Headed off today to put the most recently removed stumps (too big for the green waste bin), plus all the kikuyu, at the local "Landfill and Recycling Facility" aka the tip. The Tip Shop was open so of course we cast our eyes over the merchandise. This beauty wasn't there when I walked in, but there as I went out.
It's nothing antiquey or anything but I love the lines and angles. This photo is post a clean up. Thick dust, spiderwebs and bird poop have been removed. I guess it'd been sitting in someone's shed for a long while.
A bonus was some fabric that I retrieved from a basket under a table. I wasn't sure of the composition , but at $1 a piece I was willing to take the risk.
After the fibre burn test (I have a chart that I googled) it was silk and it was wool.
Since I don't do cream, these fabrics will be dyed. The silk is three metres! It's beautiful, luxurious. The wools are 1.5m each and, once dyed, destined for toy making and patch working. The silk may line the patched scarves I have in mind.
In addition to that largesse I came upon a bag of fabric left on deck steps yesterday. I know it was from Marta, a Latvian lady who volunteers at the local Ambulance Oppy. She collared me at the Salvos, "I've been wanting to run into you". Marta is great, she's treated me to many stories from her life: when she came to Australia with her mother and sisters, Marta was fourteen. Her experiences once here, at Bonegilla, and, no, it's not hot all the time. Marta froze in her first winter in Australia, like my grandmother, she'd given away what winter clothing she had because Australia is hot always. Anyway, Marta is moving and needs to downsize. She is sorting her fabric stash, hence the big bag on my doorstep.
Some stuff I will use, some I will not. Marta had included some lengths of fabric used for lining and interlining, tailoring and stuff like that. I looked at these fabrics, looked them up in books from my "reference library". I will use them in my experiments with tailoring.
I've kept two lenths of what I think is a silk dupion and a kind of Thai silk (this may have some synthetic content).
I am one lucky woman.
Sue, I am crying over here right now...how does this stuff find you?
Posted by: Anna Walker | April 26, 2011 at 07:34 PM
Nice score! Those sewing boxes are such a good find. And the fabric. It must be karma or something.
Posted by: Janet | April 26, 2011 at 07:58 PM
We've got almost matching Lady Sewing Baskets! I'm so happy for you. It's so much fun sorting everything into them, and they're excellent for craft camp.
Posted by: kate | April 26, 2011 at 08:04 PM
Thrift shop GOLD that is! Lucky lady.
PS. Not sure if it's just me but I had trouble linking to you from your comment. At least, I hope the comment was from you. Ahem.
Posted by: Tania | April 29, 2011 at 11:24 PM
It was your lucky day, I wish I was as lucky as you are, but unfortunately luck doesn't know my address :(( Maybe sometime will find me and make very happy :D
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