Flea Market Finds

My vintage sheet collection is really getting out of control ... to the point where I have to seriously think about what to do with what I've got and about collecting.

My stash? Two stacks high of about 2-3 feet! Truly.


There's lots of stuff in there including a few heavy white cotton sheets for backing and flannelette for winter (or softies). The striped single sheet (mainly pink facing) is in fantastic condition and I'm keeping the purple floral for winter for my bed.


I've also managed to collect a small stash of pillow cases. I like the ones on the top and further down I've a picture of my favourites on my bed.


This is all the stuff under the pillow cases and white sheets ... and I have to call almost of them favourites. Most are in good or better condition, and many are a little faded. But there are gems. Check out the jade blue near the top and the pink towards the bottom.


I've got a few older sheets, lots of good stripes, which I love and stuff from the 1970s. Some are ordinary looking 1980s or more recent patterns that I'm thinking about passing alone. The single bed set on the top is gorgeous and will be gracing Miss W's bed when she visits at Christmas.


I have a few choices re what to do next ... and I just can't think about about stopping soon because I love looking for sheets too much. Next year making a quilt is very high on the list of my plans ... again. This year I just actually have to achieve it. Other options including swaps and maybe becoming the first Australian on Made It to sell vintage sheet fat quarters?

Until I make up my mind I'm using some of the stash on my bed ... as well as stuff I deliberately picked up for my bed.


I love these pillow cases and these sheets are favourites I'm keeping. (It's kinda interesting my favourites tend to be from the 1980s and 1990s).


These 1980s sheets are also a favourite and sit really well with the white floral embroidered doona cover I found a few months ago. (Sorry about the unmade bed).


And lastly my favourite I picked up yesterday ... for the princely sum of $6 at Vinnies. Beautifully stylish and so 1980s! LOL


I'm off to visit Sofie at Her Library Adventures for lots more Flea Market loveliness.

Ruby Tuesday

My Ruby Tuesday posts are starting to look as if I spent my time bouncing between graffiti and the second hand store Lost & Found … because this week we’re back to Lost & Found again to admire the numerous examples of red to be found.

This most recent visit to Lost & Found happened after an amazing lunch with friends at the Napier Hotel. I’d been lucky enough that day to spend a very pleasant morning with a couple of friends touring second hand stores in the Fitzroy area, and after lunch I promised them the treat of scouring through Lost & Found to admire the vintage goodness.

So what did we see … because I didn’t buy anything?

Would you like ice with your whisky? Or maybe a boiled egg?


We seem to have salt and a lovely kettle to make a nice cup of tea.


And our choice of teapots and tea cosies to keep the tea warm.


We could always fill a thermos full of tea and have a picnic.


Especially if I was able to bake a cake ... it looks as though we have flour and sugar and maybe there's a little butter, eggs or milk somewhere close?


If I can't find any I could ride my bike to the store.


In my favourite red hat.


And something red to wear ... of course.


But I can't decide whether I should bring everything home in this red bag,


or maybe eggs would be safer in this red basket.


Of course I can't go to the store without making sure I have the right accessories ... and everything's neatly displayed on a red background to best effect.


And when we sit down and relax under this beautiful red lamp,


we can enjoy our cake and tea, and watch the children play on this gorgeous rocking horse.


Thank you for visiting and I hope you'll come again ... go visit Mary T for lots more.

Flea Market Finds

Mr H has a much better eye than me for stuff ... he actually picks over a place and finds the most amazing things.

This is one of those things.

She's so beautiful and I always wonder whether she was painted here or if someone visited Eritrea and brought her home with them. A nice thought either way.


For lots more flea market finds ... visit Sophie at Her Library Adventures.

Friday knitting pattern

It's always interesting choosing a pattern book each week ... basically the most common patterns around are the 70s (which are almost all identical especially the Patons books) and the 1980s (which I'm not particularly fond of knitting wise--eek to big shoulder pads!).

But I made an exception this week with this pattern book put out by the Australian Wool Corporation. I thought the Wool Corporation was created in the 1960s, but fortunately I checked and it turns out it was created in 1973 as a single marketing oriented body to facilitate research, promotion and marketing ... and knitting patterns.


Wool has always been important to Australia. It's always been one of our more important natural resources, and it was as early as 1796 when John Macarthur bought his first merino sheep from a flock of Spanish merino reared in South Africa. Apparently at the time farmers also bought merino sheet but they cross-bred them with other sheep which resulted in coarse wool of a low quality.


I quite like the warm cardi but those pants look evil ... anybody for S&M?


This is totally my favourite. It fits my love of 40s frocks perfectly.


Do you have a favourite? And do you remember the patterns put out by the Wool Corporation?

My Creative Space

I'm still working on baby things, baby hats really ... and concentrating on learning how to knit on dpns. I'm actually loving it, the more so as it becomes easier.


This week's effort ... I started this totally cute winter's hate for a 9-12 month old.


And it's so exciting because Baby H has arrived and will be wearing hthe baby version sometime soon.

Over to kootoyoo ... lots more gorgeous creative spaces happening there.

What's Hot & What's Not

It’s the second last time I’ll be looking back over the year that was … looking at how I’ve done against my New Year’s Plans for 2010 and what I need to work on.

It’s sad because there’s so little time left but I’m more excited than sad. Excited about what the new year will bring, excited about what my plans should be for the new year. I’m just excited really!

So what’s been hot or not for the last month?

What’s been Hot.

Exercise more. I’ve been sad because there’s no more Pilates until next year and my body misses it, but it’s encouraging me to get back to walking the stairs and be more focussed on my exercise regime. I’m glad to see it’s doing just that. It’s amazing how much better I feel when I’ve exercised and how my body and my mood misses it when I don’t.

Cook more. That’s been its usual total failure for the family but something I’ve noticed has been happening is how much better I am at making breakfast and lunch for myself at work, and how much better my blood sugar has been because of that.

Spend more time with friends and family. Pluses and minuses here. I was tired and lacking in energy for part of the month but in general I’m spending far more time on balance with friends than family. And, unlike the last decade or more, I didn’t visit Ballarat to take my niece Miss T to the Show … but she’s now more interested in spending time with her friends for activities like that than her aunt and it’s time to start a new tradition. Maybe the movies?

Finish 5 craft projects. I’m still doing well working my way through the baby items for Baby H, who arrived a couple of weeks ago. I have a small stash of stuff to send and I’m working on two or three final things before I send them before Christmas. I’ll share photos before I send them or maybe after they’ve arrived. I know my Auntie M watches this space!

What’s Not been Hot.

Renovate. No joy still on the renovations front but Reverse Finds is coming along nicely although there’s still so much to be done. My stash of vintage sheets is huge and I have to think what to do about that (like use it maybe?) and I have all sorts of bits and pieces I should put together for a giveaway. Stay tuned.

Next month I’m planning to wrap up the year and look at how my life has changed over the year, and where things have improved. I haven’t used the various individual retrospectives to develop a bigger picture and I’m looking forward to seeing how far I’ve come.

See you in a month’s time.

Ruby Tuesday

I met up with a friend for dinner last week at Hu Tong dumpling bar in China Town and after a sumptuous dinner of dumplings (I love the chilli dumplings), Jo and I took a wander along Paynes Place and Croft Alley to view the street art.


I've made mention of Melbourne's embracing of street art and I'm proud ofliving in a city that understands art in its widest sense.


Not only understands it but embraces it.


So much so the City of Melbourne allows building owners and other to register street art.


I think this really encourages street artists to do their best, and for their art to improve in quality and scope.


You can see all the street art here registered at STA25 ... and it's in the tiniest space.


And another Debs ... a little light for red but it's still there.


And what could be more fitting to close this post: don't ban the can ... except for those annoying taggers!

Lots more glorious rubyness over at Work of the Poet ... check it out.