Today I learned something about fabric...

Last week at the Goodwill bins I found a nice linen curtain panel with a lovely bold design on it.  I assumed it was mid-century based on the color pallette and threw it in the cart after a fruitless search for it's matching panel in the bin.  No luck there.  It's been sitting at home waiting for me to get a photo taken.  Beautiful right?  Here's a close up of one of the panels.  Such amazingly bright colors and really interesting graphics.


So I started doing a little research and imagine my surprise when I realize that it's not actually from the 1960's instead it's a piece that likely dates to the 1920s!   The company,  Doulton Cretonne was an English manufacturer and printer of linen fabric.  One example that I found online had a list price of $1200.00!!   Now as we know that doesn't mean that my piece will do anything like that and just because something is listed at an outrageous price doesn't mean it will sell either.  More research is definitely in order though.  I may end up sending an email the the Textile Museum in D.C. to see if they might have a resource as well.

Here are some more pictures of the printed selvage. 

My other fun purchase today was this fabulous and colorful painting.  The signature on the bottom reads (Neptune)  but I can't find anything online about the artist.  I'm guessing it was just a talented hobby painter but I can't wait to hang this up!  I need to do a little re-gluing of the canvas around the edges of the frame but otherwise it's in perfect condition.  

I'm linking up with Apron Thrift Girl's Thrift Share Monday hop on over and take a look at all the fabulous vintage finds!

A Vintage Mystery

Finally had a chance to do some thrifting this past weekend.  I went to my favorite location, that being the goodwill outlet in my area.  Some people don't like having to dig around in the bins and turn over piles of clothing to find the goodies but I love it.  Maybe I was a treasure hunter in a previous life ;)

The bins weren't as kind to me as usual this week, but I did find some goodies.  My favorite of which is this amazing indigo dyed coat. 

Look at the detail on the collar and sleeves.  The borders are beautiful silk pieces in a variety of textures and with different kinds of embroidery all over them. 

The mystery part is I still haven't figured out what part of the world it comes from.  The cut is very reminiscent of a Japanese working man's jacket, called a Noragi.  But I can't find any examples of Noragi with this sort of embroidery panels in it.  The embroidery looks much more Indian or Middle Eastern.  Does anyone have a suggestion on influence?  The jacket appears to have never been worn and is in perfect shape but has no label or markings anywhere.  I don't think it's very old and was probably intended for the tourist trade.  I just want to know where before I list it! 

I also picked up some adorable summer frocks but they're in the wash right now.  Pictures to follow soon! 

My sister in law found me a lovely 1950s wedding dress with a classic full skirt and long tight lace sleeves and collar.  It's such a pretty gown but has definitely seen better days.  The lace is dry rotted and very fragile but the understructure is still solid.  So I listed it in the shop as a tattered and torn gown.  I can see this being a fun piece for halloween.  Just add fake blood and you have an instant zombie bride costume! 

As always thanks for taking a look!   I'm linking up with Apron Thrift Girl's Thrift Share Monday 

And Her Library Adventures Flea Market Finds

Hop on over and take a look at all the goodies!

Wedding Dress dreaming

I didn't have much time to go thrifting this week and what thrifting I did to wasn't fantastic. My usual Goodwill store didn't offer up anything of note and the small community yard sale I stopped by Saturday morning before work only yielded a Transformer for my son. 

I did make some progress on revitalizing some things that I've had in the stock pile for a while.  Two of them are wedding dresses.  The first one my sister-in-law found for me at a yardsale.  It's from the 1970s and it had some stains on it but I gave it a  soaking in oxyclean and soap for a few days and it came out bright white again.  I love the high ruffled neck and the relatively simple design.

The other wedding dress I found in the bins at the local Goodwill Outlet.  It was heavily stained but I figured that if it didn't come clean I could still use the lace for a project.  Have I mentioned how much I love oxyclean? A few days in the soak and it came out good as new.  I especially love how soft and delicate the lace is, as well as the color, a lovely antique cream. 

Isn't it dreamy?  It only needs a big picture hat to be the epitome of Edwardian style elegance. 

Apparently it's my week for lace and the 1970s version of the Victorian era because I also found this blouse on the same goodwill bins trip. 

It's polyester which isn't my favorite but it's so pretty that I couldn't resist.  I have all three pieces listed in my Etsy Shop and I hope that the wedding dresses get a chance for another special day!

I'm linking up with Apron Thrift Girl's Thrift Share Monday 
Stop by and take a look at all the cool finds!

Thrifting with Mom

It was back to the Goodwill bins this past week.  This time with my mom, who taught me to love to thrift!  She had never been before and we went a little nuts...like three overflowing carts worth of nuts.  But what treasures we found! 

My favorite is this amazing patchwork quilt top

Look at those colors!  The squares run the decades from at least the 1940s into the 1960's and are mostly cotton with only one or two polyester squares making an appearance.  There's barkcloth, and childrens juvenile prints,  great retro atomic patterns, and men's shirting stripes.  I have it listed up in the shop because despite what I may tell myself I would never get around to actually attaching a backing and quilting it!  It's big enough for a queen sized bed too so I hope it will find a good new home.

There was a lot of great fabric this time, including this lovely indigo patterned print in a nice soft brushed denim fabric.

7.5 yards by 58".  Wouldn't this make an amazing squishy armchair??

The poncho below is made of a very nice quality wool and the stitching all over is hand done.  no clue as to vintage, as it could be decades old or very new tourist goods from somewhere in South America.  Anyone have any ideas for me?

Finally I'll finish up with a different kind of thrift.  I work in conference services for a large university and we had our Alumni Weekend the first weekend in June.  The flowers and arrangements below came from the picnic brunch we organized and we all got to take amazing sunflowers and woodsy baskets home with us.  They currently make my kitchen look so happy!

The blue glass Ball jar holding the sunflowers was also a Goodwill outlet find from last month!  It's my new favorite flower vase. 

I'm hooking up with Apron Thrift Girl's Thrift Share Monday  Head on over and take a look at the other great finds!

Back from the Past Future

It's been a busy month around here.  It always seems that as soon as May hits things start rolling along and before you know it June has arrived.  Lots of stuff to talk about so lets get started.  The last time I posted I was working on outfits for the Steampunk World's Fair in Piscataway, NJ.  I actually got most of the costuming bits done and packed my biggest suitcase, along with a train case and a hat box all for 48 hours of fun and wardrobe changes! 

 These were my partners in crime.  I'm on the right and my sister is in the middle and my awesome and talented friend Dawn is on the right.  We greatly enjoyed the happy hour at the Embassy suites each night before we set out for the revelry. 

And here is my friend John looking totally swanky in his outfit.  I had a ton of fun putting this all together because he just lets me pick the whole outfit, and wears it very well I must say. 

There was shopping!  Amazing costumes and people to meet!  Concerts for every taste!  Seminars (I always want to go to them but I never actually manage to DO it) and just general fun.  We decided to throw a picnic on the grass this year, complete with mimosas in from silver coffee pots.  A kind person caught this great shot of us enjoying a fabulous day. 

I also managed to document a few of my costumes this year, two of them are below.  I love an excuse to play dress up!

So if Steampunk seems cool to you, I suggest making time to get to next years Steampunk Worlds Fair.  I'll see you there. 

Steaming ahead.

I didn't get much thrifting done this week because I'm still working through listing items from the last haul, as well as working on costume commissions for The Steampunk World's Fair .   It's one of the few weekends I leave the kid and Carl at home and go indulge my geeky side.   I have one of my outfits put together and I need to finish at least one more.  But first I have to finish two vests that I'm making for a friend who is going for the first time.  The first one in progress you can see here. 

The second will be similar but with a higher wing collar lapel and in a black brocade with a gold diamond pane pattern.  Very swank!  I'm also making complimentary cravats to go with each vest.  And I bit the bullet and forced myself to do the inset watch pockets even though they are a PAIN.  I think they came out lovely though!


I do have some more pictures of last week's haul to share though!  Like this adorable wicker basket purse. 

It was made by Etienne Aigner and it has fantastic details, like the leather strap and handle and the canvas lining.  It is missing the toggle on the front closure but I think it would be an easy fix.  Or it's just great as a little box for the shelf!  I have it up in my Etsy Shop along with the cloth under it which is a linen blend scarf with an orange plaid border. 

Items I'm still working on include this stack of vintage linens and embroidered pieces.  I soaked them in an oxyclean and gentle soap bath for a few days but most of them still have scorch marks or stains that don't want to come out.  I plan on selling them as a lot batch for someone to cut up and use for textile art! 


I'm linking up with Her Library Adventures for Flea Market Finds Sunday as well as Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrift Tuesday.  Pop on over and take a look at all the vintage goodness! 

Good Digging in the Bins

I had the day off this past Friday and immediately after I completed the hated grocery shopping I hightailed it to the Goodwill Outlet. I always find such great scores there! This week's haul included wooden Thomas train tracks as well as a drawbridge for the little guy's set. A "Byron" who is of course a bulldozer on the Island of Sodor. (Don't you just love knowing all these things?)

On the practical side of things I found a blue cashmere shrug and two pairs of cotton/linen blend pants for myself, a pair of cargo pants for Himself, and a pair of jeans for the kiddo. The really good stuff I have some pictures of. Like the 1940s wax flower bridal crown in PERFECT condition. I thought it was some kind of plastic until I got it home and did some research! I listed it in the shop on Friday and it didn't even last two hours before selling. So that one item paid for everything I bought. I love that!

Other vintage goodies include this gorgeous linen tablecloth with its original label attached. 

So pretty!  The linen is polished and super soft and the color is the most perfect cornflower blue.  This one is up in the Etsy Shop  right now, with more goodies to follow.  

On the mod end of things I found this great piece of fabric.

You can see on the edges where it had originally been stretched onto a frame to hang as a canvas.  And everything is still in perfect condition so there's no reason someone couldn't do it again.  The colors are SO bright and cheerful. 

The last thing I found I was really excited about, only to take it home and find it was not "quite" what I thought I had.  The framed cross stitch below had me really excited at the store.  It has a pencil inscription on the back of Christmas 1923! 

Looks like a vintage cross stitch right?  And gorgeous.  So imagine my surprise when I took it home to photograph and noticed this! 

For those who can't tell, the "sampler" is actually a print!  The date on the bottom reads 1917.  But look at the detail!  I would swear it was stitched if I had not taken part of the back off just to check for sure myself!

Live and learn, and then laugh!  At least it only cost me 50 cents!

I'm hooking up with Apron Thrift Girl's Thrift Share Monday , Coastal Charm's Nifty Thrift Tuesday and Her Library Adventures Flea Market Finds  head on over and take a look!