Thrifting in the South Seas

Imagine my surprise and delight to find a thrift store ( op shop, charity shop) on Raratonga.

The S.P.C.A. has a small beach hut shop on the shore. This photo was taken just after a tropical downpour, usually there are several tables outside.
No vintage knitting patterns or wool to be had.....not surprising on a tropical island in the middle of the Pacific.....so I made do with a 70s-80s summery bangle ( 50 cents) and a well made choker of polished stones with the sort of clasp I like ( $2).

Now I intend to link this post  to an 'op shop show off'  site hosted by Max in Christchurch, NZ  if I can,

and would also like to draw you attention to a post written recently  by my bog buddy Lynn in France.

getting around

Its easy getting around in Raratonga.. You can go 

or

No need to bother with lefts and rights, you are either

 or

Sign at the end of our road.......so reassuring.

Wish you were here!

Fitting

Two quilts on the line last summer. One from the 1920s or so, and the other from the 1950s - 60s.

Fitting....as I am sailing travelling today to the Cook Islands, on my way to New Zealand for two months
I will be staying in Nelson and blogging from there.
See ya soon!

Hermes x 2

Its not often I find 2 Hermes scarves in one day at the thrifts, in fact, it has only happened on a couple of other occasions.

 
But, yesterday these two scarves were added to my collection.. ' Le Mort "A La Conetable" ' in perfect condition. Super chartreuse border that rather suits me.

  A black and grey little number......not quite perfect but good enough for me, I am sure to get a lot of wear out of it.  No Liberty scarves, or Jacqmar, but Hey! you can't win 'em all.

 I also picked up a length of Sanderson ( I think, no selvedge)  William Morris ' Lily ' , a different colorway than my dining room chairs.

Value Village had 2 yards on their tag.  It was not that at all.  2 yards was the width with  a seam. The length was only 1 and a third yards. If I had known I would not have paid $2.99.

Oh, also a dramatic pair of barkcloth floral drapes, still in the car.
My theory was that not many people would be out thrifting yesterday....too bloody cold.

Surprise sellers

Surprise sellers this season have been ponchos! I can hardly keep them in stock for my market stall.
Of course, they have to be very nice ones , homemade, ethnic, hand woven perhaps....no yukky acrylic for my customers.

Nice old handknits are going well too. My sweater selection has had to expanded as real old Cowichans are getting increasingly difficult to find.

On the etsy front I am surprised at how well the cashmere sweaters are going. I inherited two large boxes from my daughter from the time she was selling vintage.

And.....after years of being piled at the back of the garage mini-warehouse my 100+ year old, hand woven, somewhat primitive blankets are starting to move as well. I have always had a soft spot for these.

On the other hand, my collection of vintage aprons has gone nowhere.

Winter Farmers Market

Some images from The Brickworks Farmers Market , indoors for the winter.

I have been lucky enough to have a small space in the BMO Atrium, and am trying to make it work. Nice daylight in this spot.

Its a different crowd from the summer months and I am getting to know them. Some year round customers too.

Quilts are not moving, but blankets and vintage sweaters are. I will have to think about moving into a more 'springlike'  look

Not sure what ' schtick' is.....I will ask next week.

Next weekend will be my last market day till April!!! Guess where I will be........

Blanket label....

A wool quilt top or blanket made, by the look of things, from factory off cuts.

Can I add it to my collection of blanket labels. ( can`t get the question mark to work)

  After all, it IS a blanket and they are labels.

Vintage blankets are in short supply in the thrift shops at the moment, though I do have enough to last a while.