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!

I haven't posted in a looong time - a full time job that involved almost three hours of commuting did not leave much spare time for op shopping. However, the job is now over and I hear the siren call of the op shop summoning me. Here a couple of finds from a trip to the Salvos the week before christmas:

A pair of burgundy ankle boots that fit perfectly. There are a few small scuff marks that should come off with a bit of a brush, but in otherwise good condition. I take a large size and I don't often find shoes to fit while opping. $4.05 (discount day)

A part bolt of cotton fabric (might be polycotton). It took me a while to work out the text (it's upside down in the photo), but it says "inferno" with the O a ball of flame. There's approximately ten metres - a great find for $4. I plan to use this to test some new dressmaking patterns as it's cheaper than calico and I might end up with something wearable.

Recent finds

A Barbie tin for 49 cents (seriously? when we don't have 1 cent pieces anymore?) from Oakleigh Salvos.
I plan to install a mini collection in it after de-Barbifying it.

$2.99, also from Oakleigh Salvos. It is almost complete, only two pages with the boxes pressed out. Pretty!

A blank book handmade from plant fibre in Mexico, found in the Red Cross oppy in Oakleigh for $3. The next shot includes the little blurb describing it, plus the original price sticker - a whopping $58 dollars (I'm
assuming US$)!

A trio of linen panels featuring butterflies/moths, a dollar for all three (!) from St Vinnies at Pinewood.

And finally a silk scarf, also from St Vinnies at Pinewood, also a dollar. At the same shop, I also got a Harry Potter video and a Lost Boys video for a dollar each. Score!

Buffy, balls and batik

Another happy trip to Dandenong Savers yielded three Buffy novels I hadn't read (though that state of affairs did not last and I finished all three in a glorious reading binge - they're like chocolate, I can't leave them alone until they're done). Ah, how I miss Buffy! They had twenty or so of  these novels and about a dozen Angel ones but I limited myself to three, though it was tough choosing. $1.99 each.

A bag of assorted eyelash-ish yarn for $2.99. There are eight untouched balls, and two part-balls to add to my burgeoning yarn stash.

Approximately two metres of a really pretty cotton batik fabric, destined to become a skirt. I think. At $3.99 I found it impossible not to buy this, though I really don't need more fabric!

Oakleigh Opping

These were my finds on a trip the op shop in Station Street, Oakleigh in December. Above is a photograph album, $3. On my next visit, I may mention that masking tape does not make a great substitute for sticky labels - despite my best efforts the tape pulled off a chunk of the cover and made an unsightly mark. Sigh.

A set of gouache paints from China, barely used, $5. I'd say maybe three of the tubes have been opened. Gouache makes lovely colours :)

And lastly, a batik square from the 50 cent box. I'm not sure if it's a very small tablecloth or a scarf, but its intended purpose in my hands is fabric yardage - it will be part of a tunic top, I think.

Pulp fiction

Two books, $1 each, from St Vinnies in Oakleigh. I had to have them because of the fabulous pulp fiction covers. The DA Takes A Chance is by the author of the Perry Mason stories. They're resting on a short length of fabulous tie dye fabric, also $1 from an op Shop in Glenhuntly (the name of which escapes me, but it's near the railway station).

Also $1 from Vinnies in Oakleigh, this book is Practical Home Mending Made Easy, published in 1946. I love books like this, it's full of great ideas for frugal me; I am building quite a collection of how-to sewing books. I particularly love this page, One Yard of Fabric-To Make a Dress.

Gorgeous book of colour photography of Chesapeake Bay, $2 from the nameless Glenhuntly op shop. I may not be able to travel at the moment, but I can dream! I'm fascinated by the personal inscription in the front and a note about osprey watching - I love the little glimpses of other people's lives via the op shop (I am such a sticky beak).

A little bag-o-yarn, $2 from Vinnies, and freebie box of little books shaped like fish from the Glenhuntly op shop. A good day!

cute mug

the little kids mug is so cute. the bird tail is actually a whistle. yep i tried it out and it does whistle!! i have a similiar one on my flickr photo stream which i must dig up.
lovely "ashdene" mug.
pillow case with the cutest fabric. birds, lady birds, frogs, bugs and a hedgehog (i think!)

my goodies

glass cake stand $8



pink depression glass dish



2 pieces of this fabric approx metre each. $2 each.