MPAY It's easy being Green!

Vic over at Punky and Me has a green My Place and Yours Meme happening this week. That's easy for me! Green is my favourite colour. I love picking up pretty green things.
My camera didn't want to pick the green nicely so I tried to brighten it up a bit to be more true to life but it's a bit dodgy, sorry.

Yesterday i found these beautiful green damask table napkins at an oppy.

I have green on my overlocker and i even put on a green tee to wear today. Purely coincidental.

Most walls in the living areas of the house are painted pale green. I like the peacefulness of it. In a house ful of people, I need the serenity! In the front room green features heavily. I know, it looks like a Nannas house, right? That was the plan!

And while I'm sharing, yesterday I also picked up this little table cloth with a crochet edge, made from two souvenir tea towels stitched together. Made by some clever Nanna. Note even my vinyl sunroom floor is speckled green (the walls that are painted are cream) and my favourite vintage card table top is gorgeous textured speckled green too.

Green, green, green, green green.  It's cool, fresh, spring, vibrant and peaceful. Love it!

My pretties..

 I'm joining in with Flea Market Finds over at Her Library Adventures again this week.
Last weekend after being up early to take DH to work, I took a quick look at the garage sales on Gumtree and saw that the lady from 2 weeks ago was having another sale. Definitely worth a second look! So I called my partner in grime (it's rather dirty in her old garage) and my sister and i headed off there again. Followed by another stop at Cross Road Collectables and a couple of drive-by garage sales, one of which turned out to be a great White Elephant run by the local Irish dancing club!
First, the repeat garage sale pickings. all for $15.  A pretty lustre vase that is perfect with a bit of junk jewellery I picked up.

 The teacup and saucer aren't a pattern match but the same maker and similar colour and style. The tea strainer is sweet too.

 Love this cute little vintage handbag and the lovely old vase. It has some serious damage but can't be seen too much from the front.

 I love the leaf and berry frame on this tapestry and the colours are perfect for my walls.

 Maybe I should start cleaning things before taking pics?

 From the Irish Dancers garage sale in their hall I picked up some clothing items such as a suede jacket, red vintage jacket, wetsuit, shirt, blouse and a tee. All were only .50c each! As well as a few other items such as the turquoise oval pyrex dish. The little bisque praying girl and milk glass candle holder are from Cross Road Collectables and perfect for my little white display.

This tin was one my sis found for me at the first garage sale. The plastic leaf and rose bowl from the Irish Dancers and the buttons from Cross Road Collectables.

 This large still life has a lovely frame and subject matter, quite lovely in real life. Another lady politely mentioned she had wanted it too, admiring our good taste, so I graciously let her have it even though it was in my hot little hands, but she wasn't prepared to pay $5 for it so she graciously gave it back to me! lol!

My Sis spotted this acorn and oakleaf frame at Cross Road Collectables for me and it is the perfect foil for the little squirrel acorn vase I picked up a few weeks ago.

Last week I came across some youtube clips on using buttonholers and automatic zig-zaggers so I thrilled to pick these up at Cross road Collectables for $17 with the box of extra cams, and the old Home Journal comes complete with vintage patterns.

And of course how could I leave this little beauty behind one more time? I think that will have to be it for me and sewing machines for quite a while. I might be able to re-home a few less special models.

 And this gorgeous rose wall plaque from CRC. It needs a little tlc as a petal fell off but I can fix that in no time! The crock pot I was lucky to pick up for $1 as the kids broke a glass lid to mine last year.

I took pics of what my sister bought too. I keep telling her to write her own blog, lol, but here's her haul for the day: The tiger and mother of pearl box from CRC and the rest from the repeat garage sale.

The Pepper book, vintage greeting cards and cottage painted plate from CRC. Tins, saucer, frame and shelf from the garage sale.

And I do believe that is it! Thanks for looking.

Denim upcycled pencil case.

Having left things to the last minute as per usual, last night, the night before my daughter started High School, I finally made her this pencil case. I had to wait for her to get home from school before taking pics so it is fully loaded!  The main structure is from the legs of an old pair of jeans, chopped off, split open and one seam removed. I also cut a piece of the cute  bunny and strawberry fabric for one side over a denim interior.

The outside pocket came from another pair of my daughters cargo capris. Who would bother going to the trouble of making one from scratch when all the hard work is done for you? I chose an old metal tooth zip from my zip basket so it would be nice and sturdy. And of course the whole thing is machine washable.

I stitched up along the old jean seam to make a divided case with two pockets, one for pens and pacers etc, the other for colour pencils and such. The outside pocket is for the math kit and calculator. I didn't sew all the way up the dividing line and that then left enough space by the zip to fit in a ruler if desired. Without the ruler, it can fold over along the dividing line. (Rough as guts along the inside with the unfinished denim, but I was under time constraints and the humidity was killing me! I didn't want to turn on the air conditioning while I did it.)

Again I used my old Singer 201k treadle and again i was very impressed with the ease of sewing over multiple layers of denim. It never missed a beat, whether it was 4 layers or 8 at the seams. I'm definitely keeping this machine out for my bag making.

Aladdin's Tardis

It's Flea Market Finds time! I'm joining in the fun over at Her Library adventures, late as per usual!

This week I have been quite restrained. Sort of. I have been busy donating to the local op shops more than buying. Some things shown here were from a while ago that my sister was holding onto for me or she had collected for me. Some others were from a magical place full of so many treasures you just cannot fathom until you have experienced it for yourself! If you live here in Adelaide or are holidaying, you absolutely MUST visit! More on that later.

First off, some linens, a retro daisy tablecloth and pale pink damask cloth from an oppy some time ago that accidentally went home with my sister. Along with a pretty bluebird doily that I splurged on from Felicia's antique shop on Goodwood Rd. Still it was no more expensive than at some wannabe antique store Op shops.

Next, a pretty pink depression glass my sister picked up for me from the free table outside our favourite Oppy. The plate was from the same Op shop and is unusual as there is a pastel overglaze and rose transfer on what was a plain plate with cold edging. It's hard to determine if it was done at the factory that way or later, either way, still vintage. The giveaway is the chip on the inner rim showing a fine gold line. Some places imported cheap plates  and then overglazed them with their own patterns. Maybe this is an example of this pratice?

I chose this book as it has a pretty spine font and graphic. I am trying to collect books with fancy spines for a display.

And finally onto my finds from this weekend. I just love this gorgeous vintage shell vase I found at a garage sale. You often see these around but I love the ocean curls on the base of this one and a particularly fine shell too. It has a perfect pale green inner glaze.

Two lonely little salt and pepper shakers missing their partners. I have a soft spot for bluebirds and the penguin is very Mary Poppins don't you think? I am picturing a little vignette with a Mary poppins book, an umbrella, a carpet bag and this little fellow on top. Stay tuned! I have a pretty old book copy, and am in the process of carpet bag making!

How cute is this little chipmunk with fluffy hair? Not quite Alvin from The Chipmunks, but maybe even cuter?

I already have a reproduction copy of this sock toy pattern but couldn't resist an original copy for just $1 (marked $4 but charged $1).

Lastly, a 105 year old children's picture book.

These last few things were found at Cross Rd Collectables. This place is like Aladdin's Cave and the Tardis rolled into one. I took just a few pics of the place that show just a drop in the ocean of the shelves and shelves of collectibles and room upon room of fleamarket priced fancies! Honestly, although they may not be as cheap as some Op shops, they are definitely cheaper than many!

This is the only shot from inside. Just the tiniest tip of the iceberg. So much fine china and figurines and vintage tins and books and music and, and, and...
You won't believe what is OUTSIDE though, under carports and verandahs, in sheds and just hanging around on shelves stacked high! This shot shows maybe half the shelves under the back verandah. Heaps of cheap retro and vintage china under here including retro Royal Doulton! Many pieces $1 or $2 or less!

This is the shelving running along the outside of the shed.

So many vintage sewing machines! Oh the temptation!!! they run both sides of this stand.

Here's a couple of heart skipping beauties. (tag reads $25) No guarantees on useability but hey are happy to plug it in for you to try before you buy. I'm really loving this blue one with as much chrome and dials as a '60s car dash!

Anyone planning a trip to Adelaide soon?

JaM with Jody - Comfort denim bag

Today I am joining in with Jody Pearl's JaM meme and this week is a challenge to produce a denim bag from old jeans, a men's tie and optional appliques. Jody used doilies herself so I dove into my suitcase of doilies, pulled some jeans from my bag of denim and plucked a tie of my vintage tie rack. All set!
Of course, being me, (cue music) "I did it ...MY.... way!" My jeans were a smaller girls size so I shortened the depth accordingly.

I didn't put a pocket inside, but found two of my cutest doilies for pockets on the outside. I used some drill to line them. I just traced around the doily then cut the shape with pinking shears. I lost my big post with explanation and in the spirit of this being a no brainer, I will just pop some pictures of the process and the final product.

Tracing the doilies

creasing the cutting line for pocket flap

pockets and flaps attached then stitched wrong sides together

then turned right sides together and stitched again to enclose the raw edges

nearly finished product ( front flap is just pinned)

rear shot

how I avoided stitching though 16 layers of denim and fabric at the top seam

front closeup

 Thanks for a fun challenge Jody. Thanks everyone else for looking!
Just thought I'd add that I used my vintage Singer 201k treadle  on this project and it went through the denim like butter. Until the 16 layers that is. I broke a needle, but up until that point I was still using a sz70 needle so it's to be expected. It would have happily gone through the 16 layers but just didn't really fit under the foot.

It makes a lovely straight stitch, providing I steer it straight of course!