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Flea Market Finds...

 

I discovered an old basket full of crochet and knitted coat hangers, at my new local op-shop, for 50c each. As I paid for a bundle of colourful, wooly hangers, I spotted this sweet little old brooch beneath the counter and added it to my purchases.

Each plain hanger in Cohen's closet has been gradually being replaced, and now not a single naked coat hanger remains. I love seeing all those handmade hangers, lined up waiting to fulfill their purpose, as I put the washing away. I can only wonder how long Cohen will allow such hangers to occupy his space when  he is a little older. But for now, he is more interested in trying to artfully remove the brooch from my sweater whenever I pick him up, and is not the least bit worried about his mother's fascination with Nana hangers.

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A thrifted gift from my sweet sister.
An addition to my sewing basket collection, which is sadly languishing in storage presently.
At least I now have this little darling to keep me company in the meantime.

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Counting my op-shop blessings with these darling finds.

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Flea Market Finds...

A meter and a half of fabric, six zips, crochet cottons, hooks and eyes and a self cover button kit.
'Let's make it five dollars, shall we?'
Says the lovely lady behind the counter.

I do love op-shopping.

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Flea Market Finds...

Some recent crafty, thrifty finds. Proud zippers, elegant embroidery thread, neatly packages knitting needles and delightful vintage pattern books. Discovered amongst the baskets of sewing bric-a-brac that always attract my eye at op-shops.

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Flea Market Finds...

For two dollars there just didn't seem to be any doubt that this darling was coming home with me.

Perhaps it would be best if we don't mention this purchase to my husband however.

Not all of us understand the important fact that 'one can never have enough baskets'.

I picked up a few vintage things at a charity auction yesterday too...

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Flea Market Finds...

I love picnics. I am always dragging my husband and our sweet little boy off on picnics. So when I found this small picnic basket for five dollars at an op-shop I brought it home. I was thrilled to find brand new cutlery and plates inside and I love that gingham.

I have been thinking about making napkins and a picnic rug to go with it so Cohen can have his very own picnic basket. As he has food allergies I think this sweet picnic basket will come in handy for many an outing.

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Flea Market Finds...

I wonder if Cohen's future self will mind about my habit of buying old crochet children's coat hangers for his closet? Perhaps he will laugh? Or shake his head? Or perhaps he won't have noticed them?

Just look at them though. Like Tifs 'lost souls', I can't help but bring them home with me. They live quietly in the closet and make me smile when I put his clothes away.

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Flea Market Finds...

A day at the animal park yesterday, a picnic and some op-shopping.

I brought this sweet sewing box to add to the collection, now numbering five. I could not resist these old crochet cottons either.

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Flea Market Finds...

Happy Mother's day to all Mums. I hope you have a wonderful day.

I hope to be back later with a little more Mother's day love.

This setting was once my paternal Grandmothers. It is marked 'Made in England H&K Tunstall' and each plate is numbered by hand. I think it is from the 1930's or 4o's and is perhaps a salad or pasta setting. It is such a lovely set and has seen hardly any use at all.

I have welcomed it into my home with open arms and hope it has a very long and happy life with us.

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Flea Market Finds...

The sewing baskets have willingly stepped aside from their pride of place on the cabinet, in lu of an early century Bakelite vanity set once belonging to my paternal Grandmother.

Complete with hat pin stand, photo frame, brush, hand held mirror and trays.

A piece of history that I think deserves to be cherished for at least another hundred years.

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Flea Market Finds...

My thrifted finds this week have been all about old worn enamel and linen table cloths. Table cloths that I think would make wonderful cushion covers, as inspired by the lovely TOAST cushions.

I can't wait to get a chance to get some more sewing done and hopefully some more thrifting this week too....

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Flea Market Finds...

My father gave me two antique feedsack bags and with them, my love of feedsack cloth was born. hey are such lovely and fascinating pieces of our thrifty fabric heritage.

What I am secretly hoping is that on my flea market and thrifting adventures I find more feedsacks to add to the collection and eventually hand sew a quilt with them.

Do you know any good places to find vintage feedsacks?

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"If you would like to join in and play just post an image of your second hand find, whatever it may be or even something you that you are dreaming to find." - Sophie

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Flea Market Finds...

I love dear little old bottles. There is something so lovely about them. Can you imagine a time when there was no plastic? Only glass and wood?

I have mentioned on my blog before that I have a collection of vintage and antique bottles that my father found in outback Australia. They sit on the cabinet in our entry and gather more years and more stories.

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Flea Market Finds...

This dear old cabinet is at ease in the guest room and is now home to vintage linens, sewing baskets and dinner setting that has been passed down through the family.

It quickly struck a friendship with the resident plate collection and introductions have been made between the cabinet and the other plates that are waiting to reside there, pending the appearance of plate hooks. Another sewing basket might be in order too....

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Flea Market Finds...

When you babe falls asleep in his pram I think it is best not to wake him...

Especially when there are three thrift stores in the vicinity.

And so it was that I came home with a toy BBQ for Cohen's cubby, clothes, cutter linens and an Enid Blyton book featuring my name.

Thus fulfilling my love of Enid Blyton and my vanity at seeing my name on the cover.

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PS. Don't forget about my fabric giveaway here.

Flea Market Finds...

Last weekend while we were away we visited the Lifeline Bookfest and supported the charitable organisation while filling our bags and our bookshelves.

On the Sunday books were sold by the full environmental bag for $5.

I loaded my bag up with classic Penguins - among them works from F Scott Fitzgerald, Herman Hesse and Iris Murdoch who are among my favorites.

I couldn't resist some lovely old hard cover books and vintage Penguins to add to my collection, as well as children's books, music scores, plays and poetry.

I love the designs of these old book covers.

This one is on the upside down Shelly book above. It's it just plain sweet.

I can imagine some lovely fabric made with these repeats.

Ahhh... books. They make the world a better place do they not?

After all, "The reading of all good books in like conversations with the finest men of the past centuries." - Descartes

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Flea Market Finds...

I do love the look of these rather old recipe booklets. Look at the lass gracing the cover! The red lipstick, the pin curls, the spotty dress. Gorgeous!

These lovely little booklets are full of yummy recipes for keeping your family sweet created by the Simpson Bros. self raising flour company. They are a little slice of history too. The foreword in the one below explains that the book is not as elaborate as in past years due to the war, however the recipes have been "prepared with full understanding of rationing difficulties and general scarcities". Fascinating isn't it?

The introduction on the pre-war books is delightful,

"Rich is the family that possesses a good and loving cook. Rich, too, is the cook, for she has in her hands and her heart the means of spreading happiness and content. If truth be told she is the most important person in the world. She is the only person who can turn a house in to a home. All men and children bow down to her and worship her. To her is dedicated this annual collection of recipes for adding to the joy of life."

I am off to go to do some baking and prepare myself for the worshiping to begin.

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More flea market finds here.

Flea Market Finds...

This lovely cabinet was once a 21st birthday gift to a woman from her future husband.

For some sixty years this cabinet lived as a glory box - home to the special linen and the good crockery. Until, unable to fit into a room of a nursing home, this dear little cabinet sat beneath an old quilt, in a shed, until moving day.

Then this dear little cabinet was given to us because I love old furniture.

She has seen better days, although her position in the garage and the flash I needed to use on this rainy day are not the most flattering. I was just so excited to share her with you. Isn't she beautiful? Look at those original metal handles and that etched glass!

I wonder was she originally intended to be a bar? The top lifts back, the doors beneath it perhaps to store glasses? The door of the next compartment drops down like a writing bureau and beneath it sits another draw.

Today I am going to clean off the dust, wasps mud nests and cobwebs and rub in some furniture oil. Part of me loves the colour and another part of me would like to take to her with white paint, but I am afraid it would be a bit sacrilegious.

Either way, I can already imagine her in the guest bedroom, home to an heirloom dinner set and other special bits and pieces. I will share some more pictures when she has settled in.

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Flea Market Finds...

A few years ago I took a plane to visit my sister. We talked nonstop, we drank coffee and wine, we watched movies and went shopping and we wandered into a second hand bookshop where I found this darling book, 'The Home Book for Young Ladies', and knew I had to take it home. It is full of all manner of interesting information for young ladies, and...

inside the front cover -

"A Small token of

Love from Charlie to

Clarrie on her 20th

Birthday 23/2/95"

1895

Inside the book was a small black and white photo of a beautiful building.

I am left wondering, who was this Charlie?

Charlie definitely sounds more of a term of endearment than Charles.

A token of love. I wonder what ever happened to these young lovers?

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More flea market finds here.