Birthdaypalooza

It's my birthday today. I still feel like I'm 25, except I'm quite sure that I'm most definitely not 25.

Here's an old photo I found from my 5th Birthday.... (I know that because I counted the candles)

.... and here's the exact same tablecloth on my dining table 33 years later (I'm sure you can do the math)!

It has quite a few holes (hence the strategically placed centrepiece).

I can't believe my mum held onto it for so long. She gave it to me as it was holey and she thought I might like to cut it up for crafting. But I think I might just keep it for birthdays instead.

So far, birthdaypalooza has consisted of clothes shopping, op shopping, coffee drinking and lots and lots of talking and eating.

I'm only half way through my plans.... still lots more fun to go!

Making a tablecloth out of an errrrrrrr..... tablecloth?

I had a major dilemma over the long weekend (because craft is really truly important you know)....

I needed to whip up a super-quick no fuss fitted tablecloth, to fit over the coffee table that sits under my cabinet at Big House Collective.

I stood in front of my fabric stash for a while, and then glanced at the stack of vintage tablecloths and had one of those AHA moments (with apologies to all the Oprah fans in the audience).

Why not use a tablecloth to make a tablecloth... intelligent yes?

It's currently being modelled by a table which is completely the wrong size, but I hope you get the basic idea.

After I was all finished, I was then hit with a second dilemma, initiated by my hoarding gene.

There were small offcuts.... of vintage tablecloth.... I couldn't possibly throw them away....

So the coffee table now has a matching sunnies case.... just in case it's sunny?

Tablecloth Love

Do you remember that I mentioned that I bought myself a couple of lovely vintage tablecloths last weekend?

Well, I had a little mini panic attack thismorning when I realised that I couldn't find them!

But disaster averted. Suprisingly, they were exactly where I'd dumped them when I unpacked the car.

Now to decide just what to do with them (they're far too pretty for spilling food on)!

In preparation

With less than two weeks to go before my next market, it's probably time to get sewing to make sure that I'm fully prepared.

One lovely 100% linen tablecloth + straps = handbag.

Op Shop Sunday / Fleamarket Finds

I find it a bit weird to use the word fleamarket (sorry if I'm offending anyone but we don't have fleamarkets in Australia) and I just don't like fleas......

What I do like is Op Shops!

I could only manage a teeny tiny quick visit to one oppy this week, where I found a very lovely cross stitched tablecloth - with absolutely no stains (a  minor miracle) for the princely sum of $1.

I also found myself a very nice skirt, and nearly fell over when I saw that it was priced at $20! It went straight back on the rack.

Visit Sophie to see many more gorgeous oppy finds this week.

Ahhh... now that's better

I should have been making brooches and gadget pouches thisafternoon....

But I just had to whip this up instead....

Beautiful linen tablecloth outer courtesy of Stacey, teamed with my one of my favourite op shop finds of all time (vintage floral bedspread), and some random offcuts of binding for straps.

Now my new pens are very happy!

The first prototype

It seems like I've been playing around with bits of pieces of crochet tablecloth and doileys forever, but I think I've finally settled on a new brooch - Vintage tablecloth teamed with a simple Vintage Button.

It seems a bit too much like 'understated elegance' for me.

Loot Glorious Loot - Day 5

Today's Loot Glorious Loot is sitting on the ironing board.... although it's pretty easy to see now that the iron hasn't been anywhere near it yet!

It's a beautiful Australian Birds tablecloth that I recieved in the mail from Stacey last week.

I'm not sure what I'm going to use it for just yet. It's in fabulous condition - I would love to try to incorporate the birds into a large handbag... just need to think about it a bit more first.

Thankyou so much Stacey

More looters to be found at Tinniegirl