hiding....

Hiding at the bottom of a tub of vintage fabrics .

About 30 printed feedsacks that I had forgotten about.

Some have already been sold at the Brickworks Farmers Market last Saturday, the rest are coming with me to  the Christie Antique Show this weekend.   ( Booth M6  hint hint)

Tons of information about printed feedsacks to be found on the web, whether it be history, sites to buy  or  images

My favorite in this once lost collection is this....pretty tea cups and saucers.

a couple of finds

An interesting blanket label to add to my collection.

 Straight out of  'Jewel in the Crown".

And, another for my Jacqmar scarf collection .  How 50s can you get?

 Not a  new find , but the Liberty scarf I am currently wearing and enamored with , I'm sure I must have shown it to you before.

The start of the Brickworks Farmers Market

The Brickworks Farmers Market has now moved outside for the summer and I have my old space back....  

  This year I have an extra 'bench' a lovely piece of reclaimed wood owned by Shelf Life, to use for display....very useful.

 May 4th was sunny and warm and I am happy to report I had a good day. Some of the above quilts found new homes. Its always useful to take photographs so I can see my glaring display mistakes, like the crooked pink table covering.

 May 11th not so good. Bitterly cold and windy. The music was supplied by The Horables.....that cheered me up.

 As usual, some super friendly customers, like this vibrant mother and daughter modelling the vintage Aran sweaters they bought from me and wore right away. It was the first time I had found a child's real Irish cardi, I think it went in the first half an hour.

Off to a good start for the summer market season.    I have lots of plans and new ideas.

Blinked and I missed it

Day 1, April 24th, our magnolia is starting to bloom. This was taken from my second floor where I do the ironing.

April 26th, Mmmm, its coming along, I love the way it glows against the gray and chilly sky.

April 29th, filling in nicely, but I see bits of green leaves already trying to push the blooms away.

I stepped out May 3rd and this is what I got.

From 8 degrees 24 in about a week. Blink and you miss spring here..... what a  climate!

I think its today......

Today is the anniversary of  4 ( or is it 5?) years of selling vintage textiles on etsy. 

 I gave up on ebay as it had become such an ugly environment.
 Etsy is changing too, going from a handcrafted and vintage site to one packed with cheap factory imports. There are many dynamite shops there but they are increasingly getting lost in the huge increase of sellers and a somewhat dysfunctional search engine.
 I wish I knew the direction this site is going,  I don't think the administration know either.
  But I struggle on with my 3 shops.

  My original shop 'fabriquefantastique' started by selling vintage fabrics only.....but now I hardly sell any fabric, yard goods or remnants.

 'Boutiquefantastique' ...vintage clothing only,  jogs slowly on....I only buy for this shop something jumps out  at me.

And 'foulardfantastique' devoted to scarves. 

Must say, I still enjoy the thrill of the chase.

Please forgive the shameless self promotion.

new tricks

You can't teach an old dog new tricks. I think that sums me up.

So what did I find at the thrift stores last week?

 Three more Liberty scarves for my vast collection.
The first  paisley in beautiful pinks and eau de nil......but....printed in a circle....love it and am wearing it as I type.

Two more old ones with my favorite sort of label, both a small foulard print.

  Rummaging around in the garage mini- warehouse I unearthed, under some tablecloths,  a whole pile of vintage gents scarves, about 25.  Good! some are up in my etsy shop already.

Now, who would throw out a vibrant, unfinished Ehrman  needlepoint kit? Do you know how much they cost??

For $1.99 how could I leave it?   I am very tempted to finish it myself.

Necessity is the mother of invention

It is always important to keep  listing  new items in an etsy shop

  In New Zealand this past winter I had a hard time replacing the scarves that I sold. But I did notice some fine gentlemens ties in the op shops.  So, nothing venture, nothing gain, I added a new section to foulard.

 A couple have been sold, so I am putting together a basket of ties to take out to my summer markets. But, what to buy? what will my customers be looking for?  Designer, like the Armarni above?  or theme ties?  Ties from the 70s?  hand made ties ( if I can find them)?

Guess I will find out.   The older the better as far as I am concerned,   love the 70s one  with the $5 original price and the 50s 'Lucky Jim' type.

We shall see.......