Christmas Angels and Generous friends

OK - so two wholly unrelated items that squish into one post. I have been absent for some time - got a new computer from Santa, and have been lax about setting it up... Bloglines is heaving under the pressure of the unread posts. Must investigate this Google Reader business soon (slow on the techno uptake, I know...)

Sewing has been my saving grace this week! School term ended, extra-curricular classes winding up, parties to attend and school bags to clean out (how long has this "insert any fruit" been here?!)

A wonderful friend shared a pattern for a three-tiered skirt with me some time ago. After my disastrous luck with patterns, I left it for a long time, untouched, with all the others... However certain fabrics were calling me, and claiming to belong together, so I had to respond.


Miss 2 looked so cute, I had to whip one up for a friends wee babe who has just recently started walking. Two in one afternoon?! Wow, an easy pattern! So Two more in the wings for a bestie's little lass who turns two in Jan, and for Niece PP who also is now a walking doll. Who else can I make them for? Pattern only goes up to a size 4! Love it though.



'Tis the season for op-shop fairy goodness too. The lovely Kootoyoo shared her op-shop goodness and sent me this coffee pot (a while back, photo just hid, sorry Kirsty!) Isn't it magnificent? Love it, thanks so much Kirsty.


Also a dear friend in South Australia sent me this fabulous vintage table cloth of Canberra (which clearly needs to be ironed!) Thanks Em!


Hope your Christmas plans are in full swing -

J

Thrifty Thursday

Purchased yesterday but thrifted wednesday has no alliterative ring to it...

Lovely vintage records from the 60s of children's stories, containing story books with lovely illustrations.



Vintage sheets that have been sewn together into a doona cover - will make a cute skirt!


j

Vintage Australiana on a Friday

I wanted to scan the last page of a recent House and Garden article, which talks about the incomparable Florence Broadhurst and her wallpapers.

The scanner has packed up though so I cannot show this, but take a look at the May House and Garden and see the article if you can!! Her vibrant hair matches the peacock wallpaper behind her desk. She is a design icon.

INSTEAD, here is my old crayon tin from childhood that my kids now use! Lots of Australian Birds, much-loved by collectors, but never for sale!



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Vintage Australiana - Skippy!

This may just be the scariest Little Golden Book I have ever read. Master 6 still won't look at it, and I don't blame him!

Tk, tk, tk - what's that Skip?

Yes, it is pretty bleak even for 1974!

Check out Mikes for more Skippy Australiana from Gemma!





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Vintage Australiana

In my family, there has always been room for rhyming slang. Australians have their own style - rather dry and bordering on offensive at times I guess, but all intended lovingly!

This extract is from a Book called "Aussie English - an explanation of the australian idiom" by John O'Grady, published in 1965.

To me this is Australiana - the language is great!!

Vintage Australiana or Knitting Kitsch?

Ok, so am I borrowing artistic licence in the use of the word vintage?? Vintage is bandied about these days but is a lovely word (evocative of a good glass of wine!!) I am classing 1984 as vintage, and to celebrate a female relative getting selected for the Olympics (yayy P!!) I am thrilled to display a recent op-shop find. Commonwealth Games or Olympics, this is certainly worthy! It may well become another Vintage Australiana contribution!





Well-worth the ten cent price tag!!

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A week of vintage Australiana

Pip over at Mike's has invited Gemma Jones to host a week of Australiana this week, and I have joined in because I can't help myself! Gemma also has heaps of fab apron stuff here. These will come in handy for the sassy summer apron swap.

This advert comes from an Australian Home Journal from the 1950s, uploaded here.


And this scarf just couldn't wait until later in the week and had to share the limelight with the tea ad. Look here for more travel scarves (and this one in context).

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