Category Archives: op shop

Sewing Skills

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I am not a professional seamstress or dressmaker but I do have reasonable sewing skills and am always ready to turn my hand to a bit of upcycling. It was with these skills in mind that I picked up a couple of things at the op shop today.

I spotted (pardon the pun) a cute pair of pyjamas which look as though they have never been worn. I love the colour and pattern plus the fact that they are 100% cotton. I bought them without trying them on as I knew that there are multiple ways to use the fabric.

Well, the shirt is a great fit so that is a win.

The bottoms need a little bit of work to make them perfect but I am confident that with some simple alterations I will have a brand new set of pyjamas for the princely sum of $4 plus a bit of time and handiwork from me.

I have removed the waist elastic which was too soft and obviously perished. Perhaps, these have been sitting in someone’s cupboard and unworn for an extended period of time. I am going to turn them into boxer shorts rather than mid-calf length trousers. This will give me enough excess fabric to make them a bit wider at the sides as well as extending the length of the crotch. I will use my existing pattern as a guide for these adjustments.

I also scored this collarless men’s shirt for $3. It is 100% linen and there is plenty of fabric for me to unpick it and remake into another summer linen top for myself. I can’t have too many sleeveless linen tops while the temperature continues to hover around 35C and above.

Two More Tops

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A few days ago we went to Castlemaine to meet some friends for lunch. We had a couple of other things to do and still had a bit of time to kill so I popped into one of my favourite op shops.

I came away with 2 tops. The first one is a favourite shade of green so was difficult to resist. I have no idea of any details about it as there are no labels. No brand, size, composition or washing instructions but it fitted beautifully and I love it.

The second is a simple fitted grey tshirt from Country Road. I like the idea of a plain top as it will go with some of the patterned bottoms that I have. It will also be useful as an extra layer in cooler weather. Something that does double-duty is a perfect addition to the wardrobe.

Change It Up

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I had been contemplating the destiny of this shirt for a while. It is a black linen one that I made and has cute ladybird buttons. I really only wore it with my ‘ladybird’ pants – a pair of red cotton drill trousers with large black spots. They were good while they lasted but have since been moved on from my wardrobe.

I had decided to change the buttons to black ones to make the shirt more wearable with other outfits. However, yesterday I picked up a pair of lovely black and white patterned trousers at the op shop which solidified my plans for the shirt.

After a quick search of my buttons collection I found some that I knew would work perfectly.

Here is the complete outfit which I am really pleased with.

Feeling Accomplished

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Today I have completed 2 sewing tasks that I have been working on recently.

The first is a shirt for my daughter using a pattern and fabric which she provided. The linen fabric was a delight to work with as was the pattern which came together beautifully. I am really pleased with the result.

The other was a skirt which I spotted at the op shop a few days ago. The colours caught my eye initially and although it was supposedly my size the waistband was much too small. For $3.50 it was definitely worth buying and refashioning. I removed the side zip and recreated the waistband with it flat at the front and elasticated at the back. I am looking forward to wearing this as the weather warms up.

Finding Fabric

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Yesterday we went to Castlemaine which is a larger town about 15 minutes drive from home. GMan needed to buy more bread flour and pick up a reserved book from the library. We also visited the hardware and landscaping supplier to check out our requirements for upcoming projects but more on those another time.

As we had plenty of time and no deadlines to meet we also wandered through 4 different op shops. Some yielded nothing but I had a couple of wins.

Two different pieces of fabric.

This one is earmarked to make a polo shirt for GMan. I used to make them all the time but haven’t done so for a number of years. He really likes the colour and it is a nice weight fabric.

Another piece for my red and black patchwork project. It is probably more than I will need so will be good for making bags.

I could not pass up a blue and white summer top.

The whole lot set me back $7 and it is always fun to poke around and check out what is available.

In other news, the work on the pantry is progressing and the replacement of the front fence will be starting tomorrow too. There will be updates and photos later in the week.

Shopping Success

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Today we did some grocery shopping in Bendigo as well an appointment I had to attend. I took the chance to check out a couple of op shops. Additionally, we went to Castlemaine to the library and a couple more op shops there, too.

GMan scored this spotless single cup percolator for $3. Apparently you cannot own too many devices for making coffee. I would not know as I do not drink coffee.

I found this sleeveless summer dress for $5. It is 100% linen and has pockets – perfect for when the hot weather strikes.

This is a men’s shirt but I am planning to remake it into a cool summer top for myself. $3 for the lovely strong cotton fabric is a bargain.

I also picked up a couple more shirts and a doona cover which will be perfect for one of my patchwork projects. I won’t need all of the doona cover so I will be able to use it in making carry bags which I am making for the local Community Pantry. It is good to be able to offer people a strong reusable bag when collecting some essential groceries.

Op Shop Finds

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It is hard to believe that it is a week since my last post. There has been plenty happening, including committee meetings, a friend’s milestone birthday party, family visiting from interstate as well as lunch with a group of extended family. PHEW!!

On Saturday we were out and about with our visitors and had fun checking out a few op shops in our travels. I had a couple of small wins with the spatula ($1) at one shop and 3 more of my favourite jars (50c each) at another.

The spatula shows very little sign of previous use and the metal handle means that I can safely prop it on the side of the pan.

The jars are my some of my favourites when making jams or chutneys as well as for general storage. The wide neck and straight sides make them simple to fill using a wide-necked funnel and also easy to scrape out the last of the contents.

Winter Winners

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We were out and about today in a town about 40 minutes drive from home. The purpose of our visit was see 2 different exhibitions about nursing and midwifery which were of particular interest to me. One was in the local museum so we also saw other local historical memorabilia. We also caught up with some extended family at a local cafe.

Since we were walking down the street between venues I spotted an op shop so we decided to check it out. They had a lovely selection which was nicely displayed. GMan found a white tshirt which had been on his ‘to buy’ list so I was just idly waiting while he tried it on when I spied a coat. It was red. Be still my beating heart.

This vintage red duffle coat is all I could have hoped for. It is wool/cashmere blend, fully lined, made in Australia from Italian fabric. A perfect fit and cost me $20.

It has definitely been a successful week of op shopping. When we were in Bendigo on Wednesday I bought a red wool blend jumper for $6 which also appears to be a vintage piece as well as a long sleeve shirt which is white with navy spots in a soft cotton fabric for the princely sum of $2.50. It will be more suitable for spring than winter, though.

My other purchase which does not rate a photograph was a king-size doona cover for $8 which I unpicked so that I could use the back of it for the backing of the recently finished patchwork quilt. I took that to be quilted today so I should be able to show you the finished product in a week or so.

Some Sewing

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In my last post I promised that I would share a bit more about the French-themed event.

It was a film night at Maldon Golden Movies, our local community film society, where there was a screening of the 2021 film, Delicious. While GMan and I had actually seen it previously, it was fun to have the hall set up cabaret-style and provide some French-inspired nibbles including galettes and quiches from the local bakery.

I did not manage to get a photo in my full French outfit but this photo shows the navy trousers, Breton top and shoes that I teamed with the red beret which I shared previously. It drew many comments but the interesting thing is that apart from the beret, they are simply regular clothes from my wardrobe. I actually picked up the trousers and top in op shops late last year and have both become some of the most worn items in my wardrobe.

I made 8 white tablecloths from 2 sets of good quality cotton sheets which I sourced from the local op shop. These are bound to see numerous uses in the future as the format of the evening was very well received.

Hemmed, pressed and ready to go.

Tables set and patrons ready to enjoy the movie.

Some New Additions

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Today we headed to Bendigo which is about 30 minutes from home. My mission was to collect a portable hanging rack that I had found on Marketplace. I wanted one that would be suitable for taking to the weekly LETS market that I could use to display bags and other items for sale. This one is perfect as it is telescopic and the height can be about 800mm when collapsed or extended to hold full-length garments if required. It is also easy to transport without disassembling it entirely.

While we were out and about and with no time constraints I checked out a few op shops that I had not been to previously.

I was fortunate to find a pair of black canvas casual shoes which appear to be unworn. They have a decent sole and are well-padded so a good buy at just $7. Whilst they are not required right now in the summer, I can see plenty of wear for them with jeans once autumn arrives.

I found this pretty blue linen top which is significantly oversized despite being marked as ‘Small’. There is a lot of fabric in it and I am planning to refashion it to a different style.

We also went to a native plant nursery where we bought 9 shrubs and groundcovers. I think tomorrow might be a day in the garden. More about those once they are planted.