My favourite blog at the moment...Retro Renovation

We are pure bred vintage and retro lovers. We moved to a 1971 built home last year with a 1975 extension and we are just starting to cement ideas on how to renovate it...

Retro Renovation is a great daily read and it's giving us some fab ideas on how to renovate within retro and kitsch guidelines. There's nothing worse than a retro home renovated to be some type of 'modern' design - something that neither fits the cutting edge design in architecture or interior design and something that isn't individualised. Anyhoo - a great read for all of you mid-century lovers out there!

Just plodding around - maybe normality tomorrow?

We have one last order to complete that arrived around the time I was going into hospital - tomorrow is the day I feel I can return to a little normality. I get bored so quickly - I was up at 11am sorting through fabric I picked up last week and putting it on bolts...silly me! Today was a lazy day, buying groceries, watching television and doing nothing much at all. I am going to get back into it a little tomorrow and take some shots of my favourite fabrics to feature here...

These cute photos are taken from an old sheet set I have - sweet, aren't they?

The gallstone culprits (warning - photo) - I'm home!

New auctions are up on ebay - huge pieces for only $14.99...click here.

And, for those of you who like the slight macabre or who are just curious...these are some of the lovely stones removed from my gallbladder on Friday. My throat didn't right itself in time but we all took the chance. I had my surgery on Friday morning and got home yesterday and have been up and about a little today. Very sore, incredibly tender...but it's all worth it. Have already eaten M&Ms and they haven't caused any nausea - the only weird thing is I feel so full after so little food...it will be interesting to see if this is just a part of the recouperation or if it's the way it will be from now on...

I can tell I'll be back at it very quickly - we're all tired and in strange moods as we're all out of our routine, but I am sure we'll all be back to 'our' normality by the end of the week...

Hope you all had better weekends than I!!

Current ebay auctions...HUGE pieces of unique fabrics!

I think I am a glutton for punishment - I am just about to go off and enjoy a long bath with a good book (The Boss of You - it's about women and business) and some drops of eucalyptus oil in to relax me...but I just had to put some auctions up on ebay.

They are all huge pieces - two metres or three metres plus. The top is a floppy fine 80s crepe, the middle soft pure silk and the last a fine metallic thread synthetic...

You can view them all here.

Today you were five...and I became walking penicillin

Today was not a day for vintage fabrics. Today was the conclusion of a weeks longs worth of parties (two), dinners (three) and present opening (lots) for our firstborn, Logan. Today our little man turned five and he feels so very grown up now! Happy birthday, Logie Fogey, we hope this week was so special for you! It seems like yesterday you were born and in our arms all new and beautiful...our love grows for you everyday (inbetween your ratty times...no, only joking!)

The photos are of our two little treasures - I am a very proud parent so I couldn't resist popping the shots up here :)

I am a walking piece of penicillin - on 2000mg a day to keep this throat in order for surgery tomorrow. Just in case it settles I am fasting from midnight and have a 7.15am appointment with the doctor. Please, postules - p*** off!!

So...I'll see you all on the other side, a little 'less' of me, but all the better for it! The gallbladder can stay at the hospital...it has no need to come home with me tomorrow...

Gloria Jeans Very Vanilla latte here I come!

Cross your Lego fingers...

Cross your fingers and anything else that can bend. I have a bad bacterial infection in my throat and surgery is DEFINITELY set for Friday. No snip snip if you're sick, though - so hopefully I can get over this thing in a day (are you laughing? My body is...)

This was my day today. Making Speed Racers out of Lego with number one son. He hasn't seen the film, nor will he, but he likes the idea of cool cars racing around. This is my Speed Racer with wings (my keel, for all you America's Cup lovers).

This is what you do when you're too small to play with Lego bricks but not too small to take a liking to a Lego pirate boat.


And this is Logan's Speed Racer, complete with pilot with sunglasses.

Priceless days, gorgeous days, days so good you never want them to end.
And this is a personal message to that bacteria lurking on my tonsils and in my throat - you have had MONTHS to do this to me and you choose 48 hours out of surgery! How selfish...how rude...how very dare you!

The Electrolux front loader...the vintage fabrics are excited...

Well, after much Googling, asking of friends and family (and you!), not to mention driving around asking for retail advice and looking at TOO MANY washing machines we settled on a front loader. A huge Electrolux thing. Looks spunky. But, more importantly, here are the reasons we bought a front loader (in no particular order of importance)...and this is just what we have found out so, as per usual, could be wrong!

1. It uses less energy and water than a top loader in the equivalent size - about 2/3 less, to be exact. And that's better for the environment and warms the cockles of my heart.

2. It's not the detergent that washes the clothes in a front loader - it's the turning of the drum and the water. Hence why the wash cycles are longer - it takes time to clean clothes that good! It's the detergent that cleans the clothes in the top loaders...and chemicals aren't good for fabric! The analogy we were told about the front loaders is the throwing of the clothes onto the rock - the motion is almost identical, the only difference is the clothes hit the bottom of the drum and not a rock!

3. Front loaders are gentle on clothes as they don't have an agitator like the top loaders (unless it's a Fisher and Paykel large one). This is better for us - and for the fabric!

4. You can fit more into the same drum size...you haven't got an agitator in the way and it's a turning motion and not a swishing motion.

5. Less washing powder used. Only around half of what you would use on a top loader.

6. Faster spin means dryer clothes at the end of the cycle. I have now bought an ugly clothes horse for the piano room to dry our clothes away from public eyes! This gets wonderful sun in the mornings and hopefully should dry the clothes quite quickly :) - so that means less dryer use and that's another thing better for the environment!

There are other reasons but can't remember them. This whole process made me realise how green I want to be - apart from handwashing! I found that very hard at the start so had to use my Mum's washing machine all week...so this is my way of being greener apart from using my hands...

There's only one last thing...our old washing machine must have taken umbridge at the new chest freezer. Fingers crossed the arrival of the new washing machine doesn't peeve the chest freezer off. And enough of the conking out of electricals in this house!

Thank you for all of your advice to those of you who recommended washing machines etc - it's lovely you took the time to write :)

What would vintage fabric prefer - top or front?

....top load or front load washing machine?

We welcomed a chest freezer this week and the washing machine obviously didn't like a new thing in his playroom. Cracked it two hours later and refused to process full wash - agreed to medium or low wash, but that was it. So Justin decided to do the usual man thing and attacked the washing machine that evening...usually all ends well when he gets his hands to things, but not this time. The washing machine obviously detests the chest freezer and now won't go a thing. Spurts water into the tub and that's it.

We usually buy top loaders for the fabrics as I can always dive in mid-cycle and remove the fine ones. But now with stage four water restrictions on the Bellarine Peninsula I am thinking front loader. But I have no idea how to use a front loader and apparently they take ages to wash.

If anyone has any advice let us know...we're off tonight to have a look at what's available and shall purchase it tomorrow.

Hopefully it likes the chest freezer.

That darned ebay vintage fabric addiction...and more addictions to the website...

The above two fabrics have just been put on auction on ebay. Once you start adding auctions to ebay it's very hard to stop - until you see those fees and you run the other way :) They're cut price and present a perfect opportunity for those of you who love arts and crafts, Sanderson, Willaim Morris and other Liberty designers to purchase some gorgeous fabrics on sale. You can view them here.

These fabrics - and a couple more - will be added to the website in the next 24 hours...the space one is a super cool 80s print, as is the plisse and the retro cotton voile piece is vintage 70s. When they're on the website you'll be able to view them in our New Arrivals category.

Cheap Florence Broadhurst fabric!

I finally worked out how to use Ebay's Turbo Lister (has it really been that long since we were on ebay?) and popped up some Florence Broadhurst. Not all we had in stock as we had a private sale but there's some for Broadhurst lovers out there! Way under our cost - and it retails here for $143pm, so get in quick if you want it for just $34.99 per 50cm.

Check here. There are three auctions up at the moment...one each of the above.

Two sublime vintage 60s couture silks added to website...

Fine silk, manufactured in Italy. Looks like a type of mod Alps design, don't you think? You can view this fabric here.

One of my all time favourite fabrics - I just adore the modernist design - and it has a colourway so of it's time! Silk twill with a lovely rustle - can be viewed here.

Gasp. Gasp. Suck in breath. How can I do this to myself? How can I put these up for sale when I have coveted them for so long. Three years to be exact...of stroking, patting, rolling, unrolling, stroking... (shhhhh...don't tell Justy)....

In an act of selflessness (weakness?) I have popped these gorgeous silks on the website this evening.

You don't have to buy them if you don't want to, they have a loving home right here....:)

Three vintage fabrics have arrived on the website :)

I woke up with some motivation this morning...somehow...somewhere. Justin is off all day doing errands and the like so it's just me plowing away. I am trying to get our books in order for tax time (ack!) and also just added three fabrics on to the website. View them here. Hopefully I'll continue to upload more things today - but I am also getting ready to sell our Florence Broadhurst stock on ebay so other things are also taking my unmotivated time!

Completely and utterly unmotivated...

I thought it was Friday-itis. Then I thought it was the weekend 'cruise'. Today I realised I am not procrastinating but am rather unmotivated. I look at the piles and piles of fabrics waiting to be booked in to the system, photographed, measured and uploaded onto the website so that they can be purchased and loved by a new owner...but, alas, I haven't done a thing this weekend. Haven't picked up one fabric. Can you believe it?

On a brighter note I have decided where all of our herbs will be located and shall plant them in the next couple of days. Even went and bought some marjoram and coriander today to complete the bed. Noticed berries are now in to buy so have put that on my to-do list for next weekend. We are determined to use as much of the backyard as possible (and it's a big thing!) to sustain ourselves. However - slight hitch. Slight problemo. Haven't grown a thing in years. Not even a weed. Have killed two rhubarb plants. So stay tuned - this herb and vigie patch ride should be an interesting one.

In anticipation of tonnes of lovingly tended and grown vegies we bought a chest freezer. Haven't got a thing to put in it yet but I hope it comes in handy!

Can somone please tell my motivation to come back from Bali? I think it's gone on holiday. How on earth does one motivate oneself...perhaps I should turn the computer off like I did on Friday...hmmmm....

Advertise on Retro Age Vintage Fabrics website for $1

Hello all

I have Friday-itis. Terribly. Am sitting here reading iGoogle, obviously procrastinating about listing new arrivals on the website. Friday-itis. Big time.

But I have done some work - I've activated advertising boxes on our website. For only $1 you can advertise your blog, website etc on our main page. We average anywhere between 500-1000 visitors a day, with more than 125,000 in the last 10 months alone. It's a very popular site and usually at the top of Google searches - just search 'vintage fabric' and you'll see what I mean.

Would suit crafters who use fabric, other suppliers, homemade artisans etc etc.

Four boxes. You can have one or them all. $1 day. That's it. Here's the link to the website for you to see the advertising boxes :)

Eating only backyard food

I just found out microwave popcorn is bad for you...along with 99% of all other things up those supermarket aisles. We've recently become fans (addicted) of popcorn - we do the stovetop variety and Logan has loved watching it pop. We just put a little salt on it so it's not tooooo bad for you...but gee it's tasty and my sick gallbladder withstands it.

What has this got to do with vintage fabric? Absolutely nothing...but can you smell the popcorn? Yummo....

PS. Our herb garden is still not finished...the earth has been turned over and fertilized, but the herbs are just sitting in their tubs looking longingly at the fresh wet soil. Our days have been busy this week so it has to wait until the weekend...but it feels good to start our own sustainable garden and to give our bodies the best we can grow :)

Zandra Rhodes and other gorgeous vintage fabrics...

Well - here they are! We have a lot of customers who like to hear about our private sale purchases or our estate collection purchases. This is part of our latest one that we purchased yesterday. I picked up 32 fabrics from a lady selling off part of her collection (we picked up quite a bit of it last year, as well) - this is termed a private sale as the seller is selling off personal items. An estate sale is when the family or legal representative of a deceased person sells off their items in keeping with the terms of a will or family wishes.

The 32 fabrics are all gorgeous and most of them quite retro - most 2 to 5 metres long. We specifically bought one on behalf of my Uncle who ADORES ADORES ADORES Zandra Rhodes. He has since the 70s and he still does today. All of the others are part of Retro Age inventory and shall be sold in the near future...but perhaps I shall have to nick a piece of Zandra from my Uncle for my own collection :)

This is a vintage 1960s sheet, never used but in need of a wash. A huge piece.

Sublime 1940s fine cotton rayon in apple green. So, so, so pretty.

The divine Zandra Rhodes.

Sheer retro purple fab print.

1930s or 1940s fine cotton with floral sprays. One of the finest cottons I have come across.

Retro wave and cloud woven polyester - very cool!

Retro mod woven fine polyester - very cool!

My personal fave - a 1940s cotton rayon - early amoeba atomic and just so rare!

You know you run a vintage fabric business when...

You know you run a vintage fabric business when....most of the fabrics in a retro kitsch soft furnishings book are either in stock or have been through these doors...:)

Believe it or not, the above fabric is the Sanderson fabric I am currently making into wallart for our entrance hall. Mine is a deep red colourway, but just as stunning...

This is Finnish fabric - but could you imagine living with all of that orange? Orange is one of my fave colours but even I couldn't live with this much!

We've had this retro fabric through our doors - looks amazing on an old suite...

I think everyone had the orange curtaining, didn't we? We've had that in stock as well as the floral...

We've had most of these in stock at some stage or another! We've had the retro drape in stock and still have a piece in a red and blue colourway - we've got the retro swirl fabric in gold, too...

Florence Broadhurst going up on ebay...

The time has come (or came and went) to take stock of the amount of fabric we have. Anyone who collects anything knows you have your 'prized' pieces, good pieces and then pieces you have just so they're part of the collection.

Or, you just sit back, survey the scene and go 'time to just sell some fabric, no matter what.'

So, today I gathered the Florence Broadhurst stock we still have from when we bought up big from Signature Prints. I gathered some more vintage fabric and have it in a pile to take shots of for ebay. Yes, ebay. I don't like ebay. Not at all. But it's the easiest place to sell quickly...bah!

So, gearing up for some auctions and a return to the ebay format for the first time in around a year, I think. Not looking forward to it but at least people will get access to fab fabric at fab lengths at fab prices.

And I have to stock the website.

And I have to work out how to put a message on the website to say 'buy now as we're closing for a break later this month'. Just for a week or so. Just so I can go under the knife and arrive back here without the gallbladder and housed stones.

I'll feel as serene as the blue chick above in recovery. Or at least that's what my Uncle says. I reckon I'll be chucking my guts up :(

Advertising Retro Age Vintage Fabrics...

Well, well - Monday already! We have had a busy weekend with our new herb garden. It's amazing once you remove the established bushes etc just how big a garden bed is. We could put a mini vegie patch into just this one bed - but a herb garden only it shall be! We went to the nursery and got a selection of herbs that I cook with - basil, chives, rosemary etc - but I can't wait to clear the rest of the garden to pop in some fresh vegies :)

We're looking to advertise the business on blogs and I have been busy looking at possible ventures, However - some people out in your land may know of some blogs looking to advertise a small square ad that would link back to the website (for Australian blogs) or link to the Etsy store (for blogs based internationally)...

If you know of some blogs - or you'd even like some advertising on your blog - drop us a line. The ad is above...nice, eh?