Findings and precious gifts.

The last few times we have been op shopping in Tauranga have been really disappointing, so I didn't have high hopes for Friday. I thought I would be lucky if I found a few bit of fabric (I rarely don't find at least one piece!). But I was pleasantly surprised with my little bundle.
I didn't find any fabric, as such, but did find a wee stack of vintage sheets. I'm really picky when it comes to linen, but was really happy to see that these were in pretty much unused condition. Stoked! The pillow cases will find their way to our bed, and the sheets will be used as fabric.
The wallpaper is just handy to have around the place, for wrapping gifts and parcels etc. Especially at a dollar a roll!
The bag is super soft leather, with big stitching, and a really nice size. And I needed a new bag, I don't have many (aye, Abraham? haha). The jewellery was a bit out of my normal rice range, but seriously? A HUGE painted wooden necklace, and fur earrings? Who could refuse? (Sorry bunnies.)
The test tubes are a strange purchase, I know. I figure if Aesop doesn't use them for science experiments then I could always replicate this, and have a Real life pin!

Also during our trip to Tauranga, I picked up a wee basket full of goodies that were given to me by Abraham's Mum's cousin (what does that make her to me? I just call her cousin Cheryl!). She came to visit with us a few months ago and  noticed my full china cabinet. She decided to add a few treasures to our family collection, from hers. So lovely!

She wrote me a wonderful card all about where the cups came from, and even included the little notes that came along with them, and a photo of the lady who gave them to her! Such treasures.
The glasses she won in a dancing competition as a teenager in the 60's! I especially love them and their little retro sayings  'Don't knock the rock', ' Rock around the clock', 'Giddy-up a ding dong' and 'See you later alligator'! I'm a very lucky lady.

'Hello!'

I had a request, on the Facebook page, for brooches with my 'hello' applique on them.
Two requests, in fact, on the same day, from two different people!
Who can argue with that?

(Won't list them in my Felt shop until after the market, but if you'd like one then you can get the details on the FB page.)

Friday.

Yesterday was the last day of Aesops school holidays, so Abraham took the day off and we went on a little adventure. A mini road-trip!
We hopped in the car first thing in the morning, and drove through to Te Puke, where we stopped for some morning tea and to visit their three op shops. Then we drove on through to Tauranga, where we did a bit more op shopping, and visited with Abraham's Mum and her partner.
The place they are staying is one of the most incredible, muesum-like, places I have ever been. They live with an elderly relative who, it would appear, has never thrown a thing out in her life. And she used to be a dress maker.. 'nuff said. It is like heaven.
It was also really fascinating for the kids, because as well as a tortoise shell and stuffed peacock in the lounge (?!) and a yard full trees to climb and pick fruit off, Kaye and Chris have put in a lovely big chicken run. I always feel a mixture of happy and sad when our kids visit places like that, they love it so much, but it's definitely not something we have at home. Part of me would love to live slightly out of town, with a sprawling yard filled with animals and plants... but I just can't see it happening.

Our day ended eating Burger Fuel, over-looking the water. What a treat. The whole day was such a treat.

(I'll post some photos of my few purchases tomorrow..)

Paper.

Do you remember these suitcases, that I bought a few weeks ago? It dawned on me this week that they would be the perfect wee display cases for the market I'm doing next month (this one!). There was only one problem with that though : the insides had seen better days. The outsides look okay/retro cool all scuffed up and well loved, but the linings were looking pretty rough and even had kids phone numbers written on them etc.
Fixing this involved doing something I'm reallllly not good at: maths.
Do you remember at school, when you had to make those 3d shapes and draw out the shape, add little tabs, fold them up and glue them etc? Well, it is safe to say I was not very good at it. Not at all.
But, somehow, I managed to draw out, and create, some pretty covers for the little cases out of vintage wallpaper, with only a few mistakes. I'm pretty pleased with them!

It's been a pretty maths-filled week actually, I also had to to grade my kids pants pattern. I started with the 2 year old pattern, that I use for Otto, and came up with 6-9m, 1y, 2y and 3y patterns.Old Mrs Leary from 4th form maths would be very impressed!

Can't say I hope to do more of it in the future though... would much rather stick to cutting and sewing!

Tuesday.

Playdough, and other activities that only seem to entertain for a few minutes. A wee paper project for me.  Finally getting some washing dry. Boys moving so fast I can't photograph them. A row or two in between other tasks.

Add some delicious beef curry, an hour or two perusing pinterest, a walk to the vege store, and staying my my pjs til lunch time; and you'll have my whole Tuesday about summed up. Quite glorious, really.

50c mixture sort of day.

 (This picture is a, rather self indulgent, picture of my outfit for today. It's completely unneccessary to the blog post, and huge to help with the blurriness, but I like it. That's also a new skirt, yes it is. It's a little snug, but I don't mind.)

I'm not sure if I can say what sort of day it has been yet, it's only lunchtime, but I have a feeling I will be able to call it a bit of a muddly, 50c mixture sort of a day.
It's one of those days where the weather is on the verge of turning to custard, you're not sure whether to put washing out or not, the kids routine is all up the wazoo and you're in between projects and are not sure quite where to start. It's a day where things are so out of routine, that you even feel like blogging for the first time in donkey years! But, most importantly, it's a day that's perfect for op shopping.
I picked the kids up from Mum (they stayed with her last night. Glorious!), and drove alllllmost all the way home. We got to the end of our street, and I decided to detour to the oppies, just for a few minutes. Well, it's safe to say I'm glad I did.

 Vintage crochet booties, in the softest yarn known to man. You know, for my imaginary third child.

 The two most fabulous fitting skirts I have tried on for some time. No altering needed, and in relatively plain colours too. Jackpot!

 A vintage Hanes tee for Aesop, and a gloriously patterned jumper for that imaginary child (oh shush Abraham, if it doesn't happen I'll open a retro kids shop or something. HA.)

 Crafty stuff. Fabric, super lovely soft and thick wool, a pillow case and some doilies.

 Men's jumpers in delightful patterns, for an upcycle project I have in mind.


As for the 'inbetween projects' comment, I'm not really.. only sort of. What I mean to say is that I'm busy stocking up for a market next month, making everything in batches, and I'm inbetween batches. The bags are done (photos later, maybe?) and I finished the rosette brooches last night. Now I need to finish scaling my pants pattern before making a few baby pants, tops and dresses. I am setting big goals for myself knowing that, if things don't sell, my Felt shop will lovely and full. (I'm considering opening a Crouton Etsy shop too. Thoughts?)
Anywho, it's nice to be around these parts, feels like it's been ages (wonder why?), it's nice to 'see' you guys again.