Sew-lovely, vintage patterns

I am in spring cleaning mode! It feels so good to start off the new year with a tidy house, well....really I need to make some more space for 201 'yet to be purchased' treasures :) Today I sorted out my vintage sewing patterns, these are from my 'oh aren't they lovely' collection.

Amazing 1940's dress, I hope to make it one day.

Belinda Bellville 1960's couture wedding or cocktail dress.

Cuuuute! 1950-60's beach wear

Love, love, love this.

Sweet party dress 1950's, I love the stamp store even more....

Look at the adorable frills, 1950's

POST 27

I regularly drop by Design Sponge to get some inspiration. It is funny when you see an interior and think to yourself, if I had the time, space and money to redecorate I would do just this. Then, you see that the entire colour scheme was inspired by Tretchikoff's Chinese Girl Print, and that an Ed Templeton skateboard adorns the wall....and you think to yourself oh yes I could certainly live here!

Angela Finney-Hoffman and Barkley Hoffman are owners of POST 27 a Chicago furniture and homewares store, this is their home. I'm in love with their arrangement of art and the hand painted bathroom woodgrain floor. 

Just a few of the pieces available at Post 27, their range includes, vintage furniture, jewellery and homewares. Love, love, love all these pieces.

Oh, and you might remember Ed Templetons work here from my earlier post about Beci Orpin's house.  

Foil Fun and Pineapple Sunshine!

I picked up these terrific books a long time ago, I really must visit my book collection more often....there are some real gems like:

Golden Circle Pineapple Cook Book - beautiful, colorful and no doubt absolutely delicious recepies!

Alcoa's Book of Decoration (with tin foil that is!!) - Need a costume, why not use tin foil. Running low on Christmas decorations, why not use tin foil. Need some new toys for the kids, why not use tin foil.
This how to book will provide endless hours of fun for the entire family!

P & C

I'm loving these new and old items available from P & C (Present and Correct), they have the cutest office accessories and vintage children's books...including one of my favorites, Sparkle and Spin. Happy shopping!

Vintage Cards

My sister Renee makes the most amusing greeting cards, with her clever eye she collages imagery from vintage magazines and combines them with fitting wordings. Here is just a teaser...oh, and each card is a one off, she doesn't replicate them by making copies, so your giving a piece of art as well as a card

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Vintage Fabrics

Whilst on holidays in South Australia I picked up a wonderful selection of vintage fabrics from second hand stores. County opportunity shops are truly amazing places, there is a real sense of community and generosity. One particular store had the most treasured sewing room, filled to the brim with fabrics, trims, buttons and findings. It was heaven!! Run by a sweet 80 year old lady named Vera it was such a pleasure to talk with her and to share in her appreciation for sewing. Here are some of my gems.....

Recent Thrift Finds.

Recent thrift finds......click on image for a closer look.

1. The Day the Cow Sneezed, by James Flora, 1957.
2. Wooden painted egg cup.
3. Hand knitted bunny vest.

Vintage Childrens Chairs

Chairs are one of those objects, like vases, black dresses and cocktail rings you can never have enough of them! On a recent garage sale walk I purchased the cutest 1960's rattan rocking chair for Charley's room. It is in need of a little TLC, but I will have it looking wonderful in no time. I have come across a lovely site Molly Meg, who has the most adorable children's vintage furniture including these great chairs, one can dream.

A few of my favourite things

1. Peacock Pig: Hand made in Guatemala, Oxfam.
2. Jewelery: Lots and lots of it, Dinosaur Designs among the favorites.
3. Butterfly Diorama: Dunk Island Butterfly (Papilio Ulysses) Made in Australia (market find!)
4. Vintage Ceramics: Wall tile, Circa 1960 artist unknown (op shop gem), reminds me of Ackerman.
5. Ollie: The sweet and savage Maine Koon.