It reached 45.5 degrees here today (113.9F). I. could. not. move. Could. not breathe. Could. not.fathom. how. it. could. get. this. hot. HORRID. But I got the energy to pop four fabrics into the Retro Age Sunday Market. I think ruched fabric has to be the hardest to photograph. If you look at the photo up close though I think you would agree it looks like a fantasy fabric landscape. Just lovely.
Not the fabric.
It was a hot day today in Victoria - and the next four or five days are going to be even hotter - 40 degrees plus. Ugh.
It's very hard to handle fabric well in the heat so I didn't do much with it today - but I did get the opportunity to add some more general stock onto the website - and some more additions to the Retro Age Sunday Market...
Lots of beautiful old rayon and synthetic blends went onto the website - the above one, in detail, is just amazing...
And then you have my favourite mod prints - I just can't get enough of them!
I am hoping our state will remain fire free tomorrow and in the coming days. We're bare, we're dry - we're hot. And there's wind. All the ingredients for another Ash Wednesday. Please no.
We have brought the Retro Age Sunday Market onto the website - well, we don't have a Sunday Market, but we've brought the whole 'market ethos', nonetheless.
The whole selling strategy we have been implementing at the Mill Markets seemed just too obvious for the website - so obvious, in fact, that we didn't think of doing it until recently. Sometimes those wonderful ideas take a very long time to come, don't they?
Even though it's Monday we've launched the Retro Age Sunday Market today - there's going to be a tonne of fabric in there within the next week or so and I managed to get around eight up today. There are bargains to be had!
The Retro Age Sunday Market only has fabrics by the piece - not be the half yard/metre etc - so most of the fabrics are very long and intact, as found. For example - the piece pictured at the top of this post is a silky georgette, 510cm long and it's only $35.00. Postage is free Australia-wide.
There shall be an eclectic mix of fabrics in our Market. Knits, wovens, cottons - we hope there will always be something new to look at and offered at market prices so everyone has the opportunity to grab a genuine vintage fabric bargain!
We have been busy little bees recently. Here is a small serving of our vintage fabric brooches - this set is made with lovely 1940s marone wool challis.
We have made four brooches, each with their own print and unique style...
The brooches truly look so lovely on - they are 4cm (1.5") wide and made with metal bases and matching metal pin.
The one above is my favourite out of the set - I love the rich colours and the hint of the nouveau design :)
We are nearing the third day of a long weekend here - it's Australia Day celebrations and we're all out and about loving the nice weather. As you know, I decided towards the end of last year to focus on spending as much time together enjoying ourselves as a family unit and spending 'family' days together to experience life and all it has to offer...
We have had a huge two days and are thoroughly exhaused - but just so happy and satisfied! Firstly, we got up at 5.3am to drive two hours to the famous Fryerstown Antiques and Collectables Fair in Frystersown, Victoria. As per usual, we got a little lost, but made it there at around 8.30am, thinking we were early...however it opened at 7am and there was cars everywhere and it was FULL of people. The town usually only has a population of 150 and welcomes around 30,000 visitors to this far over three days. It was wonderful - dusty, packed and I felt like a sardine - but there was everything to buy you could ever want. Vintage fabric? Nah - not much leftover by the time we got there - walked away with four pieces after dealers had already picked through on the 'not open' Friday :)
We left Fryerstown before it got too crowded and hot and drove to Chewton and Castlemaine to have a look around. We also had a lovely time in Daylesford - only the second time I had ever been through. We looked through the Mill Markets and had lunch and went down by the lake...it was a lovely stop to feed the ducks...
Today was also jam packed with a drive down the Great Ocean Road to Wye River (well - we were going to Wye River - but couldn't get a park - so we beached at Separation River instead)...there was fun to be had by all and it was perfect beach weather. Not hot, not cold - not much wind - in fact, darn near perfect. My Mum even loved it...amazing! Even tried to sun those lily white arms of hers :)
After a full two days driving here and there, laughing our little heads off and running after two very excited (and now tired) boys we are sorry to be back...but rejuvenated, mind you. It's amazing what getting away for a couple of days does for you...
Wonderful family memories...wonderful days...
Obviously hopelessly unfinished - but a fun work in progress, nonetheless. It is part of the Land of Remnant and Offcut series - this is Ms Shirley's house in the woods. Ms Shirley is elusive, with a questionable past, but a woman who prefers her own company instead of that of others :).
I know I've already posted today - but I thought you may like to know we popped another five auctions on ebay tonight - all are available worldwide, with free postage Australia-wide. Isn't last last piece a cracker?
Here are some photos of the old fabrics we have popped aside for the buttons. Although now I am thinking vintage fabric notebooks - or swatch books? - may be cute, as well. Until I have a spare moment they shall sit there waiting for their sorting to be complete...oh my...
Here are some close ups of my favourite prints. Aren't the blue bows just gorgeous? And the black mod trees (or clouds?) below always gets to me...
There are a tonne of original polka dot and herringbone fabrics in the most divine colours - they will looks super as little buttons. I love the thought they are all original fabrics - perfect for designs who have a mid-century aesthetic...
The pieces are all rectangle, triangle or square - more than likely chopped for quilting - but, of course, never used. One of my other favourite prints is in the pic below - the red cherry. So of its time...
More ebay auctions going up soon :)
Am I a glutton for punishment? At 9.41pm I am wondering if I am. I decided to start popping some fabrics onto ebay tonight and shall keep it going for a while. I figure if we're offering some fabrics on the website and at the Mill Markets why not good ol' ebay, too? There are no double ups, either - the fabric is only for sale in one spot...so ebay fabric is just ebay fabric, for now! Above is a stunning pinwale cord...and there are four more lovelies below. If you'd like to view the auctions click on the link on the left nav bar :)...and we're offering the fabrics with free postage in Australia, too!
Black and white mod paisley...
Romantic rose barkcloth
Beautiful mod cotton velveteen...
Lovely lolly pink synthetic crepe...
I have a little conundrum. I was hoping to have the intelligence to work out how to do a Blogger Poll and ask you all about button sizes and set numbers you would prefer - but every time I do it and save all it says is the poll has finished or has been deleted. Blogger gremlins, methinks...
I have around 600 small pieces of 1930s-1940s cotton we want to use in our buttons. All of the sizes we make are popular - but the standouts are the small 2cm sets of six and the large 4cm sets of two.
Another one of my facourite blogs is True Up - all things modern and vintage fabric! I found Kim on her other personal blog after she gave birth to the gorgeous little Otto and have followed True Up from the start. It's a wonderful blog about all things fabric - there's great weekly themes, some great interaction with readers and Kim's always on the beat with fabric forward designs, history and the 'who is who' of the fabric industry worldwide. A fab - and highly recommended! - read...
The lovely blog Good Gracie is a wonderful read if you love fabric and craft - and who doesn't? We have been enjoying adapting bag patterns to see what bags we can produce - and producing a funky shopping bag is definitely on the list. There's a fab tutorial on Good Gracie if you've got some fab fabric or a teatowel, a sewing machine and a love for our earth :)
We have had a lot of customers and followers of the blog email us about the stock we have been filling our Mill Markets stall up with and if they can in any way purchase it. Thank you for your interest! The Mill Market stock is sold by the entire piece instead of per half metre/yard, per pattern repeat etc so there are some really good buys - so I can understand the interest...
Fabric 3266 above and below (and top of blog) - This piece is a super rare mod jersey fabric in a rich midnight blue, white and yellow colourway - not as dark or as rich as what is pictured. It's basically a t-shirt weight cotton with very little stretch. The piece measures 134cm wide x 218cm long and is $22. Postage for this piece in Australia will be $6.00. Photos show close ups and half width.
Fabric 3265 above and below - fabulous vintage medium weight cotton knit in a colourway a little different from what is pictured - the lighting was really off today! The base is a pale grey and the motifs are charcoal grey and warm grey/blue - a hard colour to describe! The fabric measures a massive 140cm wide x 316 cm long and is $25.00AUD. Photos show half of the width and a close up. Postage for this piece within Australia is $11.00.
Fabric 3264 above and below - This is a modern fabric and is a cotton blend with a slight give on the width. It is a deep navy blue and white colourway (deeper than pictured) and measures 88cm wide x 305cm long and is $17.00. Postage around Australia would be $6.00. Photos show half of the width and a close up.
Fabric 3263 above and two below: This is a light cotton (with perhaps a light blend) and it has a white base with deep navy polka dots - sorry it looks a little blue-ish! The dots measure 2cm wide. The piece is a huge 108cm wide x 4m long and is $20. Postage around Australia is $11.00. Photos show half of the width and close ups.
Fabric 3262 above and two below: Once again the camera didn't pick these colours up correctly - it's actually a black base with white flowers and rich mustard centres...sorry for the lightining! It's a light voile and is the last of a bolt - it has bolt tape marks on the end and some storage marks in the middle that are literally just dust. The fabric measures 90cm wide x 250cm long and is $20.00. Postage for this Australia-wide would be $3.00. Photos show half of the width and close ups.
Lots more to come in the coming days and weeks - and new arrivals on the website later!
