BOOKWORM by Kat. R. Piller

I popped into 2 Op shops today, and came home with a few more knitting patterns and this tiny Selangor Pewter BOOKWORM. It is only 2cm high and I thought quite funny.

I was reading Her Library Adventures blog about Type Collections  and thought I'd photograph my little Bookworm on a couple of old books from our Ink Collection. Book one is a sample book of Printing Ink Colours from the U.S.A. and book two is a 1934 Stationery Price List and Catalogue from England. 100 pages of delicious Sundry Stationery and Filing  Devices for the Modern Office. (including of course, Ink Wells)

This page was a selection of Pins.  How many pins did one 1934 Office need? the catalogue has 3 pages full.

Shopping, shopping and more shopping

I seem to have been Op Shopping every day last week, some things were taken to Nth Melbourne market, some haven't even been unpacked yet!  Here's a few I just unpacked,
Book on how to tie Scarves (hee hee Sophie has me looking out for these now), some Origami how to books, for the granddaughter, pretty stationery, Golly coathanger, felted purse, crochet doilies,  half completed tapestry.  I also picked up a box of about 150 skeins of embroidery threads, some more fabric, lots more doilies that need TLC,  I think I'm a compulsive shopper these days, and I have to go down Malvern way tomorrow, so I think I'll probably stop off at a few other shops then too.

Oh, and I have a Huge pile of knitting pattern books to sort thru too.

Sophie is celebrating her Blog Birthday today, pop over to her Flea Market Finds, to share your weekly shopping finds, and admit to your addiction too.

Successful Sunday

Well what a nice Sunday I have had. I got to the market early (way too early), I set up, I had too much stock for the small table I had hired, so I moved things around, squished them up a bit (I had waaaaay more room for things in my head)LOL ~~  I moved more things, and ended up using my plastic tub as a little table (not a good look, even with a little cloth on it)

I was surprised by what sold and what did not sell.  I will definitely be better prepared next time, but I had a great time, took a decent amount of money, and learned a lot.

 It has been years since I tried a market stall, and then I only sold china and bric a brac ~~  linens, laces, patterns and fabrics are all new to me.

Home in time to watch the F1 Grand Prix on TV (that was a bonus), and dear sweet hubby made me a pot of tea, which I really needed.

I'll be back there again next month, with my granddaughter as a helper too.

Been so busy I have not had time to do my Weekly finds on Sophie's blog, or read up on all the wonderful finds everyone else had.  That'll have to wait till Monday now.

[not so very..] Heavy Metal

Thursday Op Shopping was all about metal objects, firstly the Willow Flour sifter I showed yesterday, (which by the way cleaned up nicely), and also these items photographed above.

There is only one 'hand' made of blue wire, with a hook at the end,  and it is for keeping your gloves stretched after you wash them!, I have seen a pair before, in a Laundry Collection, but never found one myself, so here it is, guess I'll just have to wash my gloves One-At-A-Time.
The other 2 enamel items I need help with.... what do you call these things??
They are nice 'older' enamel, rather small,  one with a blue handle, and both with a few chips. I do love them but dont know what they are called.

Today is my Mum's birthday, although she doesn't know it, she has Altzheimers, so I am off now for a visit and taking her flowers & chocolate.  Hope when I come home to have an answer to my question, please...........

North Melbourne here I come . . .

With just a few days left until the Sunday market day, I'm pleased to say I am just about ready.
All cleaned, sorted, pressed, measured, priced and packed .  Yay!

I keep thinking I haven't got enough stock, but then I think.. it is only One Table, I wont have that much room to show off too much stock.  So, this month's is ready.  What I'm taking in April?, well I 'll start working on that this weekend.

Found this lovely printed flour sifter this afternoon, isn't it a cutie?  Still has flour remnants in it so it'll need a good clean.  It is WILLOW Australia.

some ''tinny'' finds . . .

Two days of long hospital out patient visits for my hubby meant time for me to drive around near the hospital checking out some Op shops (better than paying Hospital Parking Fees !!)

I did manage to find a lot of good things, funny how when you shop in a different suburb, you spy the things you never find close to home!  Here are just a few of them, I tried Sophie's style on a chair, but I just do not have the flair that girl has, sorry.  Nor did I get down level with the items to get a better photo.

I was lucky to find a lovely cross stitch supper cloth and 4 napkins, 2 silk scarves, a tiny shiny brooch, and some TINS.  I ♥ tins.  Here's a 1990s Minties  Sporting Moments Like These..... a Milady Toffee Tin from England, with illustration of cross stitch flowers and embroidered Crinoline Lady, and a sweet orange and black round tin with a bird on the lid, a bit scratched from years of wear, but cute~
there were also lots of knitting patterns, again, and some books about how to tie a scarf,  a Fenton Glass Slipper and more.

Most have been washed, priced and packed ready for the North Melbourne Market on Sunday.

-- a vintage Wedding Photo

Nelly over at My Friends Call me Nelly showed us a Wedding Photo yesterday, which reminded me of one in my family album, so I pulled it out this evening.

This is the wedding of my Grandmother's sister Violet Victoria, in November, 1923 in Sydney. My Grandmother, Elsie May, was her Maid of Honour. Don't you just love the hat she wore? and I have to tell you the shoes worn by both Violet and Elsie were just to die for gorgeous. White kid with a cross-over lattice pattern on the fronts and lovely heels.

I just love old photos.♥

my Weekly Finds

Had a few days to myself this week, so I really trawled thru a lot of op shops, and it paid off, finding a bit here, and a bit there, so there were lots of knitting patterns, (always a favourite with me), and some table cloths, a great see thru apron made from 4 pink nylon hankies, as well as some tapestries.  Don't you just wish it was still the 1970s and you could crochet YOUR MAN a lovely Poncho for winter?

However, my cutest find was a piece (only about 2m long x 140 wide) of Terry Towelling fabric in Purple, Orange and White floral ! Talk about poke your eye out LOUD! .. and a few more sewing patterns.  Most of what I bought is to add to my stock for my first ever Stall next Sunday (27th), at the North Melbourne Market.  Poncho Man? I just had to put up on eBay, he was just so sweet!

So that's my finds for the week.  If you found wonderful things, or even just ONE thing, pop over to Sophie's and add yourself to the growing band of Op Shop junkies, showing off their Flea Market Finds.

lovely Memories . . . .

Many Many years ago, ok...30 years ago exactly, my darling husband and I started to collect Royal Doulton china.  It was, and still is, our passion.  However, in recent years we have not added a lot of items to the collection, which, like topsy kinda grew... and grew... and took over our home.
Along with out Inkwell Collection, which I sometimes write about on my other blog.

25years ago this week, I founded a club for Doulton Collectors here in Melbourne, and ran it successfully for some years, before handing over the whole thing to other enthusiastic collectors, and I am proud to say it has flourished and is still running monthly meetings to this day.

today, was the 25th Anniversary Lunch and Afternoon tea, and one of the members made this lovely Celebration Cake for us all to enjoy.  Isn't it a beauty !
Due to his ill health my husband doesn' t go out much these days, but would not miss such an important Anniversary.  The weather in Melbourne was just perfect, and we had the most wonderful day out.  Just what he needed.
Thank you to the Collectors Club for a great day, and thanks to Royal Doulton for producing  such wonderful items for over 150 years to keep us entertained ~

still in need.....

of some tender loving care... but looking much better

Some of you may remember that back in January, I bought an old 'Boudouir Chair' with the intention of covering it in some lovely Laura Ashley fabric.
Well, I decided it wasn't something I really want to keep after all, so I took off the horrid red, biro marked covers, to discover that underneath was the original green velvet cover, but no base and no back.

So..... I found a small piece of green patterned upholstery fabric, added it to the back and base, and will offer my little chair on my stall at the North Melbourne Market in 2 weeks time.  I am sure any new owner will love it and cover it in whatever suits their decor.

Not quite the 'success' story I was planning to write about my little chair, but it is certainly an improvement on the horrid red nylon and biro it came to me with.

not Flea Market, but Garage Sale finds this week . .

oh so 1980s.  I was on my way to the City on Saturday morning, and dropped in to a Garage Sale on the way.  Here I found the usual assortment of toys, odd mis-matched, scratched china and some UNFINISHED Knitting !

ALL in Mohair.  Now the blue and grey is lovely, there is a front, a back, and 1/2 of one sleeve completed, and the rest of the mohair to finish it off. (and the patternbook ! yay).
NO I will not be doing it but I'm sure one of my eBay friends will love it.
The brown and black I LOVE, but there is very little started on ONE sleeve, and only a small amount of mohair, so I may unpick that and knit up a nice scarf. 
Then there are a few balls of lovely grey and pink mohairs..   sure they will knit up into something lovely in winter too.  Although it is very hot in Melbourne this weekend, I even got sunburnt in the City, down by the Yarra, despite my 30+ sunscreen, I can't wait to start some Winter Knitting.

Coming home I popped into an Op Shop and what did I spy?

brand new, still in its gift box, for .50c???
Tag on the back says Proudly made in Australia by okt-ober dee,  don't worry Dee, I'll wear it and love it♥

If you love Garage Sales, Flea Markets and Op / Thrift Shops, why not pop over to Sophie's blog where all the Greatest Finds of the Week seem to meet.
~~ see you there ~~

Getting ready for the Market... II ... North Melbourne Market

As I've already mentioned, I'm off to Market... to Market....

I found out about this wonderful little indoor market last month, went along (see my Blog), and had a lovely morning.  I don't live anywhere near North Melbourne,  but thought a little day trip would be nice (ha ha living East of the City means anything past Bourke Street in Melbourne is ''over there'')
The girls that run this market are from The Thread Den in Brunswick Street, a really sweet shop full of surprises.

I'll just be having one table in the 'Ballroom' Area on March 27th, I'll probably be the oldest person there, but I am sure I will have fun.  Many years ago I traded at Camberwell, and at various Antique Malls around Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula, and I do miss that 'market buzz'. In those days I only sold Fine China and bric a brac, now I do eBay.   eBaying is fun, but it is very solitary, so for now I'm like a kid with a new toy .. lots of new toys ....

I am even enjoying washing and ironing my new stock.
I would love any of you who have messaged me, and anyone else reading this to drop by and say Hello.
I am sure I will post more blogs here about it before the 27th.

Flea Market Finds

Well what a lovely weekend it has turned out to be in Melbourne, just perfect weather.
I managed to hunt down quite a few new things for my eBaying this week, some I listed and sold the same day, so no pics here!

However I did score some really nice wool during the week, some great Jo Shaw knitting books and a little group of vintage postcards, mostly from Hungary, with lovely illustrations.

I 'll be popping over to Sophies next to see what everyone else found this week.  Her Flea Market Finds  is a treat to read all week, I pop back every evening to see who added more things. Such fun.

I am working really hard to get things sorted at home this week, as I plan to have a table at the next North Melbourne Market... .. more on that soon, suffice to say this is just part of the spare room at the moment, with many more boxes needing my careful attention before March 27th.  House is a mess, but I'm having fun!

Tuesday Treasures . .

 

Only went out to buy Bubble Wrap today, as I had a large pottery order to pack. Stopped off at one, then two, then three  Op Shops and came home with a new Oroton Scarf, a Canteen Bandanna .. for my friend Jackie .. a Women's Weekly Kids Party Book, #44 of NOTEBOOK, a silver glomesh evening bag and matching purse, an old tea cosy for my friend Di,  2 cute coat hangers, and eight Pyrex dishes.
four with Red design....

and 4 with a Blue design. . .

So some for other people, some for myself (the Oroton), and some for eBaying... what a nice haul, and Yes, I did remember the Bubble Wrap... and the milk !

Jackie has a large collection of CANTEEN bandannas, as the CANTEEN logo was designed by the design Guru Himself, Ken Done.

Good start to the month, and I 'll now have to find more this week so I can do a new post for Sophie's Flea Market Finds next Sunday.