Opping and Stitching

Here are some bargains picked up from the local Op Shop, handily opposite the furniture warehouse where I was checking out beds for youngest son. This would have to be my favourite op shop for picking up great stitching supplies. For $14 I scored over a metre of good quality wool gaberdine, 2 metres of a silky polyester (feels very similar to the fabric in my favourite Basque dress and would look sensational printed with a gold motif), a fat quarter of a toning batik cotton (also good quality) - I can see a bag happening here, 4 new zips, 2 silk ties, a chiffon scarf, large piece of red synthetic felt, assorted buttons, a reel of a very nice variegated pink cotton, a spare bobbin case for my Janome (I can now use this for fiddling with the tension), a thin strip of velcro and over a metre of hand crocheted cotton edging.
What a haul!
GO CATS

Barwon Heads

I popped into the Barwon Heads church op shop today as I was taking youngest son to the Tonik (surf shop) sale.
I hadn't been in before but there was a massive amount of stuff crammed into a small space. The op shop is in the hall behind the church (can't remember which denomination but they have a sandwich board out the front when open). There are three churches in the main street, it is the one closest to the shops.There are more overflow clothes out the back further in a garage/shed.
I didn't have much time so had a quick glance through. I always chech out the stitching and scarves sections. Found the packet of tracing paper (4 sheets still left) and the carbon paper (all there) for 50c each.
Picked up two nice colours in chiffon scarves for textile layering, 50c and $1.

Finally found what I'm looking for

Hello, this is my first post here. In AA meeting style, I'm Hayley, and I'm quite addicted to op shops. Although, I can say that I don't go too overboard and my place isn't filled with things that I don't need because I usually think through everything I buy. I've already been down that cluttersome path and have since gotten a lot better (limited space and money helps).

I often shop for secondhand supplies at op shops (fabrics, notions or garments to reconstruct) for my little clothing line, heidi and seek, for which everything is made from reclaimed materials. In future I'll take some 'before and after' shots of clothing I've bought and reconstructed.

In the meantime, here are my most recent purchases:

Overall shorts for my one year-old daughter
Five sewing patterns to use as packaging for heidi and seek
Faux leather handbag, which is in perfect condition

I love the bag, I haven't seen anything quite like it before. I've been looking for an everyday bag with a long strap for a while now and I'm glad I held out until this one. I'm quite picky with bags - it has to be interesting and unique but not so busy looking that it overtakes my outfits. This was a perfect find for me, although it is a little smaller than I'm used to.

You can find out more about me at my blog, heidi and seek and ethical fashion, which includes outfit posts from my largely secondhand wardrobe.

Making it up...

Hi there,

It's Bev from Taccolina and Posted Stitches here - I haven't posted before, as I haven't been opping for a little while, BUT....

Last weekend I went to the Geelong Fibre Arts Forum - did anyone else go, too? And I got to talking to the ladies who went to this class for the week there:


They were making new outfits and embellished costumes from op-shop and back-of-the-closet finds. I talked to several of the students, who were there showing off what they had made, and they were happy for these photos to go out into blogland.

This is a new jacket made out of shirts that weren't being worn - dyed, embellished and printed. I love the new cuffs and the leaves down the front.


Here, one of the students is pointing out the many shirts that were cut and re-sewn to make the flouncy body of this colourful skirt. She had several shirt collars running lengthways down the skirt, like long vertical ruffles. It was gorgeous!

This is by the same student: an ensemble of cut, dyed and embellished items, including op-shop finds.


Feeling inspired? This certainly made me sit up and take notice, and to think more aggressively about what I could do with op shop alterations!

You can find the website of the tutor - India Flint - at www.indiaflint.com - and there are workshops listed on her site.

Happy hunting!

Boots fit for a glam rocker

A trip to the Salvos in Atherton Road, Oakleigh, netted me the sewing book above for $2.75. Another sewing book to add to my collection! I also scored a plain white long sleeved t-shirt to refashion by tie dyeing, blue tags were half-price off, so that was the grand price of $2.35.













Three "How and Why Wonder Books", 75 cents each. Initially, these were destined for taking apart to use as found paper for my printmaking or painting, but I'm getting attached to the mathematics and western ones. The maths one has some interesting facts and explanations (including googol!), which for a definitely maths-averse me is saying something! And the western one is getting cuter and cuter. Perhaps only 'Caves to Skyscrapers' will fulfill it's destiny to become art...













And these FABULOUS seventies glam rocker boots! I had to have them. Blame it on acquisitive lust and retail therapy deprivation, because I have no idea what I'm going to do with them! I saw them on Friday when I bought the books and tshirt, thought "Wow!", and managed to leave the shop without them. But I thought about them all night, wishing I'd given in to temptation. I dreamed about them. I woke up Saturday morning and said "I'm going back to the Salvos, and if those boots are still there and less than $20, they are MINE." They were still there, priced at $14.75, and they ARE mine :)
And they even fit, except around my chubby calves, but I don't care. I didn't plan to wear them. I just needed to have them. Perhaps they'll turn up in an art piece. Perhaps I will just get a piece of shiny red satin and mount the boots on top of a plinth, and call them found art.