What fun I had you-know-where this morning, readers!
For starters, fabric, glorious fabric. The print above feels like rayon and I adore the colors and drape. This fabric is saying to me, Forties cocktail dress, Forties cocktail dress... Actually, that's the same thing I hear when I put a conch shell to my ear. Or a Dixie cup.
There's a bit over 4 yards here and it's 44" wide. Just $5! (It's darker in real life and reminds me of this.)
Next, this lovely vintage purple strawberry cotton print. About 2 yards and 38" wide. I can squeeze a summer shirt out of if for sure. For $2, can you go wrong?
Finally, 2 yards of black silk chiffon and 4 yards of pink silk chiffon, both roughly 44" wide and $5 for both. The pink has a Japanese government inspection stamp on it (it passed).
Many of us look better draped in chiffon, don't you think?
Next, a book I've admired for years, Jocks & Nerds: Men's Style in the Twentieth Century.
And now, friends, the best for last: a vintage Forties tilt hat! This hat is not in perfect condition and could use a good brushing, but it's awfully nice for $15, and is decorated with the sweetest velvet flowers. This one's for Cathy and if it ever gets above freezing again, you'll get to see her wear it.
I've been looking at vintage hats on eBay for the last few weeks and while there are certainly deals to be had, if you intend to wear the hat as opposed to merely reselling it, you're taking a big chance with something you can't try on.
That's my morning in a nutshell, friends. I spent all my mad money ($20) and dipped into my furious money (an additional $17).
You have another two full days to enter my Vogue Patterns Magazine giveaway, so if you haven't thrown your hat in the ring -- actually, if it's a Forties hat, email me before you throw.
Have a great day, everybody!
Dude, you killed!! I love the print fabrics! You have the best luck at the flea market. I'm nearly tempted to get up early next Saturday just to beat you there before you buy all the good stuff.
ReplyDeleteAnd you look amazing in that hat. Cathy better watch out!
How do you consistently find such amazing things at the flea market? I'm sure I need to dig for a post on this somewhere in your archives.
ReplyDeleteLast week I was wandering through the flea market on 77th and Columbus, and there were people selling department store freebies (sample sized skincare, etc.) and overpriced tchotchkes. Not a stitch of fabric in sight.
You should totally buy more fabric at the flea market. I need to live vicariously through someone.
Easily 75% of what I buy at the flea market is from the same 2 or 3 vendors: Old guy Joe, who's at the outside lot on 25th St. and has tables covered with piles of clothes and assorted crap; O.C., who sells in the back corner of the upstairs garage space, and one or two others.
ReplyDeleteI love the print fabrics and think they would make lovely dresses. I prefer these to the checkered peachy pink fabric you made your recent dress with.
ReplyDeleteHow lucky are you? I could never find any fabric, especially 4 yards for $5.00. I love your bargain shopping expeditions, because they really are a bargain shop.
I use to have a hat similar to the one you bought, but it was far more elaborate and had a netting over it. It was part of my hat collection I gave away. This one I like because it is very chic.
Maybe I'll add some netting or a veil to mine!
DeleteWow what bargains, I find the odd bargains in Charity shops, but not as frequent as I'd like.
ReplyDeleteScore! That hat is perfect. And the fabric, nice deals!
ReplyDeleteI want to go to your flea market! I have fond memories of flea markets in the Bay Area where you could find vintage treasures and cool junk. Here in Phoenix, the flea markets consist of tables covered with packages of white tube socks and piles of auto parts.
ReplyDeleteLucky you, no flea markets here. I never find fabric at thrift stores either. Great hat, too!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you live near the greatest flea market. Since I live in a rural area, the thrift store is where I buy my material. $1 a yard is sure better than $6 to $9 at the sewing shop. I stopped driving hours to the auto swap meets, because it is all professionals now selling junk you can get at Wal-Mart. I try to stay away from eBay. I just purchased an accessory kit for my touchtronic on eBay for more than I paid for the machine. What fun!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great shopping, Peter! Here in Germany the flea market season starts just at Spring. During the Winter there is no flea market, at least in my region.
ReplyDeleteOh, how you crack me up! I think I need to go around draped in black chiffon, too. All of my son's friends already think I'm crazy (according to my son) so I have nothing to lose in the way of my social standing in the carpool line.
ReplyDeleteI am having flea market envy. Also, I think your dog should have a '40s cocktail dress to match Cathy's, like a "mommy-and-me" look.
Oh, that hat! Be still my beating little heart. I think my skin just turned a bit green with envy. What a find!
ReplyDeleteLove it all, especially the book and the hat! Have Cathy try on the hat tilted a little more forward and down over her right eye, I bet she'll look like Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca.
ReplyDeleteThat hat is a total SCORE! Just like the FUR FELT hats I scored at a Toronto thrift shop... And, I know exactly what you mean about the fabric thing...we have a thrift shop nearby that frequently features major fabric SCORES..f'r instance I recently picked up THREE (count 'em, THREE) yards of GENUINE silk batik border print for a mere FOUR dollars and once, SIX yards of cream Chinese brocade (that normally retails for no less that TWENTY dollars a yard ) for EIGHT measly dollars!
ReplyDeletePlus, they always have a good selection of sewing stuff; I have even seen selections of Kenmore sewing machine cams (damn it, why can't they be ELNA cams?) Just today I scored an exquisite Indian silk scarf double woven in two colours (intense gold and rich red) and four silk ties...for a DOLLAR each! Oh, and a beautiful hardly-worn suede jacket for a mere $12! With a mere $20.bill, I can have a BLISSFUL shopping orgy that includes fabric! It really doesn't get any better than that...I felt like I should be smoking a cigarette afterwards!
Wow, I envy you that flea market. What great finds!
ReplyDeleteI keep telling myself the same thing at the thrift store "I will not buy more fabric..." yet it keeps jumping into my basket.
Because I don't get as much sewing time as I'd like, I scrape off the excess once a year and donate it to the Ujamas Grandmas' sale in the spring.
You are a flee market fabric horder!! Step away from the flee market !! Great finds, love the purple strawberry print.
ReplyDeleteMaybe because it's still early and I already have a headache, I am freakishly mesmerized by the last picture. It has an M.C. Escher vibe. Anyone else getting this or should I go back to bed?
ReplyDeleteLove the hat!!!!
ReplyDeleteTHAT HOT PINK IS TOO MUCH.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great haul! Only in a big city would you get that. I'm off to look up that book on amazon, I think I need a copy!
ReplyDeleteWow! Sweet haul!
ReplyDeleteLove the fabrics (go on, buy more!). The hat is really pretty (I'd wear it!). Just be sure to do a double deep-freeze (24 hours in baggie in freezer, 24 hours thaw, repeat) to kill any lurking nasties (this is what museums do with items that can harbor vermin but cannot be dry-cleaned, such as a wool hat). x
ReplyDelete