fabric, fabric and more fabric

Just in case that title did not indicate clearly enough, this post is going to be about fabric. So if you don't like bright colours and fun patterns, this might not be for you. Also, really? You don't like colours and patterns? I feel kind of sorry for you. I'll be thinking of you as you navigate away from this page and go off to, I don't know, check a News site or something. Anyhow, for those of you still with me here are some lovely things I got at the V.V. and a couple of random garage sales lately. 

The V.V. had their 50% off day just a little while ago, and I got quite a haul. By the way, I'm kind of annoyed with them because they do not include 'housewares' in the 50% off (cups, plates, pyrex, knick-knackery, etc) or books, which totally sucks. Thank goodness they include their 'bed and bath' section or else I wouldn't bother to go at all. Anyhow, I brought everything home and washed it and put it out on the line. One of the things I was most excited about is that blue rose floral on the left. Its a full queen sized set; fitted, flat and pillowcases, and I had big plans to use it on our bed. I don't think I've every used the sheets I buy as, well, sheets because I've always got big plans to cut them up and make them into something else. But this blue set was so nice. First of all, the fabric quality is really great. They are made of that nice heavy-weight 100% cotton from the 50's/60's that I just adore. And they looked hardly worn. No pilling, not sheer in any of the high wear areas. Good quality sheets. So I put them out on the line to get the V.V. smell out of them. But then I had a closer look and saw why they'd been donated away from their original home. Holes. Lots of holes. But all mended.

Its one of my favourite things to find when thrifting; nicely mended rips and holes. 

There is something so dear about a mend. So very few people mend things any more. Not even new things! I used to work in retail and when a button fell off a brand new shirt they just sent it back to the company to be sold at a yearly cut rate 'damaged items' sale. That used to drive me crazy. It would take me, like, five minutes to sew that button back on, but no, into the cut rate bin it went. 

Anyhow, though I loved these mends, there were just a few too many of them to make them useable as bedsheets (they must have had moths, because there were many clusters of little holes). But the pillowcases didn't have any holes at all. And look at the adorable trim.    So they have found a new life on my bed. They are my new pillowcases. And I'm not sharing them with hubs at all. I don't know what happens to that man's head while he sleeps, but to look at his pillowcases you'd think it leaks maple syrup. I'm telling you after a few months they look like civil war bandages. Gross. Anyhow, these babies are all mine. 

And I don't know what sort of bed they were on in their previous life, but their new job with me is helping to prop up me and the baby while we breast feed. Which is a pretty good gig for them, I think.

I already have a pillowcase like this in pink, which is very fun, but its nice to have a full sheet of it. It'll make a great quilt back.

This one is a bit 'generic 70's' I have better examples of this orange/yellow/pink 'flower power' concept, but I still like it. 

I love this stripe. The colour palette is awesome. I could build a whole quilt around these colours. 

And this is a table cloth that I got at a church rummage sale. It is really, one of the softest fabrics I've ever felt. Its a cotton linen blend I think, but it is so worn and washed that it literally feels like brushed silk. Ridiculous. And the drape is GORGEOUS. I think I'm going to have to make a dress out of it, just so I can feel it against my skin. Or maybe a tunic-y blouse or something. Heck, even a night gown would work. I don't think I've had a night gown since I was eight, so maybe its time. 

Also, there are all these sweet little details in the design.

I adore this little set of keys. Really, its kind of a weird design over all, as there are fruit and vases and .... keys. Whatever, I'm not going to question it. 

Ok, that about does it for the sheets and stuff. Then I actually bought some clothes as well, but again, just for fabric purposes. I had little people with me, and therefore no time to try on clothes. But I got this interesting thing:

I didn't take a picture of the whole garment, but the fabric is really great. Another very soft cotton. I believe its African. Its a sort of a tunic. The whole thing is patterned, but the pattern varies the whole length of the garment so you get this kind of large scale floral in the body, but then these nice small details at the edges.  Like this. Awesome, no? It makes me want to bust out some screens and print up a whole bunch of yardage like this. So great. 

A quick browse through the kids section got me these two cute little shirts for the Baby. They are so sweet on him. 

And of course I had to hit the men's shirt section too. Again, my props to Mr. Hilfiger, who really makes some lovely men's wear. Both these shirts are by Tommy Hilfiger. I espeically love the one on the left.

A nice Hawaiian/plaid hybrid. Who knew?

Lastly, I got this shirt.   As a shirt its pretty bad. The fabric is a bit too heavy to be used as shirting, and that embroidered placket makes me cringe. 

But the fabric itself is going to be great, cut up and made into something else. 

So many project plans. So little time. In my next life I'm going to come back as a person who does not need to sleep. 

Comments

[brooklyn_codger]

Excellent haul! Also: glad to hear Greg is not the only one with a maple syrup head

[finger thumb]

Yeah, and how is it that something that sounds so good can be so gross?