New in Shop

I am always looking for beautiful vintage linen tea towels that I can repurpose. Here are a few recent additions to my Etsy Shop featuring some of my finds:

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Making Something New

This weekend I made something new, a potholder. Not an earth shattering craft project by any stretch of the imagination, but I had never made one before. I made them because someone asked me to. A friend who is traveling overseas this week called me Thursday and said "I need something for my Aunt, she has an organic bakery, can you make some pot holders from vintage tea towels with Australiana on them?"

I said "yes" and I did. Now, I don't know about you, but whenever I make something specific for someone I am always a tad nervous about whether they will like it. Fortunately, she did, even deciding to give one of them to her mother in law instead:)

It also got me thinking about how I come up with new ideas of things to make. Clearly being asked is one way. I am not sure I would have come up with pot holders on my own accord. Sometimes I am inspired by things that others have made (online, magazines, at markets), like a skirt. Other times I am inspired by necessity, like headbands and hair ties (for my girls). And still other times I am inspired by the raw materials themselves (fabric, children's books) and think what can I make that will best utilize or showcase the materials, like bunting or cushion covers.

 

Regardless of how I come up with new ideas, one thing is for sure, I have more ideas than I can implement. I don't know about you, but I keep a notebook, where I write down all my ideas, and as I implement them, I fill in the details, like measurements, materials/colours used, costs for me to make etc... Why all the details? That's in case I want to make something more than once. I'm a make by the seat of my pants kinda crafter, so its usually documenting after the fact rather than before:) But documenting none the less.

So, hope you like my newest idea. My friend thinks I should make more of them for markets. I'm not convinced yet, but glad I made them at least once. So what's your newest idea and how did you come up with it? Cyndy Pin It

Op Shop Find

Yesterday, on the way to a birthday party, middle and I stopped into an op shop we frequent. I always come home with more when middle is with me and yesterday was no exception.

I am not a huge figurine fan, but we found these Japanese cold paint ones packaged up together in a bag. When middle saw the horses in the bag she was sold.

I found this koala (mama and baby) piggy bank. I used to have a real piggy bank. It was vintage, ceramic and pink, but it was stolen when our house was broken into over a couple of years ago (I was more upset that they took the pig than the change in it). I've been looking for another piggy bank to replace it. True it's not a pig, but it is pretty cute:)

And of course what would a trip to the op shop be without some books. A Nancy Drew for middle and two Enid Blyton's for me:)

Hoping you had some lovely finds this week:) Be sure to visit Flea Market Finds at Her Library Adventures to see what others have found! Cyndy Pin It

Op Shop Find - Vintage Embroidered Linens

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram you would have seen a peek of my latest op shop finds - beautiful vintage embroidered linens! I love vintage linens of all kinds, doilies, tableclothes, tea towels, hankerchiefs, pillow cases, sheets etc... Depending on their condition they can fabulous on their own, or they can be re-purposed to create something else.

I saw one of these gorgeous luncheon napkins (there were four total) and fell in love. They are so sweet and delicate looking. Littlest wants a princess party later this year for her birthday with a few of her friends and I am thinking these would be perfect at a princess tea party:)

I also found this gorgeous cross stitch table cloth. It's the standard square tablecloth size (52 inches). This rose motif is in each corner with a fuller version in the center. It was marked $3.99 but I only paid a $1 for it! Can you believe it? Clearly a great deal of time and care went into making it. It's in lovely condition so I could use it on its own, or maybe someday as part of a quilt?

And then there was this little hankerchief with a basket of flowers in the corner. My first thought was to make a dress for Miss Polly (the doll I made for littlest for Christmas this year) from it.

Oh the possibilities, now just to find the time:) Cyndy Pin It

Op Shop Finds: Vintage Cot Sheets and Pillowslips

On the way to a play date for littlest recently we stopped at one of my favourite op shops. As we pulled up to the oppy I saw what looked like a wooden doll swing sitting outside. My heart skipped a little beat. I got littlest out of the car and started heading across the parking lot and saw what every op shopper hates - someone else picking up the item you have spied! I tried to act nonchalant and to look at some of the other items sitting outside, all the while hoping the other shopper would walk away from the doll swing. But they didn't. Instead they took it inside and purchased it:(

Devastated, littlest and I went into the shop. I wasn't finding much and then I saw it. I couldn't even see the whole thing, but I knew it was a find. I pulled it out from the pile, a vintage embroidered cot sheet. I quickly sorted through the entire pile and found one more cot sheet (same as the first) and two different cot pillowslips.

The photos don't do them justice. The embroidery is so sweet!

Since we don't actually have a cot anymore, I might make pillow cases for littlest and middle from the cot sheets. Or maybe I will just look at them for a little longer:) Cyndy

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