Frugal Finds -Garage Sales

Audra over at The Frugal Missus inspired me with her post yesterday about her thrifty finds. I’ve been haunting op shops lately (ooooh how spookily appropriate for Halloween) So with a hot day forecast I was out early scouting garage sales.

First sale I scored a car play mat in excellent nick for about 10 % of the cost of a new one and a pottery casserole dish that looked like it had never been used. I’m doing a gorgeously frugal Christmas this year and both these items will be gifts.

Second sale had a fabulous garden bench but I couldn’t work out how to get it home so I regretfully left it there. I’m gonna kick myself sometime later today unless one of you would like to come over and do it for me.

Third sale was retro fabric heaven. These aprons are going to look soooooooooo cute in my quilts. I bought 4 aprons for a dollar each. Score! They’re almost too pretty to cut up. I am totally in love with old people who NEVER throw anything away.

When I walked in and saw this vintage pink chenille, it took all my tact not to shove everyone out of the way screaming “It’s mine- It’s mine” . When I explained to the guy that I collect vintage chenille he started to tell me how they had sold another one unopened still in it’s packet and never used and I started sobbing uncontrollably. (Well actually I didn’t-but I told him I felt like it)

I stopped in at my favourite op shop on the way back. They almost always have something to tempt me into parting with my hard earned cash. Today was no exception, three material pieces in green floral , yellow floral and black butterflies – around 2.5 metres of material for 4 bucks. More material for string quilts!

 

I get so excited about vintage fabric.

I also picked up 2 unusual glass bottles for the bathroom, and a cut glass butter dish (I have been looking for one of these for AGES) for the grand sum of $5.00. The ladies that volunteer in my favourite op shop are always so pleasant and never mind me rabbiting on about what I’m planning to do with my finds. Their prices are totally awesome as well.

(  Butter sold separately)

Thrifty Décor Chick has a great post on her blog at the moment called Perfect. For anyone who has ever strived to make their house “perfect” I encourage you to read it. It’s great stuff and really resonated with me.

On the down side while I was out this morning my car started  screeching at me to “Check Power train”. I’d check it if I knew what it was, so now I’m waiting for Mr. Pyjamas  to get home. Whatever it is, from the intensity of the dashboard flashing lights and alarms it’s probably not good.

I'm off to take my fabric off the line and do some sewing.

Have a fabulous Halloween weekend.

Past Glories- String Quilt

One of my goals this year was to only use vintage, recycled or pre-loved fabric for quilting creations. I just feel it's more ecologically sustainable, the fabric is generally cheaper, and my quilts end up looking really unique (assuming I finish them)

I was given some vintage sheet fat quarters earlier in the year  and I was totally hooked.  I started haunting op shops with the zeal of a cult member and muttering about old sheets in my sleep. At last count I had about 40 vintage  sheets stacked (read - hidden) in my sewing room.

Anyway after I had made a quilt top from vintage sheets I had loads of scraps left over . I mused (since musing is one thing I do really well) about what to do with fabric that was too good to throw away - and since Google is my friend discovered there is a whole movement out there that makes string quilts. Sign me up!

I finished this one two weeks ago and I love it. It's also backed with a vibrant pink floral vintage sheet and I turned the backing over to the front to make the binding.

The idea of string quilts really appeals to me and there are so many possibilities. It was during the making of this one that I realised I'm a random quilter. I'm not into precision and form and complications. I kinda like to make it up as I go along.

Past Glories -Butterfly quilt

Since my blog is new and I won't have any crafty goodness to show until my next quilt is finished I thought I would share  some of my previous work. I'm not a prolific quilter by any means so when I actually get something finished it's quite an achievement!

The quilt below was made for my sister for Christmas three years ago- a collaborative effort between me and my Mum.

          

It started off as a wall hanging for my house, then we re-painted, and it sadly didn't match the house anymore.  It sat in my spare room unfinished for about 18 months.  My Mum said "If we did 3 more of those panels, and a border and some sashing we could give it to Liane!" (Sure - it's a walk in the park)

My sister had previously seen it as a partially finished project and joked "Hey can you make me one of those but in bed size?"

I hand cut and hand appliqued all the butterflies, machine sewed those feelers on,  sewed them into panels and did the border (which you can't see very well in any of these pictures)

Mum hand quilted it together, and we sent it to my sister, who cried on Christmas morning when she opened it.

I stil have some of those hand cut butterflies left over and when I get over my applique phobia I'll think of something cute to to do with them.

Fairy Bread

In my childhood a party wasn't complete without fairy bread.  The fairy bread always disappeared before everything else. Sometimes your Mum had to whip into the kitchen mid party and make more to satisfy the hungry hoardes.

It's a simple concept. Bread, butter and hundreds and thousands.

In a world where kid's parties mean bouncing castles, performing clowns, four tier birthday cakes and professionally catered food, fairy bread seems to have gone out of fashion. Fairy bread is too simple for our complex world.

In my adulthood, I'm trying to live my life like it's fairy bread. Simply, cheerfully and frugally. Join me on my adventure.