Tag Archives: op shopping

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.

Frighteningly Fruitful

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There are plenty of posts on this blog about bargains I have scored at op shops (thrift shops). However, sometimes I ponder how easy it is to not only find a surprise bargain but actually to go shopping with something specific in mind and find it secondhand. There is so much secondhand stuff yet so many people seem to still be consuming and buying new things at unprecedented levels.

A couple of days ago we were in a medium-sized town near where we live. There are at least 4 op shops and GMan decided to begin his hunt for some champagne flutes. These are not for us but for the local film society. He was hoping to source 12 glasses and was not particularly concerned if they were not absolutely identical.

Anyway, the first shop he tried yielded 7 suitable glasses and her found another 5 at the next shop he tried. They were all 50c each so for the princely sum of $6 we are able to give a dozen champane flutes to the film society to use.

Last week I picked up this cute tank top which will be perfect for hot days. A bargain at $2.50. I have white shorts but felt that it would look better with black shorts.

My last pair of black shorts were worn out and discarded last summer after about 12 years of wear. At the first shop I was idly glanced at the racks and spotted a pair of black shorts that turned out to be my size and look as though they have been barely worn. $5 and I now have exactly the addition to my wardrobe that I needed.

There is so much quality secondhand clothing and household goods available that I would encourage anyone to consider taking a look at secondhand goods through a variety of sources before rushing out to buy something new. You will be saving things potentially ending up in landfill, almost certainly be saving money and the planet.

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.

An Interstate Trip

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We live in Victoria and today we took a trip to New South Wales. The Murray River forms the majority of the border between these states and the southern bank is the actual border so once you are on the river you are technically in New South Wales.

Castlemaine is about 20 minutes drive from home and the railway station there is on the main line from Melbourne to Echuca. When we catch the train it is generally to Melbourne but today we headed about 130km north to Echuca.

About 18 months ago regional travel was made significantly cheaper so with our seniors fares we can travel all day for a mere $5.30. However, this week is Seniors Week and there is free travel anywhere in the state for seniors. We noticed that we we not the only ones taking a day trip to Echuca.

It is about 1.5km walk from the station to the old river port historical precinct. It was a gloriously sunny day and we stopped along the way to admire some of the old buildings and beautiful gardens. Many buildings have plaques which provide great information about the history and previous uses of the buildings.

lunch in one of the many cafes we headed down to the wharf for a cruise of a paddlesteamer. The river seems so benign but we know that this is not always the case. In fact, almost exactly 2 years Echuca endured on of the worst floods on record with the river peaking about 7 metres higher than the level it is at today.

One several paddlesteamers which offer short cruises from the Echuca wharf.

The PS Pevensey at the wharf. This was the one we went on.

The PS Pevensey was rebranded as the Philadelphia for a starring role in the 1983 television miniseries, ‘All The Rivers Run’ and this room included various pieces of memorabilia from the series which was one of my favourites.

Finally, another traveller kindly offered to take our photo on the boat.

No day out is complete without an ice-cream so we indulged on our way back to the train.

During our walking around the town, I spotted an op shop at the Anglican church and they had a terrific selection of cotton fabrics in large and small pieces. I was quite restrained but did pick up these for $5.

Before we knew it we were back at the station where the train was waiting for us.

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.

A Successful Search

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I think I have managed to collect enough suitable fabric for my next patchwork project.

This was a fitted bassinet sheet that I spotted in the op shop yesterday.

I unpicked it and salvaged the elastic.

My basket of new and used elastic of various types and lengths. It is surprising how often it yields just what I need.

Some of the squares have been cut up and added the collection and I will do the rest tomorrow.

The newest pieces are in the bottom right-hand corner. I am looking forward to making a start on the sewing before too long.

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.