Vintage fabric sale start tomorrow night...

Do you like our new little avatar/advertisement? Cute, isn't it...

We shall be starting the first Wednesday night sale tomorrow night. We shall choose a selection of fabric to go on sale, with various savings to be had. Don't forget - postage is free Australia-wide, too!

So - we've decided the fabrics shall go on sale on Wednesday nights and be rotated each Wednesday to keep things all routine-like :)

Vintage fabric weekly sale...

We've decided to have weekly vintage fabric sales on the website - it's one of the parts of the website we always forget about...so this is one way we can keep a momentum on the fabric rotation while offering you great deals...

Ideally we want to put a selection of fabric on sale at the same time each week - say, same night, same time. Any preferences? Not Friday or Saturday - but perhaps Sunday is good or Tuesday perhaps?

Any ideas?

Vintage 1950s atomic amoeba cotton crepe (barkcloth)

Genuine vintage 1950s atomic amoeba cotton crepe (barkcloth). Super rare, super gorgeous and just so, so, so collectable.

Available here.

Sticking with what you want and need...

Do you get days when you're just so tired you just can't seem to beat it? Don't know what it is - maybe it's too much suger (ahem), laughter or my late nights catching up with me...either way, bed early and not even bothering to read...

Still uploading onto the website - the subscription newsletter I am producing daily is quite fun and it puts people right in touch with the new arrivals ASAP. I think it also motivates me to make sure we offer something new to look at as often as possible...but, then again, you may get sick of the emails :) - we'll see...

We bought an amazing piece of fabric today - an original 1950s atomic barkcloth with amoeba print. Totally rare and totally cool. Can't stop looking at it. It's like a newborn :). Even after all of this time - selling thousands of fabrics and surrounded by thousands more - I still get a thrill out of seeing and touching a gorgeous print.

I hope that never changes :)

Carlton Ware and Pt Lonsdale - the good, the bad and the ugly...

The day started out with exactly five cups of my favourite Carlton Ware coffee set that sits in our dining room. I know, I know - only five cups, but I am always living in hope I shall come across a sixth cup (I have all of the saucers). In a spin I decided to dust at 7.20am while Gabriel was having his breakfast and Logan was finishing his. Yes, I am nuts - but I seize opportunity when I can! I picked up the cups as I normally would and...

...now I have four cups. In one INSTANT Gabriel dropped something and Logan decided to throw his Spiderman bouncy ball in the kitchen and I turned...and dropped...and watched slo mo as my cup hit the dining table, the handle broke off and it slid to the ground, utterly dejected and broken. So, the day didn't start off that well at all...

...but it got better with a quick visit to the Surf Coast - Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale, in particular. We are making an effort to have as many family days as possible to relax and enjoy each others company...after our 'annus horribilus' we realise family time is very important.

So, after the Carlton Ware went off to crockery heaven we visited a piece coastal heaven and had a fabulous day :). It's so good to get away 'from it all' :)

Learning the art of a new digital camera...and a visit to the beach...

Sorry to all you folk waiting for shots of fabrics we have here - I am getting there! I had a really good play with my new digital camera today - lots of shots of the fabric out in the sun enjoying itself :) - thus far I am happy with the shots, so I am getting to customer requests tomorrow...

We had such a lovely day today. The weather is starting to break now it's Spring, so the sun was out and about today and it was quite warm. Lots of wind, though - the wind is a new thing here in the last 10 years, but the more our global weather goes out of whack, the more wind we have here. Sometimes they're huge winds, too...


I have lots to do with the remainder of the year. I am DETERMINED to get our stock up on the site. Determined, I say. So I am now starting to push myself to get as much fabric listed when I can (I procrastinate...really, really well...)...and I want to finish our herb garden, vegie patch and also do a 'front fence'. Can't decide what type of fence though - but a 'retro kitsch' one in keeping with the house is looking good - lots of rubble, little boulders, moss etc


I didn't procrastinate today but we did take some lovely time out and drove a big 10 mins to hit the beach. We only stayed an hour or so but gee it was a lovely time. The surf was up, the people were out and the kiddies had a great 'ol' time. Logan went dressed in his new Sportacus (Lazy Town) costume and thoroughly enjoyed getting it wet for Mum to wash :)

And on a wonderful note, dear Gabriel started to crawl today. He has been cruising all week and we thought he was going to walk instead of crawl but, no, he decided to start crawling around today. It must have been the beach air. It was his first time at the beach and he loved it :) Ate and slept, but loved it nonetheless...

New vintage fabric new arrival subscriber list...finally!

We've finally found an email subscriber functionality that we can use - and that doesn't cost the earth! We've added in the link on the left side of this blog, right up the top - and also onto the splash page of the website.

We're using this subscription service for new arrivals to the website - so, if you want to know when something is listed - this is the way to find out!

Have a great weekend!

Would you?

When you leave your child at kindy you leave them in the care of kindy teachers/carers. You trust in them that your child's day will be safe and happy and carefree. You trust in them your child will not be taken aback by things outside of the ordinary. You trust that your child's last week in kindy forever will be a nurturing one, knowing he is fragile emotionally and understanding the big wide world is out there and he is coming out into it with primary school.

What you don't give permission for - nor expect - is for another parent to not just chide your son, but tell them off, for throwing their daughters expensive toy around. What you don't expect is for that parent to repeatedly tell your son he was bad. What you don't expect is for that parent to get furious in front of your child and raise their voice at them.

You see, some twit of a parent allowed their beloved daughter to take a very expensive and special toy to kindy. Most of the kids take a toy every now and then - a comfort thing, a show off thing, a camaraderie thing. But most parents know not to take expensive or special toys - just the run of the mill that is not missed if lost or broken.

But this parent allowed her daughter to take this toy. And my son played with it. And the Mother didn't like that. Repeatedly told Logan it wasn't his toy. And then he made the mistake of throwing it back at the daughter, scared. Naughty.

He has come home quiet, sad and scared, so he says. She scared him. He was in his comfort zone and she scared the crap out of him - and his carers didn't act swiftly enough. His final week of kindy has been marred by a STUPID parent over a STUPID toy which my son thought fun to play with. A stuffed toy. And being a boy he threw it, thinking it fun if his buddy caught it.

Shame on you, Petra's Mum. Shame on you.

To celebrate end of vintage fabric stocktake - free postage!

I can't believe we have finished. Finished. Stocktake. I have measured and booked and double checked and numbered and signed off and ticked every. single. fabric. we have for sale.

I am overjoyed and elated. All of a sudden the stocktake scarf carried over my shoulder for the past three or so weeks has listed and I feel lighter, happier and just so much more in control. Yee-har.

Now that stocktake is finished we are in celebration mode. Mild celebration - a baileys or two is in order (still feeding :) - but so is an offer of free postage Australia-wide...:) Yep, there you have it - free postage on the website starting as of five mins ago...and if you've made an order within the last few days we're refunding the postage to you, too...

Now I am able to focus on uploaded new arrivals. These photos are some that went up on the site today - there are around 17 in total at the moment....with lots more to come! To view the new arrivals click here.

We are working on extending our line, too - but more of that in another post....stay tuned :)

Have a fab week!

Follow Retro Age!

Blogger has got a new widget thingie. Take a lookee on the top left corner - you'll see a link to follow this blog. So, if you want to stay in touch, follow (stalk) away! Take your laptop outside, sit under your fave tree and catch up on blogland...

Have a great weekend :)

Vintage fabric and the fledgling photographer

It's amazing what happens when your five-year old gets a whiff you'll be upgrading your camera soon. All of a sudden he's decided to take shots of what he sees and what he gets up to - I couldn't help but share some lovelies with you tonight :) - above is our Nikken water system - lovingly referred to as R2-D2.

Above: 1950s pouffe - just starting to come apart so I have to get cracking and fix it...I love it!

Above: One side of the loungeroom...that's a wallart featuring Coppice by Mary White. One of my favourite pieces in the entire house.

Above: Fruit bowl. Yummy bananas!

Above: Mr Potato Head meets 1940s rayon being ironed....

Above: Dining room light fixture - it goes up and down - what a shame we don't play poker :)

Above: Tupperware animals on the floor...

Above: Study of Big Red tomato sauce....

Above: A headless Batman...

We have also uploaded five fabrics today - here they are below...you can view them here.

Vintage fabric arriving on the website soon...

These photos show some of the stock I FINALLY took shots of to pop up on the website this week - pieces range from 1960s retro, 1950s rayon, couture silk, Thai silk, novelty pieces - lots to choose from. Thus far I've photographed 20 pieces and hope to start putting them up when I return from a quick getaway tomorrow :)

Annus horribilis - no more!

Yes - we are here. Kind of. Loitering about. More like rushing about. As lots of our lovely customers know I am now referring to 2008 as our annus horribilis (thanks Queen Elizabeth!) - but now I have named it that I am also saying I think we're over the hump and moving forward.

Illness has stalked us this year, particularly me (gallstones) and now Gabriel - sick for more than seven weeks, but now hopefully on the road to the glorious recovery. It seems like I have talked so much about illness...that's how much it's played a role in our lives this year - and, as many of you know, we are not like that! We are go-getters, determined and quite healthy individuals...

Too tired for a complete update (Gabriel is up again, poor man), so have selected some photos of our life...

Above: The room that gives me solace - our piano room (no piano, it was termed that as it is glassed on two sides and has double brick or something or other) - note vases and such are not displayed as I have been moving stuff around, as usual :). I like sitting in here at night. It's so quiet and snug.

Below: Happy Father's Day from Logan :) His other hand is holding Daddy's - sooo cute...


Below: We are still trying to finish our stocktake. When we moved we had drums and drums of fabric and I stupidly unpacked it all when we got them out of storage. Now the fabric is just stacked. Lots on bolts, but just stacked...

Photo below: Ugh...more stacks...don't ask how much we have not in the website, either - it's embarrassing :)


Below: Our sleeping angel, Gabriel - ill at home, asleep on the couch, being looked after by Nanny...

Below: Gabriel just before getting sick again...loved his food! Now we're back to square one with Weetbix :)

Below: My topsy-turvy life - and my favourite cup and my fave drink, coffee - I feel like this in the morning, I can tell you!

Below: We have toys EVERYWHERE. They are driving me nuts - and we have a playroom for the kids...but that isn't working!


Below: Logan and I backed up a storm and made Mummy and Daddy sleeping in bed...well, that's what I was thinking, anyway. He thought they were two kids lying down on a rug looking at what pictures/shapes the clouds are making...

New arrivals going up soon - I promise!