Curbside boutique shopping list

OK So this what I threw out.

Loads of worn out stuff from the dog motel under my house, and miles of rust. I graciously offered my friends any amount of rust they wanted, but only for this week, but they all refused.

Funny that.

Anyway I thought it was time to clear out as much as I could, especially in view of the fact that my kids want me to move again in a couple of months if we can find a landlord kind enough to take our three little dogs as well as us and the rent. 

I was intending to be a good girl and not bring anything home and I believe I showed remarkable restraint.
I left behind a vintage bassinette complete with stand and tray underneath, loads of carved table legs that could always be used for something, two painted lattices with frames and even a huge peg board.
How good is that?!
Then there were the other two white cane chairs with suss bottoms and some possible vintage suitcases, white concrete planters and I dread to think what else.
O yes. There was that gorgeous stripped old dresser minus it's mirror and some picture frames I managed to ignore.
I think I had better not dwell too long on all those lost goodies or I might have to have a little cry because I know their fate is the crusher truck.
 *******

For my memory - the list of goodies found:

*2 humungous, perfect clay pots with saucers for an eighty year old friends garden

*1 perfect wave board to be shared by everyone

*2 large baskets for me

*1 big pink cane toy box with attached lid - not sure who for yet

*1 cane picnic basket in perfect condition sans the dishes

*1 white cane decorative planter basket for me

*4 different leather or leather type bags including a Gladstone style one - probably to be sold, possibly on ebay

*2 heavy metal dining style chairs in wrought iron for me - must keep them out of the rain so they don't rust

*1 perfect, virtually new, white cane chair to add to my collection but being minded by a special friend who doesn't want the big dog downstairs to wreck it (!)

*1 vintage treadle base (the rest is going to be removed as it is already falling to pieces), slightly rusty - but who cares - it's a Singer

 *1 already stripped vintage small table to  be used as a gardening table for now - seen here with items from past shopping sprees

*1 el-cheapo style milk tin with lid - I just love milk pails so this one will have to do

and

TaDaa!:

I've left the best for last.

I surreptiously stripped these covers from a ruined parker chair on the outskirts of town.  only to see newer style fabric underneath. 

Somebody went to great lengths to cover these with gorgeous fabric then threw them out before there were any major signs of wear. Lucky me!

New computer chairs - almost

I had to do something about those horrid computer chairs before important guests arrived on Friday.

Unfortunately my $100 stapler decided to kick the bucket, or in other words,  find all the rust in the world and had to be thrown out.
Boohoo. What was I to do?
Then the bright idea entered my head that I could use a hammer and nails in much the same way.
Knock the nails half way in and the sideways to hold the fabric.
The material is from my stash, works in very well with existing furnishings (couch in the background) and was given by a dearly departed friend (gone to Melbourne no less).

Just thought I would add in the dining room picture because there is nothing on the table today and I thought it looked pretty with it's mismatched chairs.
My youngest daughter works at a florist one day a week and proudly brought home a little flower arrangement for me on Friday.
Isn't she wonderful?

Yay. I feel free!!

Well. It is finally here! 

The new doona cover,

pillow slips and pretty cushions

curtains where there previously were none and a new cloth for under the TV to tie it all together.

Yay!!!

I feel free.

Now lets see what else needs doing.

Some thankyous and a dress

First off a big thanks to Jay from Finki who chose me to win this fabulous tee.

I couldn't believe it. 

A black tee with my very own little birdie on it. 

Of course, it doesn't look this good on me which is why I stole her picture.

And then not long after that I get an email to say that I have won this fabulous lot of fabrics.

Karen from And so, I sew was doing a bit of a clean out at her place and had three different colour lots up for grabs in a giveaway.

My eyes almost popped when I saw these reds. I just love batik and so I chose them.

Of course, I forgot to read the fine print and thought they were probably just fat quarters and how good would that be. 

But you know what?

They aren't fat quarters. They came in two metre lengths. 

A huge heavy parcel.

What a fabulously generous lady. Thankyou so much Karen.

Well I can tell you I was inspired. 

With a little push from DD!, who incidentally has put dibs on the linen look fabric for a tiered skirt, I decided to actually do something.

Not just dream about it but really do something.

I looked around and thought what a nuisance it was going to be to get my meagre supply of patterns out but then I spied this lovely sitting in a corner on my sewing table.

I can't actually remember buying it but of course I must have. I would say it was a recent acquisition from an op shop because all my old patterns are also way too small for me.

Anyway the floor was clean enough for me to spread the material on it and cut out this super simple dress. I did fiddle a bit and fortunately measured my hips before cutting so that I could add the extra for my curvaceous figure. I added a little extra in the back seam and also a lovely curve from the waist out on the side seams.

A few darts later and two goes at fitting the zip and here we have a dress.

I've discovered that I don't actually need the zip if the neckline is cut lower as I did it and I also needed an extra dart coming in from the sleeve hole to near the nipple line to take up the slack in the armhole.

All in all a very happy few hours of sewing. 

Thankyou so much Karen for sending me this fabric which has inspired me to use a pattern for the first time in years.

PS. I just checked my emails and found out I've won another giveaway!

A copy of the handmade living book from The Craft Revival.

Incredible.

Hope my postie doesn't mind!

Cheerio!

Three in one hit

Preparation for three dresses that is!

These are the centres of four tablecloths that will be fitted onto singlets to become dresses for moi. 

I've had that orange one forever. 

Wait till you see the whole dress. 

What an eyeful!

That's probably why I was drawn to the pink and white combo - a checked laura ashley table cloth combined with an almost sheer white and pink floral. 

Hope it isn't too little girlish for me because this really appeals to me at the moment and is looking so pretty draped a round my white bedroom.

Now for the real work - sewing!!

Wonder how long that will take?

From scraps to a picture.

More cutting up of Ikea fabric - this time because I didn't really like the big mustard coloured circles. I was just going to do a wonky log cabin around the big bird but slowly got pulled into the idea of a picture as the first couple of pieces went in.

I think it would make a lovely hanging but I don't have room for any more, so it will also get turned into a bag.

But maybe not until I have done a few more of these. Very gratifying they are.

Ikea hacking is fun

A friend gave me a heap of small pieces of Ikea fabric. This is just a small selection but amongst my favourite. I am totally in love with these birds.

Just birds on their own though is a bit much for me so I cut up left overs from the nappy bag I finished yesterday (also from her left overs) and quickly made another bag. These sorts of spontaneous projects are just the best.

This nappy bag is special because the prototype was designed by my friend so that it would be able to hang on the clips that most prams have on their handles these days. I'm not sure that the flap is long enough though so I think I will redo that and also add a magnetic fastener. Then, once the photos are done, both of these bags will go into my shop.

Just casually thrown out

The other day a male acquantance rang up and said: "Just been helping So and so to clean out her house and there's a box of material. Do you want it?"

Well really! How would I know until I look. I couldn't even picture who So and so was. So half and hour later along comes a car with a racketty trailer in tow and I get to poke through and find a few bits I love. But then I looked deeper and found this.

And in that box was this single set - cup, saucer and plate - Queen Anne bone china.

I knew exactly who would love it.

There were also a few other bits and pieces of royal china just casually dumped in the box. So now I have a few more pieces to add to my collection.

Robert Kaufman and those chicks

Robert Kaufman Monaluna Metro Market. Try saying that 10 times fast. What a mouthful. But O! so delicious. I totally fell in love with this and had to have it. That doesn't happen to me very often with designer fabrics. I think I may be showing my middle age but this is just so, so beautiful to me.

I am going to team it with his white on black polka dots for (you guessed it!!) - a bag.

I reckon that is going to be one happy bag!

Belated thanks

Thankyou to Eleesa of dorothybills for this wonderful pillow. She makes them in firm and soft versions and of course also as pin cushions. Because mine is firm I use it both as a decoration in my bedroom and also as a mini table for snacks in my bed or for holding my book while sipping a cuppa
(eyesight not being what it was!)

Thankyou to Sheridan from Chaletgirl. I successfully named Sheridan's new sewing machine and so won these little squares of Denyse Schmidt fabric. But the naughty girl also including some lovely pieces to say thankyou for my thankyou. I am so grateful but I think I am going to have to fight DD2 for some of them.

Thanks again Sheridan!

Lastly, thanks to my oldest daughter who lives in Melbourne and went to the Craft Fair for me and bought all of these goodies:
some wonderful Japanese fabrics (I know where the red one will end up. It is stunning!) And loads of buttons - mostly large common sense ones, because I need them - but also some sparkly, crazy ones for a little bit of bling in a girls life. Thanks Kara

Last piece of the loveliest material - so sad

I found this fabric whilst on holiday in Brisbane back in January. It is vintage and so enticing that all my friends wanted something made out of it. Unfortunately the lady who sent this to the oppy didn't buy enough in the first place so I have only been able to make three items with it. All I have left is a little 10 centimetre square. So sad!

The last useable piece went into this kitschy folder for a friend who loves vintage. Some of the work is not very well done but she is the sort who will not mind but will rather be thankful for the thought. It is great to have friends like that.

A huge thankyou to Sheridan from Chalet Girl who has had the mammoth task of sharing out hundreds of fat quarters of vintage sheets in her swap. Here is my lovely parcel ready to rip open. I can't wait!DD2 really wanted to be here for the big reveal but as she couldn't I thought I would photograph the event for her to enjoy on the net. (Would you believe, the net is down at her big sister's place! )

I can't belive that sheets came in such yummy designs. Not all these fabrics have a heap of wear so they will end up as a throw rug for downstairs but I sure can feel some bags coming on.

Woohoo! This pink one is too good to be true. I'm not sure I can actually cut it up. Thanks again Sheridan

Ikea and thrifted fabric verus floods and fires

My dear friend on the Gold Coast took me op shopping last week. I thought we were looking for clothes but it actually turned into an exercise in which clothing could be turned into bags. Sorry to all the designers whose garments I will be cutting up but then they shouldn't use such lovely fabrics should they. We also bought loads of almost new leather belts for peanuts that will be able to be used for novel shoulder straps. Here is just a small selection of what we found.

Thanks Lana!!!

Can you just see this made into a hobo style bag? I think this is one of my favourite finds. A perfectly classic weave that is just plain denim on the back so will not even need to be lined to make a lovely soft shoulder hold-all. I will probably just cut along the bottom and use the excess to make shoulder straps.

This one reminds me of my Mum.

Mix and match from various op shops. I have and idea to combine these little embroideries with this vintage fabric.

Then after dropping my daughters off at the Sydney International Airport (they are off to New Zealand for 9 days) I nipped into Ikea to see what all the fuss was about. Of course I couldn't leave without buying some gorgeous fabric - so hard to pick just a few though!

At the moment none of this seems to matter. I am just glued to the screen in shock as place after place diasappears in fire. Almost entire communities are burnt out with 65 dead and more expected in Victoria. I don't live in any of the affected areas but did live nearby as a child or had my son living there for a couple of years. It brings it home very quickly when you are near, even in memory, to devastated places. Thankfully I know from the Bible that God will not allow the wicked conditions on earth to remain indefinitely, otherwise it would be so easy to lose hope.