Opping again

It has been a long time between op shopping adventures. Moving home and other pressures has kept me away from the shops but I had an opportunity to call into the Salvos and Vinnies stores in Main Street, Mornington. These are really interesting shops with helpful staff and lots of treasures and good quality clothing and homewares.

I was looking for a sunhat to decorate (which I will show you later) and I found one at the Salvos for $6. 

At Vinnies I found an irresistable pendant  for just $4.

Rosanna Children's Protection Society Op Shop

AGE is no barrier to volunteering as two ladies from Rosanna Children’s Protection Society op-shop can prove.

bargain hunting

Hi guys long time no post! but I'm getting into blogging again and thought I'd share with you todays buys from the opshop I volunteer at which is called All sorts opshop and its located in Boronia.

 This five set of cups and plates was just too cute to pass up! I picked it up for $5.

 I then picked up this stag ring which I believe is pewter and only paid $5 for it!

 This amazing chocker I found, for $4

and last but not least this glass jug and tray, tray was $3, and jug $4

loved these bargains!

Jess

stop press: Salvos Stores need your good quality donations

Giving back can take many different forms, be it a monetary donation, your time, or donating goods to assist in generating funds. At Salvos Stores we rely heavily on the generous donations of the public to ensure we can continue to raise funds for the valuable Salvation Army Community Programs.

When a donation is received at Salvos Stores, they are priced and then placed on the shop floor for sale. The monies generated are then provided to The Salvation Army and benefit the wider Australian Community. These donations help many different people, from all walks of life by providing them food, shelter, support with addiction or finding a job, and a little goes a long way.

Donations are vital to ensure we can continue to raise these funds. During the colder winter months, our donation stocks tend to run low as we are unable to keep up with the huge demand for extra winter items such as jumpers, jackets, hat, scarves and gloves. We would love your help in ensuring we have plenty in stock to keep everyone warm this winter by donating your good quality winter woollies to Salvos Stores.

“Donations are vital to Salvos Stores ensuring we can continue to generate funds for the valuable Salvation Army Community Programs. We really appreciate the generosity of the public and encourage them to continue to donate their good quality items to Salvos Stores during opening hours” said Frank Staebe, Chief Operating Officer Salvos Stores.

Good quality donations are accepted at all stores during opening hours and at selected Sunday donation centres. For more information on the opening hours of your local store visit our website www.salvosstores.com.au. Donations are encouraged to be made during opening hours to ensure they are not subject to damage or theft overnight.

If you are unable to make a donation during opening hours, Salvos Stores offers a home collections service by contacting 13 SALVOS (13 72 58).

Salvos Stores Southern Territory operates 215 retail stores in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and Northern Territory. Salvos Stores operates as a fully functioning retail business, recycling pre-loved goods and relying heavily on the generosity of the public. Overall Salvos Stores operates as a thriving business with the added benefit of contributing positively to the excellent work of The Salvation Army.

I really don't need more dressmaking patterns - two drawers of my four drawer filing cabinet are stuffed to the gills with patterns - but how could I resist this one, only 75c at the Salvos in Sandown?

I love it for the envelope art, but it's the hat that really does it for me! The envelope itself is a little worn but, from the look of the pattern tissue and instructions inside, I doubt that it's ever even been unfolded much less used. I have vaguely nefarious ideas on painting or drawing on this image, but I think I'll scan it into a file first.

A friend phoned in high excitement to alert me to a fabric find at Vinnies in Pinewood. It was too late in the day to make it up there, but I was on their doorstep first thing the next morning (even before the shop was open, because I thought opening time was 9.30 rather than 10!)

Look what I found:

A bolt (or perhaps, part bolt) of John Kaldor fabric in a pinky-red and white houndstooth. There's at least 10 metres, maybe more, on there. A mere $10! Enough fabric to make several garments, methinks.

Also:

A metre of quilting cotton featuring cats for $1, a pretty silk scarf with a maple leaf and "Quebec, Canada" (silk and a Canadian association, might have been meant for me) $2, and a glass and faux pearl beaded necklace also $2.

Plus my friend bought some fabric for me, below - there's about 4m. I'm a lucky crafter :)
These treasures should keep me busy for a while!

kind of Aztec stripe

Oh, I'm on a roll now. It turns out that I have any number of photos on my phone of op shop purchases.  Some of them I bought a while ago so am a bit hazy on the details. This is the lower edge a long straight H&M woollen skirt. I bought it because I really like the trim at the hem, although the skirt itself is a couple of sizes too small. My intention is to cut it off from the top so that it fits me. This would involve putting in the darts anew as well as the zipper. Maybe one day ...

Or maybe a bag ...

DVD/phone/sewing box story

I was going to post too about something that I bought from the Animal Protection Society Op Shop but can't because ... well, it's all a bit of a long story but perhaps encouraging for others out there.

I have been egregiously absent from this blog because time, well, time is the only thing that I don't manage to find at the op shop: although I do lose a lot there. I barely use my camera anymore, just my phone, and when I tried (quite some time ago) to post from my phone, I couldn't get a photo in because ... oh look, it's that long ago that I can't remember.

Anyway, I decided to try it again recently and lo and behold for the small cost of joining google+ (which is free) it is actually possible now to upload photos straight from phone to blog. Hooray!!! But evidently not a photo that you took 5 minutes ago of a Charlie and Lola DVD that you bought at the AAPS op shop. Maybe it takes some time to churn through. Instead, here is a fabulous vintage sewing box that I bought at Sacred Heart Mission in Bentleigh a couple of weeks ago. It was under $10 if I recall rightly.

So, my first phone-to-blog post. Now that I've managed it, I'll try to do many more!

Late last year I scored on a trip to the Australian Animal Protection Society op shop in Centre Road, East Bentleigh. Actually, each of my visits there have yielded treasures :)

A pretty stretch top in pinks and burgundy - I loved the print on this one.

 A striped t shirt to add to my collection of striped tees, destined for refashioning.

 Another stretch top with a great design. It's hard to pick out, but it has gold accents.

 I LOVE using bias binding in all kinds of my sewing, and it's surprising how often unused packages turn up in op shops. I hadn't come across the Nainsook brand before, nor seen such a pretty teal coloured one.

Fish sarong! The background is much more vibrant than this photo shows - I apologise for the poor quality of some of these images, but sometimes it's a case of "get 'er done!" when I can or don't get 'er done at all, and the morning was very changeable weatherwise :)

Necklace of pewter coloured beads, very shiny.

I love old linens. This one has a bit of stain (which has faded after three washes) but as it's destined for making into something else I can likely cut around the mark or cover it with an embellishment.

And another vintage retro tablecloth, no marks, no stains, no rips - perfect. I love the design on this one. I think it wants to be a tunic top.


The whole lot came to the grand total of $20! Made my day.

Super Grovedale Op Shops

If you are down Geelong way head on down the Torquay Rd as far as Grovedale, there are several excellent op shops. Firstly the Brotherhood super store has everything. Recently bought a great red leather retro office chair for my shed/studio, just needs the leather on the arms replacing (2 screws) $10. Then back this week I found a great old preserving pan, no thermometer, so I can have a go at India Flint's special natural dyeing technique Also had a big box of jars and lids for $40, but I selected 6 of the biggest jars from anther box for $2 each. Dress patterns for 20c, mostly 80's, lots of old knitting books. Next Op shop was the salvos, lots of as new designer clothes, some not so cheap, but probably okay by Melbourne standards. Will take the teen daughter here for a browse. There is also a small vinnies, good for odd bibs and bobs.

Bargains in Bentleigh

Happy New Op Shopping Year, op shoppers!

To start the year off, I thought I'd share the goodies I found in my second-last op shopping expedition for 2014, which saw us heading to Bentleigh.  As we happened to be there in that odd time between Christmas and New Year's, many of the smaller op shops were closed.  The Vinnies was open, however, and I found this delight inside:

It's a Nally Ware sugar canister.  I absolutely love Nally Ware and have an entire set of canisters I inherited from my Nan, but now it looks as though I'm adding a new set to my collection.  Finding the rest of the set will be my goal for 2015.

Further up the street, we found the Sacred Heart Op Shop, which was absolutely amazing.  Firstly, this:

My parents had asked me just two days before to look out for one of these on my op shop travels, in order to replace the copy my dad already has (on which the cover is now falling off).  I thought the odds were against it and yet there was a copy, complete with dust jacket, for the princely sum of $4.

Of course, this being me, the remaining space in my bag was filled up with knitting and sewing patterns.

Some rather stunning Vogue patterns in my size.  I found a whole stash of these in another shop recently, but they were too small and, as much as I wanted them, I decided to leave them for another lucky op shopper.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again: I love old knitting patterns.  Plus, people keep having babies and babies need cute clothes.  The Winter Warmers is a duplicate for me, but the other copy I have is in appalling condition and this one is pristine.

And a couple of retro treats with interesting details.

Then there was this one...

This is an example of when I buy something because it is just too unbelievable to pass up.  The patterns inside are... interesting, to say the least (the pattern on the cover there is a pretty tame example, compared with the rest).

I just cannot imagine anyone ever wearing something like that, but you never know.  The designer in question definitely has a style all of her own.

This is why I love op shops - you just never know what you'll discover once you step inside.

Have a fantastic 2015!  I hope it's full of old favourites, new discoveries and many a treasure found in those delightful op shops we love so much.



P.S.  I have a new blog all about my knitting, sewing, photography and roadtripping adventures.  Please drop by and say hello!  katiewritesstuff.wordpress.com