to my last post!  Thank you so much to everyone who responded.  There are numerous points of view, and reasons why to sell or not to sell your craft are certainly more varied and more individual than I’d anticipated.  I’ll do a summary post in a few days time.  Thanks again for your input – and anyone else who’d like to put their two bobs worth into the discussion would be very welcome.

These patterns were puchased during my last trip to visit my parents.  Country op shops are always more of a success for me than my local ones – probably because locally I’m competing with so many adept Northern suburbs op-shoppers.  You know who you all are!

vintage Style 4291 by you.

I’ll possibly never make this one for either of my girls – it was really a nostalgia purchase for me.  I made lots of similar drop-waisted dresses.  I can remember one in particular that I made for Christmas one year, with a sailor collar.  I was probably in about year 7.

vintage Style 1218 by you.

This one is rather sweet!  Nice details with the way the sleeves and bodice have been seamed.  I probably will make a short version of the pink dress for Clare eventually.

vintage Style 3464 by you.

This one is my favourite!  I’ll definitely make it for Stella (it’s only size 4, so Clare doesn’t get a look-in).  I like the way the skirt is gathered in to the square yoke, and it looks comfortable as well as pretty.  I hope my daughters are happy to have me sew for them for a long, long time.

by thornberry
books, craft, fabric stash, op-shopping, vintage patterns

Goodies from Lancefield

Not only does Lancefield have Sewjourn and a farmers market –  it also has a terrific op-shop and an excellent book shop right beside one another!  These are my oppy finds:

Lancefield op-shop goodies by you.

A little sewing box, in excellent condition; vintage patterns; crocheted doilies; needlepoint (I have been inspired by Floss and her interpretations from this book to do something creative with it); and pillowcases for dresses and quilts.  There are a few pieces of Chocolate Lollipop fabric in this photo too which Emma kindly gave me.  I’m planning on incorporating the doilies into clothes for the girls.  I have loads of crocheted and embroidered doiles that my Nanna and my Mum made many years ago, but can’t bring myself to cut into them – hopefully I’ll have no such qualms with ones I’ve bought from the oppy!

Lancefield op-shop vintage patterns by you.

The patterns are pretty groovy – I’ll definitely give the Simplicity one a go for myself, and it won’t be long before my girls are wanting dresses and shorts like those in the teen Butterick pattern, I’m sure!

Material Obsession 2 by you.

I bought a copy of Material Obsession 2: Shared Inspiration at the book shop.  I actually prefer it to the first book.  There are so many quilts in there I’d love to attempt – but I’d better move on from beginner status first, I suppose.  I particularly like this one:

Material Obsession 2 - inside by you.

I always like bright colour combined with white in quilts, and particularly like it when the pieceing creates secondary patterns (rather than having blocks defined by sashing).  So this quilt speaks to me on a number of levels.

Lancefield op-shop doilies and needlepoint by you.

So, will I be able to cut these up?  Only time will tell!

by thornberry
books, craft, crochet, miscellaneous, op-shopping

What a lovely Saturday

I love watching the hot air balloons over the city in the mornings.

Saturday morning balloons over the city by you.

Stella has been sleeping until at least 5.30am for the past two weeks.  It’s fantastic!  Some days she sleeps even longer – she comes into bed with us for a drink, then dozes off for another hour or two.  Very sweet!  On Saturday she didn’t wake until after 6.00am (a good thing, because I’d been out at a formal dinner on Friday night and only just managed not to turn into a pumpkin).  The weather was perfect for the balloons, and it stayed perfect all day.  Not hot, not windy, just pleasant.

Clare and I popped into a garage sale between visiting the optometrist (she can wean off the eye patch – yay!) and going to Bollywood dancing class (Clare, not me).  I found these two gems:

Garage sale - bag and book by you.

A bag by Miss M, in perfect condition inside and out (it looks better in real life than in the photo) and Golden Hands Complete Crafts.  Both for the princely total of $3.  The bag is a great size to carry books.  While Clare was busy with her Bollywood dancing I was able to sit outside in the warmth and crochet unencumbered for an hour.  Once home from that we collected the rest of the family and headed over to hubby’s best friend’s house for a birthday celebration.  We spent the whole afternoon chatting, eating, drinking and for me – crocheting!

Chevron cardigan - front/back, starting sleeve by you.

The back/front of the chevron cardigan is finished, although there are still an awful lot of ends to weave in.  Sleeve #1 has just been started.  There is no way that this will fit Stella for another year at least, but it’s an enjoyable crochet.

The children played together beautifully, my teenage nephew did a super job of entertaining the littlies, and a marvellous time was had by all.  Lovely weather, great company, sustenance – all very good for the soul.

by thornberry
books, craft, embroidery, op-shopping, sewing

Sometimes ten minutes is all you need

On Tuesday I travelled far from home to see my naturopath in Chelsea.  I had ten minutes to spare before my appointment, so popped in to a little op shop to have a quick peek.  And I was lucky!

Chelsea op shop haul by you.

The old issues of Australian Stitches should be fun to read, and the old KnitWit pattern which looks truly appalling on the front has some terrific classic designs when you check out the line drawing on the back.  The best find was the embroidery book.

Embroidery pattern - blue floral by you.

This book was first published in the 70s by Marshall Cavendish (yes, the very same publishers as the Golden Hands series) and was reprinted every year to the late 80s.

Embroidery pattern - cushions by you.

I love the colour combinations used throughout, and the designs are adapable to cross-stitch, needlepoint or crewel embroidery.

Embroidery patterns by you.

Who knows if I will ever actually make anything from it, but it’s nice to dream and be inspired!  Maybe one day.

by thornberry
craft, crochet, op-shopping

August CAL blocks

I was very quick off the mark this month!  The August CAL blocks are finished.  The pattern is Lacy Sun and I’m still using Bendigo Woollen Mills Cotton 8 ply, with a 4.5 mm hook.  In Lemon Drop:

2008 CAL August - Lacy Sun, Lemon Drop by you.

and in Heather:

August 2008 CAL block - Lacy Sun by you.

Last week I squeezed in a little op-shopping, and as well as Junior Monopoly and some groovy vintage pillow cases, I found a gem of a crochet pattern book from 1979.  Check out the matching mother/daughter outfits (each is a top and skirt):

Crochet top & skirt 1969 Patons Bluebell by you.

Hmmmmm.  Now you all know that I am wont to make clothes for the girls and for myself out of the same fabrics – but I don’t think I’ll extend that tendency to crocheting these.

by thornberry
bags, craft, fabric stash, miscellaneous, op-shopping, patchwork, patterns, planned projects, sewing, vintage patterns, work in progress

Weekend sewing plans

I have a relatively free weekend ahead, so am hoping to start (and finish) some sewing.  Maybe if I put my plans in writing I might feel compelled to follow through!  These fabrics arrived this week from the Amitie blog VIP club.  How incredibly cute!

I plan on using the fabric with the numbers to make a childcare bag for Stella.  There is a lot of stuff that a one year old needs to take with her to childcare!  I’ll combine it with a similar print that I bought from Retro Mummy, and I’m still deciding what plain fabric to mix them with.  I’m planning on using the Large Tote & Satchel pattern from Nicole Mallalieu, with loads of extra internal pockets, and I may incorporate some clear PVC over the exterior of the bag to protect it.  The delicious little red riding hood print will possibly become the bodice of a summer dress for Stella (which won’t be made this weekend – it’s way too chilly here in Melbourne to be thinking about summer clothes now).

This top is still cut out, waiting to be sewn.  Maybe I’ll get to it this weekend.  Clare also needs a pair of school pants – once again, fabric and pattern are all ready to go, and I can whip them up fairly quickly with the overlocker.  I’ll be embarassed if I don’t get at least that project done!

Speaking of school clothes and chilly Melbourne winter, I finished Clare’s school scarf and beanie.

The scarf was done without a pattern – it is just US double crochet (Australian treble) using two balls of Patons Superwash 8 ply.  The beanie is a modification of a pattern I found somewhere on the internet, worked entirely in double crochet like the scarf.  Easy peasy.  Elsewhere on the crochet front I have almost completed the Mossy Cowl, and hope to start on a scarf using the Pear Tree yarn.  There is also the matter of two June CAL blocks to complete (but I’ve got the rest of the month to finish them off, surely).

My fat quarters are all ready to send for the Vintage Sheet Patchwork Swap.  I’m looking forward to seeing what patterns I receive in return – and thinking of what I will do with them all.  Elizabeth has promised to have some great suggestions on her blog next month.

And to finish off – another op shop dress pattern.  This one is from 1977.

Wow ladies, bad hair.  And I’m still cacking myself at this post by Jodie of Ric-Rac.  So beautifully put (or should that be sung)?

by thornberry
craft, crochet, miscellaneous, op-shopping, sewing

The op shop gods were smiling

Rather than go to Magnolia Square on Thursday and look at things that I couldn’t afford to buy, I decided to go op-shopping.  And the op shop gods were smiling on me!

A vintage sheet to add to the fat quarters I’m sending off to the vintage sheet patchwork swap; some buttons; vintage hand-embroidered linens that will become part of clothing or a bag; a pillowcase that will become yet another pillowcase dress; extremely old knitting/crochet books; and a girls dress pattern that I’m sure I remember from my childhood.  Mum, did you make me a dress from this pattern?  The one with the short sleeves?  But the most exciting find of the day was this:

A complete set of Golden Hands craft magazines!  Oh joy oh rapture.  They are from the early seventies – Mum had a set when I was a child, and it went off to an op shop somewhere about ten years ago after I reassured Mum that “no, I won’t want these”.  Well, fast-forward ten years and yes, I do want these!  I had a look through a set at Brown Owls last week and realised what a fantastic resource they are.  I was absurdly excited to find them in op shop number three (of six for the morning) for the grand total of $12.

Clare was most excited with my other (unphotographed) op shop find – a pair of Barbie roller-skates for $5.  She has barely had them off her feet since.  I am also very proud of her – she wore her patch at school for two hours on Friday.  It is proving difficult to get enough hours of patch wearing done with only before and after school, so I suggested that she could take her patches to school and wear them there too if she wanted to – and she did.  What maturity for a five year old.  Thank you also for the lovely comments about Clare’s glasses and eye patch – they are all very touching and much appreciated.

by thornberry
craft, miscellaneous, op-shopping

Knitting needle bangles

Look what we did this afternoon!  I read zephyrama’s post yesterday, and knew that Clare and I just HAD to have a go ourselves at making knitting needle bangles.

Before:  a pile of op-shop plastic knitting needles, and a how-to.

During: needles bubbling away in our old camping pan.  A larger or longer pan would have been good but this was all that we had.  They were a bit like spaghetti; as the end in the water softened, I could push the rest of the needle in.

After:  a whole lot of bangles!

They’re not perfect, but it was lots of fun!  With a bit more practice I reckon that we could do even better.  Longer needles seem to be more successful.  I’ll be keeping an eye out for long plastic needles in every op-shop that I enter from now on!  Thanks Zephyrama!  I vaguely remember people making bangles out of plastic toothbrushes when I was a kid – I suppose that it was the same process.

by thornberry
craft, fabric stash, miscellaneous, op-shopping

Reverse Art Truck

A friend told me recently about the Reverse Art Truck in Ringwood (a suburb of Melbourne).  They are a non-profit organisation which collects rejects, seconds and factory offcuts for distribution to schools, early learning centres, community groups and individuals.  I went there yesterday morning, and left with this:

 

An almost full green garbage bag full of bits and pieces for $20.  These are some of the craft things that I collected for Clare:

She’s had a lovely time with them today creating rockets and space ships – she’s just been to the movies to see “In the Shadow of the Moon” (a documentary on the moon landing) with her dad.  I picked up these bits and pieces for myself:

Two books of upholstery fabric samples, other large pieces of fabric, leather belts which will become bag handles, pieces of vinyl and leather, buckles, as well as pieces of card and old folder & diary covers which I intend to cover in fabric.

The variety and volume of materials available was astounding.  I thoroughly recommend it as a place to source materials for children and for any crafty person!  I assume that other cities may have similar schemes.  Materials available include timber, dowel, fabrics, pointed cones, fluoro paper, matt board, card, rubber, foam,  containers, silver & gold foil paper, rope, cord, elastic, sandpaper, cardboard, drums, wooden blocks, sheepskin, vinyl, leather, small and large reels, wrapping paper and ribbons, plastic tubing and hose, boxes, wire, twine, polystyrene, and more.  I imagine that the stock changes often as different materials become available.  If you are thinking of visiting, go without children – it’s fairly crowded and everything is tightly packed together.

by thornberry
books, craft, craft magazines, crochet, miscellaneous, op-shopping, sewing

Craft show and shopping (not the same thing)

Along with all the Melbourne women aged over sixty (or so it seemed), I went along to the Stitches and Craft show today.  Taking a baby in a pusher is a great way to have an economical time at a craft show, I must say!  It makes it quite difficult to get close to the stalls.  People either stop and coo and chat to bub, or they see the pusher and glower threateningly.  The Living Creatively stand was a highlight!  There is the most gorgeous crafty garden that has been created, complete with real grass and real rabbits!  I briefly met Kristen, Angela, Bianca, Kristine, Justine, Fiona,  and there were other crafty gals there too I didn’t get to chat to but whose names seemed very familiar.  It was a bit of a blogmeet!  My friend Nikki was demonstrating how to make bags (very professional with the microphone, I must say) and all in all it was the best stand there.  There were also some beautiful yarns available (Pear Tree Yarn was especially gorgeous), but I restrained myself from buying and instead took their business cards with those all-important online store addresses.  Some great felting stands, loads of beading/scrapbooking/cross-stitch/needlepoint/quilting (none of which interests me at the moment – although I did get a little excited about a super-duper fancy schmancy iron and ironing board – what am I for that to be a thrill?), lots of the same old same old, so it was great to have Living Creatively there to freshen things up.

So, back to shopping!  I have done a little bit of online shopping over the past month or so, and thought that it’s time that I shared it.

Lots of beautiful crochet patterns, great skirts (it’s about time that I learned to draft my own simple skirt patterns instead of relying on commercial ones), yet more crafty bags, scarves, placemats etc in the Simple Gifts book, and Style Rx is a terrific guide to dressing to suit your shape. 

Clover crochet hooks, from the USA.  Once again, it would have cost me more than double the price to buy them here!  Online shopping must really be doing some Australian retailers out of some business.  I can’t wait to give these hooks a try.  Maybe with my other new book, Vintage Crochet.

Oh, so many lovely things to crochet!  Like these:

Vintage Crochet Vintage Crochet

Vintage Crochet Vintage Crochet

among many, many others!

A week or so ago I also managed some successful op-shopping – fourteen old Top Kids magazines for 50c each:

and the Spencer & Rutherford handbag outlet sale had these trims:

As you can see, I had no need to go spending money at the Craft show after all!  I’ve got loads of lovely goodies to craft with and inspire me as it is.

Although while getting my sewing machine attended to again yesterday, I did spot this:

Well, I do have a major birthday coming up … maybe I can dream a little …

by thornberry
View More