Tuesday, May 19, 2009

There's no studio time still, not with a busy little granddaughter visiting plus working hard to make beauty out of the chaos that is the dug up courtyard/backyard. But, on the way back from dropping off some videos yesterday, I stopped at the thrift shop. There was a potential new desk for William's room sitting out in front. The desk turned out to be too wobbly to bother with, but I found an entire box full of gorgeous tapestry, shinies, and velvet fabrics.

I spread it all out along Rosie's fence so you can see them. Not very good photos, but you can click to enlarge. A couple are small pieces, but most are two, three or even four yards. Nice big usable amounts. From the left: a half yard or so of paisley quilting cotton, larger amount of brown glossy tapestry, shiny blue - enough for a faery gown!

L to R: a plum floral Asian looking print, a shimmery burgundy with even more shinier polka dots, a .... dang, there's a name for this soft gloss pink cotton fabric but my brain is fried by the wind today and I can't remember...


A yard or two of midnight blue velvet, a heavy cotton floral (I'm thinking bags), some cranberry velvet, another tapestry piece in red and gold.


A small piece of satiny white, a gold and purple tapestry, a gold tapestry, and a deep burgundy with a golden shimmer.


Plus, dozens of handknit cotton wash cloths (and a couple of thick cotton hand towels) - these are the best for both kitchen and bath use.


Joli decided to make a nest of the blue fabrics. Isn't this what all us quilters and seamstresses swear we go home and do - roll around in our fabrics? When I called her name a muffled voice answered "I'm not in here!"


All bow to the Princess Joli!



"Luke, I am your father!"


"No Grammy. It's DADDY!"


She looks like a magical little flower.

I also found a couple decorative shelves for the wall, some night gowns, a couple skirts, a top and some glass blown earrings for Lisa and....

... this amazing green velvet dress for the faery festival. It's my size but the zipper just isn't gonna come together for me, I have a large rib cage. So Lisa's sister is gonna use it this year, and next year I think I'll refashion it into a corset and skirt for me.

All this for an embarrassingly small amount, practically pocket change. I love small town thrifting! Once I finally get finished with the garden and the painting and the cleaning and everything else on my to-do list, I've got all this great fabric to turn into .... well, the possibilities are endless. Anyone have any ideas?

1 comment:

Barbara Chojnacki said...

Great fabric find. Sorry I can't help with any suggestions; I have my own boxes of great fabrics I've won at my guild's teacup auctions over the years that I want to use so badly, just can't think of how! And I love that dress- it's YOU! Can you make a lace up back instead of the zipper?