My Little Red Bag

 I can't believe I went out looking for a vintage suitcase...

 and came home with this beautiful little red bag, in excellent condition, for $3!

 It even has the little key still!

 Perfect for taking my wares to bouts.  

These are the shorts I made from my last op-shop finds.

 The new batch of singlet prints turned out great.

And these are some more great fabrics (op-shop, of course!) that are clean and waiting on the rack to become more shorts.

And to top it off, I found this 'naughty gangster' two piece costume at the op-shop, for half price!  

Best day ever!

A Piece of Quiet

Yay!  School holidays are over!  So what did I do with my first 'piece of quiet' (as Big O says) time in 2 1/2 weeks?  Well, I vacuumed a hole in the mess just big enough to lay out some fabric, and started cutting.

Orange booty shorts ($1 cotton lycra from the op-shop) with fluorescent paint splatter ruffles (a re-fashioned 50c tank top), and a cupcake mini ruffle skirt.

 More shorts from this cool random fabric, a secondhand men's t-shirt.

 A sample of all the ruffly shiny stripy glittery derby shorty things I have been working on for sale at bouts.

And because I have to rush out to start work at 4, a cold platter for the kids dinner, anything to make it easier for the White Cloud!
  Check out more creative spaces over at Kootoyoo :)

In Appreciation of Old Men

I got this hideous cardigan for $1.  

100% lovely soft wool, and hand-knitted as well.

It reminds me of old men.

Old men who have worked hard their whole lifetime.

My father, who didn't get enough time to enjoy being an old man.

My Pa, my Grandpa. 

The Panda who works away, works on the weekend, comes home, helps with the housework and spends on-on-one time with each of the kids.

 

I hope my boys grow up and enjoy being old men surrounded by their families.

In appreciation of all the men we love, go give your Dad a cuddle, phone your Grandpa, squeeze your son, kiss your hubby!
(Thanks go to Big S for taking photos for Mum!)

$1 Fridays

Glass fruit bowl $1.  I love summer fruit!

$1 Fridays

Today on $1 Fridays I picked up a pair of curtains for $4 (but it works out to less than $1per metre!)  I couldn't resist the adorable print.  Look at Aussie James wearing his little rollerskates and posing next to a kangaroo.  And Father Bear is wonderful too.  I'm thinking I might make some library bags and art smocks to give as gifts for the spawns friends' birthdays.  (Hmmnn... maybe I should have ironed them, but I got so excited!)

One Dollar Friday

I love $1 Fridays!  Anyone who wants the address of my favourite everything $1 opshop is more than welcome to e-mail me.

 Today I have scored a rainbow dress for Spawnette, a cute 'Roxy' t-shirt which just so happens to be in one of my rollerderby league's team colour, an embroidered silk dupion handbag, and a revolting fluro singlet.
Why the revolting singlet?  Ha ha, check back with me in a day or two and all will be revealed!

Feeling Hopeful

I went down to the city on the weekend with a few of my - I was going to say 'girlfriends', but it doesn't do them justice, hmmnn... lets start again.
  I went down to the city on the weekend with a few mighty women I love for their resilience and intelligence, for some op-shopping and lunch.
It was a lovely day, and when I reviewed my haul in the evening I felt hopeful.

Hopeful that I will be able to forego TV and use my quiet evenings alone reading a beautiful story I have been wanting to read for a while.
Hopeful that the sun will soon be shining and I will be able to wear my new cute ($2!) sandals.
Hopeful that my black rice will be delicious, and I will be able to make my own version of my favourite multigrain rice (the shop that stocked it closed down :( )

We also have a caravan and annex on our front yard!  We have the use of Mum and Dad's caravan now, and I am hopeful of happy sunny family holidays.  Just seeing that rolled up annex door is a picture of happiness for me.  Summer holidays with family and friends are some of my warmest carefree memories, and putting all the worry aside, that is one thing that I would like to give my children.
  

Sunny Days

 The weather is slowly improving, and the grass is soooo green!  The White Cloud entertains the spawn old-school style, which I love (and so do they).

 

Big S loves his 'Lightning McQueen' jumper, which cost his Nona $30, and he is forever trying to pick it out of the washing.  When I found this plain black jumper for $3.50 I had the idea to applique it with some offcuts from the quilt I made for him, and Voila!  A second favourite jumper. 

 I tried to get a good picture, but everyone had to get in on the action, as usual!

When I have a scattered brain, I find a good rummage soothing.  It must be the primal drive to forage and gather, but it does help me chill out when I have too much on my mind.  I'm lucky that the op-shop down the road has everything $1 in big bins, perfect for rummaging.

 Today I got a green top, and Astro Boy t-shirt, and a 100% wool hand crocheted retro poncho.  I don't know where I would ever wear it, but I couldn't resist all that hard work for only $1!  I might find a friend who would like it.  I also got a big bag of covered coathangers for $2, I'm not sure why.

Super Jiffy!

I may not ever use this pattern, I just like the simplicity of the toys, no batteries, sirens, or pieces that break off in the first five minutes.  And the fact that they suggest they can be made from 'gay' fabric.

  

I also love this pattern, its only got one main pattern piece, and according to instructions can be made in a "super jiffy"!  Fabulous!  The model is definitely looking pretty chipper about that, and I might make one up for derby in summer, if I'm not put off by the ever-present threat of giving myself a mega wedgie every time I raise my arms.

 

Finally, I kinda sheepishly really like this vest.  Its all hand worked, and what a gnatty collar!

My Creative Space

THE WHITE CLOUD came over to give me an hour sanity break, so naturally I went straight to the op-shop to find some things to play with!  (Clockwise from top left)

1. Retro belt, perfect to wear with my royal blue 'Screamstress' jumpsuit.
2. Skulls nightie, begging to be made into a flip skirt, for roller derby.
3. Post-menopausal striped top in lovely soft cotton, perfect for derby shorts. (Already completed last night! See previous post)
4. Lime green nylon kids tights that looks so much like "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" that I hardly have a choice BUT to make them into caterpillars.
5. Fabulous huge black glossy buttons for plush squids' eyes.
6. Red with green flowers singlet top. 

For lots of other creative ideas, go on over to kootooyoo!

The Long and the Shorts of It

 This top was an ugly shape, but the fabric was a vibrant stripe in a beautiful soft yet thick cotton. 

 

One pattern piece, two seams and a waistband later, perfect roller derby shorts!

 In summer I cut the legs off some 50c jeans to make shorts.  I know fabric has no feelings, but I always feel bad for the cut-off, cast-off, out-cast pieces. 

 This time it was a good thing, because I whipped them up into jeans for Little S!  (Mess in background model's own)

Retro Sheet Party Dress

The party dress fashioned out of one of my retro sheet finds turned out pretty well, of course it pales in comparison to this little girl I'm madly in love with!

The "Jennifer Love-Hewitt" pose...

and I just thought this one was funny!   Adoption day at the barefoot orphanage!

The Panda is Back!

There's no petrol in my car, even though I haven't driven it, my last breakfast fruit has been moved or eaten, and it looks as though a raccoon has scattered the clean washing all over my bed.  No, no raccoons, the Panda is back!

I love that he's back, but I got so much sewing done while he was away!  Three long sleeve tops with my op-shop fabric,

and I finished off my "Cuddle-fish".  At first I thought "what the?  I've created the ugliest, oddest thing, I'm not sure I can give it to a baby".  Turns out though, it is kind of cuddly, and the spawn have taken to it.  Now for some reason I'm thinking 'tadpoles'.  Don't ask how the mind of a Screamstress works, cos nobody knows :).

Gotta Love a Card Playing Squid!

I don't know... Flattie the Happy Flounder turned out a little bit odd... he might have to find a special person who can love him the was he is.

I picked up this deck of playing cards for $1 at the op-shop, just as I was leaving, thinking that the spawn might use them for counting games.  What a surprise I got when I discovered the beautiful pictures!  I was a bit worried when I first saw the 'amphibious' suite, I thought "What are those?", then I realized they were spawn! (and tadpoles)  Ha! Ha!  Also, gotta love a card playing squid!

Retro Sheet Fever!

I have been inspired by blogs like Fox's Lane , The Doily and Wardrobe Refashion to think about old sheets in a new way, and I was incredibly lucky today to have found four gorgeous retro sheets for only $2.50 each!  The cotton is a lovely weight and quality, and will look fantastic as a border print children's dress, or indeed an adult sundress.

Hot Scones!

I hate the cold.  I lose feeling in my hands and feet, the spawn drive me crazy and tear up the house, I'm forced to wear lots of hideous bulky clothes and usually end up doing the dishes in my slippers, a polar fleece vest and tracksuit pants to keep warm.  So instead of whinging, (whoops! too late!)  I thought I'd share some good things.

1.  I like winter food.  I love chucking ingredients in a casserole dish and running the oven for 2 or 3 hours.  The house is warm, and the casserole is delicious!   I also like serving soup for dinner.  I discovered this delicious, cheap and easy recipe for Cheese and Garlic Scones, which is perfect on the side (add more garlic and only 3/4 cup of milk though).

2. I found this beautiful fabric in the op-shop, but didn't buy it because I was trying to be frugal.  I went back a week or two later, and it was on the $2 rack!

3.  I have an 80's theme do to go to.  So I got a maternity jumper from the op-shop and chopped off the sleeves to be leg warmers.  Then I felt bad about wasting the body part, so I re-aligned the side seams and cut the neck into an off-the-shoulder style.  One fab costume done!

Ugly Old Men's T-Shirts

Recycling old fabric is a fantastic cheap way to get your hands on some funky and unusual fabrics.  I have always loved the thrifty mentality of mending or re-using something you already have.  Some of my favourite bloggers do the same, check out this cool printed tea-towel cushion, and this cute smurfy linen/fabric.

One of my favourite ways of re-cycling is to get an ugly old man's t-shirt (I'm describing the t-shirt, not the former owners, who are probably quite nice) with a cool print.  This idea came from a t-shirt I bought the panda for a costume party.  He never wore it, but I loved the 80's emu print and couldn't throw it away.  After a few months of looking at it, I re-shaped it into a ladies t-shirt, and I loved the result!

The pattern I use is one I made myself, it has a deep v front and back, and you just lay out the pattern piece and cut - the existing sleeve seam forms a cute cap sleeve effect.

I now keep my eyes out for cool (or just odd) prints on t-shirts, like this "Ballan Skate Park" t-shirt I got from my favourite $1 bin.

Bursting Bounty

So, bargain finds. I managed to find a bra at the op-shop, new with tags, for $3! It fits perfectly, in fact the only problem is that it closes at the front, and as I look down at that pretty plastic silver clasp it seems a likely possibility of popping and my bounty bursting forth. And then I'm saddened, because I remember that after feeding three spawn and losing all the weight, I no longer have bursting bounty. The worst that could happen now is a small swaying forth of my redundant bosom - which is, after all, not so bad. So I will wear my bargain bra, and find other ways of busting forth.