Fridays Finds: The Dress That Stole My Heart

There it was, peeking a pale pink, cotton lace sleeve out from between two other gowns on the rack. 

"I like this one" I remarked, as I pulled it and it's bejewelled satin petticoat out from the rack and held it to my body. 

"Try it on!" the shop attended urged. I cringed internally for a moment - I knew this dress wouldn't be cheap, and I was already starting to become attached. "Go on, I've never seen it on before. Give us a little fashion show!" 

I gave in, and snatching other dresses from the hanger as I went, made my way to the change room. Slipping the petticoat over my head, the tiny waist of the dress caught on my breasts for a moment. Easing the heavy satin into place, I began to do the little eyelets up. Somewhere around the middle of my rib cage, the eyelets would close no more. The top and bottom few had snapped into place, but there was one stubborn one in the middle that simply would not do up! I started to panic a little. What if the dress wouldn't fit either? Well at least I wouldn't be tempted to buy it, but what if I got stuck in it? It had happened to me before, after all - but never with a dress as exquisite as this one. Taking a deep breath, I sucked in my breath and pulled the crisp cotton over my head. A cascade of fabric fell below my waist, and I gave a little twirl - it fit! Emerging from the change room, I felt like a princess. The shop attendant gasped.

"Oh, isn't it beautiful!" She exclaimed. I simply couldn't get the smile off my face. "Now darling, I hope you know it is quite expensive - I don't want you getting too attached!" It was too late. This fabulous dress, made in the traditional early 1950's style and entirely out of pale pink cotton lace, had already stole my heart!

None of the other dresses I tried on that day fit as perfectly as that first one (petticoat aside), nor were they quite as beautiful. I couldn't get my mind off the perfect shade of pink, the way it fitted my chest and waist like it was sewn especially for my body, the beautiful, full and classic skirt which fell to just below my knees. I loved it. I loved every little bit of that dress, right down to the shiny satin petticoat which I was sure I could make fit me if I just let the side seams out a little. It didn't matter anyway, really, that the petticoat didn't do up - the little patch of flesh peeking through the side was lost in all the splendour of the lace overlay.  All day I have been thinking of that dress. Dreaming up excuses to buy it and occasions to wear it on. I know there is no way I can afford it's $250 price tag, and that makes me sad. Oh, but to dream, is it ever really enough?

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Well, this week I was too broke to even op shop thanks to some clever timing on various different companies' behalves. I swear that all my service providers all got together and said "Lets all send Sunae her bills on this date! That will be fun!" No, companies, not fun! Not fun at all thank you very much!

Anyway, as you can imagine going a fortnight without shopping is not easy! So I decided that today I would go downtown and have a little look in the Coolangatta Antique Centre and the vintage clothing shop a few doors down to pass the time and satisfy the urge. Since both these shops have quite pricey things in them, I knew I wouldn't be tempted with the "oh, just one dollar here, two dollars there" approach that seems to dwindle away my money in the op shops. I was (sort of) right - nothing in that price bracket but there were some really cheap tea cups that might just make their way into my cupboard come payday, as well as some more expensive items which have made it onto my mile-long wish list. 

I went to the vintage clothing store first. I didn't take any pictures in there because I was too busy chatting to the shop attendant and trying on gorgeous dresses, but let me tell you now - before I walked out of that shop I fell in love. That is where the little anecdote above come from - true to life, I tell you! That dress really is the most beautiful dress I have ever tried on!  I'm contemplating selling a kidney so I can afford it. Anyway, moving on!

These pictures are from the Coolangatta Antiques and Collectables Centre. These are just a few of the many, many things which caught my eye and made me realise how much of a hoarder I would become if I actually had the money to buy all this stuff!

The clothes in here, if you're ever in the area are actually really reasonably priced! 

This tea cup totally belongs in my cupboard! Pity it's $95. 

This display had me yearning for a big, old Victorian-style mansion. Or even a cute little cottage to put this chair in the corner of the bedroom or tucked into a little reading nook!

This is a terrible picture of a beautiful fruit bowl which caught my eye because it is pink. 

Just a few little tea cups for me to lust over. I'm starting to realise that I'm a little bit obsessed!

Last but not least, the vintage phones! There were about 5 other shelves of these, but I took a picture of this one because it's the one that had all the pink ones on it. I really, really, really want the pink and black one in the top right corner! The black on in front of it, I could also take!

Anyway, I had a lovely time browsing the shops this afternoon! I'm thinking of going back there tomorrow with mum, since she is coming up for a visit. Maybe on payday I will sneak a few of the cheaper tea cups into my budget. Or maybe I can do myself a deal where for every assessment I have coming up which I get a distinction or higher in, I can buy myself a present? In that case, with my first two assessments coming back as HD's (did I tell you guys about that??? So exciting!) I guess I already owe myself two tea cups! Or one pretty vintage dress?

Have you ever tried on a dress which felt like it was made for you? I want to hear all about it :)

What I Wore

On Friday, I was feeling pretty down. I had a uni assignment due which I hadn't even started, I was all sniffly (still) and my knee was killing me. I knew I wouldn't be doing anything special for the day and my only outing would be to the doctors, but I decided I wanted to get dressed properly anyway.

It is absolutely amazing what a nice outfit and a bit of make up can do for your mood. Instant uplift! Plus, I was wearing my new op shop blouse and new eyeshadow and lipstick which always makes a girl feel good!

What do you think of this outfit? I felt so fresh and pretty in it all day :)

Wearing:

Blouse - op shop (late 80's to early 90's Katie's)

Skirt - ICE

Shoes - k-mart

Wallet - Colette

Jewellery - all my gifted everyday stuff

Friday's Finds

I spent this week staying at mum and dad's place to get my back fixed, and while I was there I took a trip to Lismore with my good friend Alisha and her mum to hit up the op shops and have a little catch up. I must say, I am impressed with this haul, and equally impressed with the whopping $17 total that these items (including the double bedspread which I used as a backdrop) came to.

The floral mugs are bone china and were only 50c each, as were the Noritake tea cups. Anyone who knows me will know I am a total tea snob - very particular about the tea I drink, the way it's made and what it's served in. I won't drink tea out of anything that isn't bone china and these mugs are the perfect, pretty way to consume large amounts of tea in the winter months (which I am starting to sorely anticipate). The bed spread is currently covering my ugly lounge, until I either find a chenille spread for it, or get a new one. It brightens the room up nicely, having cream on the lounge. I love it. 

The divided dish was a practical find which will get tonnes of use, and the other dish is marked "Fire King" and I absolutely love it! Not sure if it will stay in the kitchen or find it's way as storage in the sewing room yet, but the pattern in beautiful. I realised today that none of my "pyrex" is actually pyrex, but I totally don't care because they're so pretty and practical. 

While I was at my parents' place, mum cleaned out her cupboards and gave me a tonne of antique serving ware and other tidbits that she doesn't want anymore. I swear it was better than Christmas, and I'll post a bit about it when it's all unpacked, because it's just so awesome! So many beautiful things which were totally off-limits when I was a little girl are finally mine, and I'm so excited to have visitors over and pull it all out. She even gave me two small Doulton plates, which is a big deal for mum, because she collects it and my dad bought her these plates when they lived in Toowoomba, which basically kick-started her collection. I feel so lucky to have grown up in a house which was filled with antiques, because it has really fostered my love for it all. I think it can go either way when you grow up in a house like ours - you either love and embrace it, or hate and shun it. I'm so glad that I fell in love with it, and I attribute my passion for history to this antique-filled upbringing. I always loved hearing the stories behind the things mum and dad found and collected, and I think that was my first real exposure to "history". 

Have you had any recent thrifty finds that blew your mind? Or perhaps some exciting hand-me-downs, like I received from mum?

Melissa's baby shower

On Sunday, my friend from work, Melissa, had her baby shower. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the event, but here is a little look at what I made for her little girl.

I love seeing babies in yellow, and since she knows she is having a girl, I guessed that everyone would be absolutely loading her up with pink, pink and more pink. (I guessed right - it was everywhere at the baby shower!)

Although yellow is a unisex colour, I kept my decorated singlets and little gingham bloomers feminine with floral accents and bows. I really hope she likes them, and I can't wait to see Bub in them when she arrives!

Big News!!!

Sorry it has taken so long for me to write this much anticipated post, but I was kinda hoping that I'd have a climax to this story a little sooner.

I've been making these little hair clips out of vintage scraps of material and buttons for quite a while now, occasionally mixing it up by using lace instead of fabric, and that is how I came by the idea to make my own fascinator for race day. The pile of clips has slowly been getting larger and larger, and as I don't often wear hair clips they have just been sitting in an old make up case in my wardrobe completely untouched this whole time. I've often thought about selling them, but then I have argued that the price of market stalls would outweigh my earnings and I don't have enough stock to make an impressive-looking stall anyway, but over the last few months while I have been on the pension and have had so much time on my hands, my craft projects have become more diverse and more frequent.

First off, I started sewing again.

Then, I started this blog.

Then, I started to crochet necklaces (I will be posting about this extremely soon, I promise)

Then, something amazing happened! A craft co-operative opened up a store in Evans Head, my hometown! The shop is called The Corner Store and it is filled with wonderful handmade goods. There are currently 12 members of the co-operative and my big news is...

I've joined it!

Freshly printed labels! (how exciting!)

I went to their monthly meeting the other day and sent samples of my work to the shop for them to look at before they evaluated whether or not I would be a valuable addition to their team and my products would fit in with the products already in the shop. I bribed them just a little bit with loaning them my peek-a-boo dolls to use as mannequins in the shop, and finally it has happened - my membership has been approved!

For me to be accepted into the co-op all the members had to approve me, with no objections. Most of these ladies are mature, sophisticated crafters who have been doing this for an extremely long time, and here I am - a nineteen year old who mucks around without patterns on her sewing machine knocking up things she hopes will fit someone. Needless to say, I was extremely nervous about this, and eager for them to make their decision!

Are there any craft co-ops where you live, and would you consider becoming a part of one? I think they are a great idea.

For the price of a small joining fee and 20% commission coming out of your sold products to run the shop (electricity, rent and insurance) you can have your products on display all the time, just waiting for customers to buy them! It certainly works out much better than paying for market stalls and market insurance, and you only have to volunteer one day a month at The Corner Store, rather than spending every Sunday at the markets!

 

 

 

Spring Races!

Hi everyone!
For those of us in the southern hemisphere, spring is finally here, and that means racing season! I don't know what it is about horses, but they absolutely enthrall me and that is why I am super  excited to be going to the Ballina Cup on Friday! It will be my first ever race day experience and I am super keen to frock up and sip champagne by the track! (or at least pretend to sip champagne, I am  definitely not the biggest fan!)

It was sort of a last minute decision for me to be going on Friday, so I am just wearing a dress I already had (black, vintage inspired with pink roses and tulle underlay - perfect race day dress, no?) but I did knock up a quick home made fascinator to tizzy it up a little bit :)

Want to see?

Of course you do!

 

The big flower is black nylon lace gathered with a running stitch and the small flower is black cotton eyelet trim gathered with a running stitch. The cotton trim is quite stiff, and I think that helps it to keep the petal-like shape it has taken on. The button in the middle is a vintage one i stole out of mum's sewing box. It looks as though it has been hand beaded! The beads are glass and faux pearl. I added in the organza ribbon "petals" for extra dimension, although they aren't all that easy to see.

 

I originally was going to hand sew the whole thing together, but the weird shapes formed by all the different elements made that kind of hard - in the end I just hot-glued it all together, including the (upside down) alligator clip on the back.

 

 

 

 

 

This last picture is just to give you the idea of how big it ended up. Please excuse my lovely spewed on work shirt and messy hair! I'll do another post on Saturday to show you the complete outfit and tell you all about the races! :)

 

If you're also from the southern hemispere, do you plan on going to the races this spring? If you're not, tell me about race experiences you've had in the past or any fascinators you might have worn or made :)