My Mum bought the cutest little jammies for the boys this year - all cute and Christmassy and with stripes (which we love).
We have been steadily working on our little vintage fabric zippered pouches. We are on about our 'third' variation, I reckon - but I am really striving for something I feel is well worth the time and effort to make - and buy...
We have been unhappy with the interfacing method - it gives the pouch structure but it doesn't give it density, nor firmness. It allows the pouches to break their form and bend too easily. So, we have been mucking about with new sizes - and a new quilting method.
We chose to work with a lovely soft and pliable wool batting - not too thick, but thick enough it would hold it's form and straightness (for want of a better word). And we're delighted with our latest batch, I have to say. They feel like a pouch should - thickish, firm, strong. Not thin or whispish. So we've produced some lovely 12" long ones (without wristlet - we're still working on that part) and some cute little 6 x 4" ones that are perfecto for coin purses or for something small while you're out and only need some lippy, cards and moulah...
The brown 1970s retro super graphic print is a money purse - and it's divine, with a gorgeous retro geometric gold interior. We have about three 12" pouches and a couple of money purses in stock.
The pink one is also just gorgeous - but in a different way. This is the only 12" one we have made - and we're now out of this fabric so it's a definite one off! It's lined with romantic 1960s pink and white polks dot fabric and just so feminine and pretty. We also have two money purses in stock...
Even though we're not going to have our 'own' brick and mortar store we'll still have around 4m x 4m to chock full of our fabric. The larger pieces - those around 180cm longer or more (up to 4m) - will be hanging and we thought we would have some fabric packs for sale, too. This is on top of our vintage fabric bags and buttons and brooches - grrrr...so much to do and such little time :(
We have already started doing $10 packs in bags, with each bag holding a long-ish piece of vintage fabric (around 1m to 1.5m) - but, our question to you guys is, what else would you like to see? Length, size - type, style...any hints to make our humble Retro Age area a fabulous shopping experience??
Oh my. Vintage fabric for every red-blooded man to die for. Justin found them and seriously contempleted buying them...for us. Yes, for us. I could live with them as I love that era...and we have a tonne of nude prints this fabric would match superbly...but...well, who could be surrounded by that many nude women and still go about your day-to-day activities with kiddies and visitors etc...
If you think you could live with them they're available here. Have fun looking :)
Well, I am ironing. Actually - that is an understatement. I am ironing like I have never ironed before. Piece after piece after piece of our vintage fabric. And then it's logged for public sale, priced and tagged with our cards...
It feels like we shall never finish. But come the start of the New Year the fabrics shall be hanging for sale...and, if we're on target, there will be at least 300 pieces seperate to the stock on the website. And that's not even putting a dint into our stock. Ugh.
I am a busy bee and even though I have lots to tell you about I have limited time - so am just letting you know I have added on some more links onto the link menu to your left...searches for scandinavian fabric, vintage fabric and 1930s fabric have been added for your vintage fabric enjoyment :)
I have started to go through our fabric inventory to 'iron, number and hang up' for our imminent arrival in to the Mill Markets Antiques Centre. It shall be a lot of work - but I have decided to give some fabric away as I go...just to make this hard task of ironing that much easier!
I came across this piece today. Every time I see it and touch it I instantly think of cute Winter's gear for boys and girls - it just has the cute side to it a lot of the older fabrics don't have (unless they are blatantly novelty)...
It's a medium to heavy-ish (Winter weight) piece (era of manufacture unknown) - a cross between a true velveteen and pinwale cord. The base colour is very hard to describe as it changes with the light - but, overall, it's a pale burnished brown with tiny red flowers around 3mm wide - although they also look like ladybugs, too!
The photos show the fabric half width and close up - with the base and rear also shown. It measures 88cm wide x 170cm long. I've popped it onto the website for just $6.50 - basically just the postage cost, no charge for the fabric at all :) If you'd like it click here.
We get a lot of queries on how people can search for vintage fabrics - not just here in Australia, but overseas as well. So many people are after certain prints, oeurves, fabrics and designers - and it's just not practical for us to stock a billion fabrics :)...
So - I have decided to start a list of vintage fabric links for you. The list is right on the top of this blog and will stay there and be added to over the coming days and weeks. I have started with five popular searches - based on queries we receive. The searches are Verner Panton, Lucienne Day, Heals of London, atomic fabric and barkcloth fabric. All of the searches relate to ebay worldwide - not just here in Oz...
If you can think of any other searches you would like me to do - and include on the blog - let me know. I'll add when I think of something new - and there are a billion searches I can think of!
I have 'itis. I know of no other word to describe my current state. Flat. A little thin. Stretching myself too far. I am already starting to enjoy a slow weekend. So then the 'itis can go away...it has been told.
I love them. Can't stop looking at them. Each button is 4cm wide and features the face of an art deco lady....back to staring now :)
I have been having a great time making larger buttons - some of these sets feature buttons around 4cm wide. Above is a 1940s fabric...
The above buttons feature some 1960s fabric featuring a deco ladies face...gorgeous, aren't they?
And beautiful orange above and psychedelic below...
And a lovely set of 1940s cotton with pansies below...
I am popping up some more fabric onto the website in the next day or so - and some of these buttons, too. And I am working on a new prototype for our bags - featuring ironed on wadding instead of interfacing! They look just as lovely as the buttons above...:)
Even though I am a Buddhist and we have a shrine and photos of His Holiness Dalai Lama and prints of Tara (female Buddha) and Siddharta Buddha in various poses etc we have decided to rear the boys with a wide and various religious upbringing. By religious I mean philosophy and overviews of religious practice and dogma. When it's appropriate we explain religious days and rituals to give L a thorough understanding of how different and unique people worldwide really are...
I bought the one above called Eep and it just arrived yesterday. Not only was the tea towel an amazing quality and screen-printed to the highest standard (and it's easy with screen printing NOT to reach that highest standard), but her packaging was sublime and just so, well, 'gifty' and thoughtful. A wonderful experience and a product I would highly recommend :)
Making these buttons is such wonderful fun! I am thoroughly enjoying selecting the vintage fabric to pop onto the aluminium shanks...
But making buttons means I have been remiss is keeping the website up-to-date and free of most of our sold stock...
Alas, poor Yorrick, there is way too many sold pieces on the site and I am forced (ahem) to spend the next couple of days stripping the site back to live and 'for sale' stock...
So if you see some changes to the site in the next couple of days you'll know why! I am busy getting rid of our old stock for you to it's easier to see what's available...
And if you love unique buttons made from gorgeous vintage fabric our little 2cm collection is getting larger - you can see them here.
Thanks to two lovely bloggers who left me links to the site I was trying to remember I now have some fabulous ideas for gifts for family members and friends we don't see that often - but who we love and miss at Christmas time :)
I know I've already posted today but just thought I would let you know I just put two rather unique small handmade pouches into our Etsy store - they will hit the website hopefully tomorrow. The top piece is a green lame with op art yellow lining and the pouch below is made from super rare 1970s Liberty of London Bauhaus fabric...kitsch, mod and memphis rolled into one :) - view them here.
I have to say I don't buy magazines that much. Don't know why. I remember as a teen I was addicted to Cleo and Cosmopolitan but as I entered my 20s I didn't really feel the need to find out what the latest trends were or where you should eat or what colour nail polish to wear. Still can't be stuffed knowing - or doing :)
I have been sewing and sewing to try and get better and better. It's happening - but very slowly! I tend to err on the perfectionist side...and even though I have been told by buyers and admirers these pouches and wristlets are fab, it's hard to believe. Do you ever have that problem with your creations?
So the sewing machine has stopped whirring and I am having a sewing rest. Making buttons is so much quieter - easier, as well :)
But I am starting to list these on Etsy to see how they go - two lots of buttons are already on the website and I'll be adding and adding to that next week. More than likely bags, too...
