Girls' Own Big Weekend

It's been a big, busy weekend for VB and I. Yes, we're totally rockin' out here in the suburbs, the weather has suddenly improved this week, bringing with it a fresh surge of energy for all sorts of activities.

Since my 6-degree morning a couple of weeks ago, the heater has now been packed away, winter stock has been pulled from the racks and put into storage and my little sunroom, so cosy to inhabit during winter daytimes, is now almost unbearable after 9am and will continue to be so for the next 8 months.

Saturday morning saw a fair spot of vintage treasure hunting- and finding!

Above and below, just some of what I bought, minus the sunnies obvs.

My most exciting find was an old razor strop (on the basket behind the phone), they're not worth a lot but the lady I bought it from said it belonged to her father who had been a barber, and it was his all-time favourite.

With VB and Lisa Enright, photo by The Stitchin' Bitch

Still rockin' on Saturday night, we went to some far-off 'burbs for a (adults) roller skating birthday party. The old-style timber rink was awesome, to my mind so much better than the modern concrete equivalents. This was only VBs second time skating and she absolutely loves it, even insisting on entering the skating limbo comp, I wish I had a photo of us going under the bar as apparently she looked hilarious.

And yes, that *is* a chenille bedspread I'm wearing on my bum! I'll have to show this outfit properly later, it's a bit mental but then that's the whole point isn't it.

Painting started off our Sunday, VB 'helps' a lot as you can see, note the vegemite toast on the lawn!

Midday saw us run around the corner to a local school fete, I mostly went to meet the principal as I'm looking to send VB there next year (can you believe she's nearly 5?!) but VB took full advantage of the massive slide, so big you can hardly see her at the top there.

Ah yes, here she is, not scared at all, and still in the dress from last night. They tell me it's called 'choosing your battles wisely'.

Excuse the grainy iphone pics, but we had a lucky score with clothing on Friday, what we bought was hanging over the rack on the left, so it was time to spend a few hours hanging, pricing, steaming and properly sorting clothing stock, especially as the Brisbane Vintage Fashion Fair (our biggest) is coming up the weekend after next.

 The other side of the stockroom was equally busy!

As you can see, VB came home with several bags full of treats from the fete, the main prize to my mind being the fuzzy felts, I had several as a child and absolutely loved them. And yes, this is all tidy now.

Tired but happy

See you soon!

A Day in My Life...a.k.a. Painting is Getting Boring Now!

If you've ever fancied yourself as a vintage seller, I'm going to show you some nitty-gritty detail of whats involved.

As you know we're having all the stock taken to the shop on Monday, so I'm finishing up lots of furniture projects this week.

I'm the kind of person who needs challenges and variety; being that I sell everything from clothing and hats to small collectables, sewing patterns and large furniture, I certainly get plenty of both.

For the last few weeks though I've mostly been working on the furniture- read on and you'll soon see why painting is getting boring now! This is a rundown of what I did today.

 

First up, I gave this 50s wire plant stand a second coat of white paint. I used a spray can so it was very quick.

 

This cast iron garden chair, one of a pair, also had a second coat.

I've chosen to give this Art Nouveau style hall table the shabby chic treatment. It's taken an enormous amount of work but it's almost done now.

I used different textures, colours and finishes to give it a more aged look.

 

A cute little cane childs chair got a coat of satin-finish varnish.

Two cushion covers from a pair of barstools get soaked in black dye.

Two naughty dresses that didn't come clean the first time around get re-soaked. I always hand wash every vintage garment separately in clean buckets.

I scrubbed down and touched up this fab retro footstool. Such a nice old guy I bought this from. He let me go over to his house, go through all his stuff, and pick out everything I wanted. IT WAS GREAT.

For a vintage seller there is nothing better than that!

Did some more work on the second two of this set of four dinette chairs. (I love the word dinette!). Above is one of the completed ones. I'm still painting and sanding the second 2 chair backs. We have 6 complete dinettes in stock, but this one will be first on the shop floor.

 

These chairs are quite different to most I have seen. The legs and back support bars are plastic-coated, but the horizontal bar (i.e. the bit that the seat is placed on) is metal. I stripped it down to almost bare metal and  mixed the creamy colour up myself to get it to match. I'm very pleased with the result.

Of the 4 chairs, two have faded significantly and two haven't. This is one of the faded ones. I also mixed the pinky red colour myself as it matches well with the less faded seats. The seat backs were originally a bright red...which I tried but it was too strong a colour for the laminate.

How beautiful is this kitchen dresser! Luckily it doesn't need major work or painting, just a lot of cleaning....so I gave it another half an hours' worth this afternoon.

I love this old burnt cane wall shelf. It got a final coat of gloss varnish, which I think brings out the colour beautifully.

This is a beautiful 1950s full size dressing screen, and will form the basis of our change room. (How do I know it is 50s? by the hinges). The white frame is being painted gold to tie in with some other shop fittings we have been keeping specially for the shop. Above is the first coat I applied yesterday.

Unfortunately this lovely brocade fabric is completely nailed into the frame, which makes the painting a chore as I'm not willing to pull the whole screen apart.

Especially when you are using the paint of satan. Don't be fooled by the beautiful colours; this is the worst, wierdest, fastest-drying paint I have ever used!

I thinned the paint down and applied a second coat. It still looks lumpy, but I'll sand it tomorrow and see what gives. We'll see.

But the day is not over yet, mes chers! It's 11pm as I write this so it's dress-steaming time.

So, do you still fancy yourself a vintage seller??

Vintage 1960s Dresses...Fresh Finds & New Faves

It's all go-go-go around here at the moment!

While we don't open the shop until Feb.18, we officially take over next Monday, so I need to have everything ready by then. Yes folks, the 'glamorous' life of this vintage seller is currently a roundabout of cleaning, painting, sanding, scrubbing, handwashing, steaming, mending...you name it, I'm doing it.

Here are a few more of the vintage dresses I've been preparing for my unsuspecting future customers.

 

Another pleated chiffon skirt- I seem to have bought a few of these!

Fabric close-up.

 

Classic crimplene, I wonder if this used to be a maxi.

 

Such a vibrant print, the colours are so fresh it could have been made yesterday.

 

Pretty summery floral, again a lightweight chiffon

Oops lightened the top pic a bit too much, this is the correct colour

I totally love the psychedelic print on this one, I'd be keeping it if it fitted me

My mother said she used to have a dress exactly like this....

 

Personally I just love the confetti lucite buttons, that's what sold me on this dress

 

Polka dots are always popular, I think this may be the first polka dot crimplene dress I've ever had though

 

And who wouldn't love the belt buckle!

That's all for tonight my lovelies, I've now got a sticky date (!) with some araldite and a broken lucite table. Wish me luck :)

Fresh Finds & New Faves...60s Dresses

Over the next few weeks I'll be showing you some of the gorgeous dresses I bought in Melbourne. Please comment and tell me which one/s you like best, I really want to know :)

They are mostly 1960s, one of my favourite decades, so I was totally spoilt for choice!

 

I'm really loving bright prints in my old age, including the one on this shift dress.

It's the same style as the one I wore here, super-light and comfortable in hot weather.

Also a lightweight rayon, this classic summer dress with pleated skirt is fully lined.

Please forgive the awful lighting in these shots!

My huge high racks of vintage were casting big shadows wherever I put the bodyform today.

As you can see this one is a similar style, but is designed to be worn buttoned up to the neck. A pity my vintage 'dolly' isn't busty enough to fill this one out properly!

 

Fine silk cocktail dress, made in Germany. This one is just beautiful to touch.

It has long self ties at each side and a partially open back.

It's often the detailing which makes vintage garments so special, and this dress, with its self-covered buttons atop each shoulder, is no exception.

 

Mid-60s medium-weight crimplene, these are always winners when it comes to washing and drying.

I love the piping details; it always gives a dress an air of neatness or tailoring that really appeals to me.

 

So, you'd be forgiven for thinking I'm into florals in a big way.

Florals lend themselves to lightweight fabrics and summery dresses so well, and that's what we need here in horrible-weather land!