Favourite op-shop buys

Since I bought my green coat the other day, I've been thinking about all the great items I've found in op-shops over the years. I prefer the term 'op-shop' as opposed to 'vintage shop' etc. Because let's face it, a lot of 'vintage' shops are just other people's pre-loved items.

So here are a few of my favourite things...

Weird chunky necklace. Bought at a market... somewhere. Basically a stone cast in a lump of metal.


I think this necklace also came from some markets, but I've had it a while now so I'm really not sure. I just like the leaves and dragonfly pendants.


Black shawl from Chapel St Bazaar.


Mustard suede and faux fur coat from Retrostar Vintage


Bunny fur coat from Queen Vic Markets


My old favourite Pinky. Bought 9 years ago in a shop in Newtown, Sydney. It had arrived in the shop just hours before me. We were meant to be.


Amazing 1940s coat from Chapel Street Bazaar. Slight rip to the velveteen on the collar. The buttons were held in place with safety pins when I bought it and I've left them that way. Fits like a dream. (colour is slightly off in the photos - close up of buttons is most accurate. It's a real emerald green.)


Floral t-shirt style dress from Carlisle Street Bazaar.




I'm not sure where I got this one but it's a Sportsgirl dress. It's silk and extremely delicate. As it's now slightly damaged, I doubt I'll ever wear it. In public, anyway.



Sniff.

Amazing tie-dyed dress from Fat Helens on Chapel St.

Waist-tie detail

Ankle boots, also from Retrostar.


And finally my pride and joy...

...1970s velveteen house coat. Bought at either Chapel St Bazaar or Shag.

That's what was written on the tag when I bought it. I adore this thing. It's big enough to wrap right around me. It flows beautifully on the floor and I simply love swanning around the house in it. It's comfortable and soft. The colours are almost hideous. When I wrap it tightly around my waist I like to think I look like a 50s starlet with a tiny waspy waist.

Pink net top

I bought this from the Salvos yesterday. I bought it with the full knowledge that any gathering under the bust does not suit me, ie, it results in instant pregnant-looking-tummy. But I was fairly sure I could fix that.


I decided to take out the lower piece of elastic and just let the top hang free. Unfortunately, the top is made up of panels, which meant I had to free both the middle and lower panels from the elastic, and then sew them back up together. Then the top should flow free from below my bosom to my hips, right?


Hmm.


Not a great improvement. Doris's bust is a great deal smaller than mine, so it actually looks almost wearable here. I did get a photo of me wearing the top, but it's just too hideous for public viewing.

The only other thing to do is pull the middle panel off the remaining piece of elastic, take out the gathers, and sew it back on flat.

Maybe tomorrow...

(edit: seriously, who would be suited to this top anyway? It has gathers above and below the waist. It does not create a waist. It can only possibly hide a waist. Who wants to look like a brick?)

French goodies

Who doesn't love this poster?


And who knows what it's actually FOR? Not me, so I decided to look it up. It's a poster for a French cabaret nightclub in Montmartre back in the 1880s. Which is actually still there, although it's now a funky little hotel.

Cool!

Anyway the point is, I have friends from France visiting for a few days and they thoughtfully brought a late Christmas pressie with them in the form of this cute little tin.

And look what happens when you open it...


YU-UM!

Apparently the sweet biscuits are made of mostly butter and sugar, while the little chocolates and things are all direct from genuine Parisian chocolatiers.


Mmmm. I am going to keep this tin forever.

Re-vamp

So you may have noticed this blog has recently been upgraded from I Picked A Template to I Have a Freaking Amazing Page. This is entirely due to my new logo, designed for me by none other than my wonderful partner, aka My Other Half. (Who just happens to be a graphic designer. If he had a website, there would be a link here!)

In fact, he spent his entire final day of holidays designing this logo for me. How is that for dedication? I think it looks fantastic. Well, more than fantastic. All I said was "Can it be kind of deco-looking?" and look what I got.

So here is a post dedicated to my love.

Headscarves. They look great on your head, and the wall.


Ditto for jewellery.


The Design Hub, where all my logo dreams came true


Slight obsession with horror films, particularly anything from the '80s. Or anything in general from the '80s really.


And, currently, the Bride of Frankenstein.


Artist and painter of, er, paintings...

(yes, that is a vial of eyeballs in green liquid... or do I mean a beaker?)

Eyeballs in general are quite cool, I'm told. As are comic book figurines.


And one of the most important things of all...

...I never have to explain my own love of boots. I actually don't know which of us owns the most pairs.

The End. <3

Purple polka dots

Yay, I made a dress. I haven't completed a sewing project in weeks, thanks to hot weather and Christmas and all. Finished this little number this afternoon.


This fabric was bought with my lovely Lincraft Christmas gift voucher. The gift that keeps on giving.

For this I used New Look 6557. By itself. No mish-mash of patterns here for once!

I just love this neckline. It always gapes bit at the sides of the bust on me so I inserted some elastic into the seams to keep it tight. I have no idea if I'm actually supposed to do this, I've used the various bodices so many times I don't bother reading the instructions any more.



The straps are great too. Sturdy enough to support a bosom and still very feminine.


And all created to the sounds of an impromptu '80s soundtrack courtesy of my Other Half. Bleh. I enjoyed the Belinda Carlisle though. (I don't know who any of the others were. But there was plenty of soulful wailing and synthesizers.)


P.S. Stay tuned for a new-look blog soon!

Green coat

There needs to be a new word. A word which accurately describes the joy and disbelief when One finds a piece of vintage or pre-loved clothing which is not only in immaculate condition, but which also fits One perfectly.

A la my new coat.

Not that I'm posing or anything.

I found this in Chapel St Bazaar a few days ago. It was tagged as either 1950s or '70s, I forget which. I think 70s.

It's a wool/polyester blend and exceptionally heavy and warm. Very clearly it was made for freezing European winters.


And yes, that IS the lining! How amazing is the lining? It looks like a Little Red Riding Hood cape when spread out. I wish it was reversible.


I was so excited about it I just had to put on some war paint and skip around in it until threatened with heat exhaustion.



And now for the details. There are side pockets and breast pockets, all faced with that wonderful tartan. It has a belt which I do need to tie up, otherwise it is a teensy bit big around the waist. And, naturally, a teensy bit small around the bust. The Trials of an Hourglass. Sigh.


It fits perfectly well around the back. The colour is a little washed out in these photos; the darker pictures show the colour more accurately.


The sleeves are very interesting. They're two-piece sleeves, and under the arm is a square seam which I think I would find a total pain the rear end to attempt. The sleeve is not bulky under the arm; it just feels like a normal sleeve. I don't understand it, but I love it.



So as you can see I'm pretty happy with it. Now I just have to wait a few months til I can wear it. I might need to play dress-ups in it a few times til then.