Cover up

It's been a bit quiet on the op-shopping front Chez Taph and TOF (well there was that one time, at the Lifeline Bookfair $10 a bag sale..., but I digress).

Today I had the opportunity for a lunchtime rummage at Salvos in Phillip.

This is just gorgeous - not at all pretty, or even beautiful, but a gorgeous 1970s home constructed queen-sized bedspread.  Vintage 60s and 70s fabric squares machine sewed together, backed by old sheeting and with a brown skirt.  And mine for $5.

Booked

The Lifeline Bookfair is an institution in this town.  I know many people who take the day off work to attend the first day (Friday) of the fair.  It is, for some of us, a holy day of obligation.

I normally attend for work.  I get there early (8.30am or so) on the Friday morning with my shopping trolley and bags and queue up with everyone else.  Thermoses of coffee are opened, old friends caught up with and new acquaintances made - there's a lovely sense of community and I usually get a fair whack of knitting done.

I couldn't get there on opening day last week, alas, but TSS kept me updated via text and telephone and picked up one or two items for my collection of vintage Patons knitting patterns.

TOF and I were busy all day  Saturday so it wasn't until Sunday afternoon that we managed a visit.  Is it a coincidence that they announced the "everything you can fit into a supermarket green bag" for $10 sale within minutes of us arriving?  I think not.

Amongst the items in my "green bag" were 30 or so Textile Fibre Forum magazines from the 1980s and 1990s, over a dozen community fund-raiser recipe books for the collection at work and these - lovely, lovely, lovely Enid Gilchrist pattern books.


TOF picked up a mixed bag of books and about 30 cds for his $10 (and some novels for me slipped in there as well).  All up, we're a couple of happy little bookworms.

Easter treasures

Reprinted from The Shopping Sherpa

I had today off and high on my list of things to do was finally get my knives and scissors sharpened for the year (a task which is well overdue.)

As usual, I was asked to come back to collect my knives in a couple of hours so there was only one thing to do: continue on to Queanbeyan and check out the op shops there before dropping into Narrabundah and Fyshwick on the way back.

This collection was strongly influenced by Ampersand Duck's fabulous work at the opening of Three Chords and the Truth last night at ANCA Gallery:($3.50 the lot)

D is for daisy. I seemed to find a lot of them today (plus a vintage set of Cuisenaire rods):(Cuisenaire rods: $10, bag of various fridge magnets including the d is for one above: $4, toy badge making set including daisy blanks: $2, white daisy buckle: $1, vintage daisy doily: 50 cents)

Also in the bag of fridge magnets (and the main reason I bought them) was this and a couple of similar vintage wooden magnets, which will be turned into brooches this weekend:Shown on my "new" trans-seasonal coat ($15)

Finally, I found this set of cards in Vinnies Queanbeyan for $1. I guess it's a game of some sort (there are instructions. They're all in Japanese) but I think the cards would look great hung on dolls house walls...
And remember, being Easter weekend most op shops are closed until Tuesday. If you get desperate it's Portobello Road at The Old Bus Depot markets on Sunday. I won't be there: I've spent my frugalling budget for the month...

Are times so tough?

That they're ram raiding op shops now?

Vinnies Dickson is closed until after Easter because a truck smacked into the side wall. Did I have my camera on me to show you the resulting damage? No.

And in completely unrelated news, Salvos Fyshwick has a range of new with tag bras for sale. Mostly smaller sizes, so if you're a 10 you'll be able to grab yourself a bargain...