Tell us about your great crafting/sewing finds!

[Femme1]

I've noticed that there are a lot of people who sew and craft on this forum and I'd love to hear about your fun finds. My experience has been that most thrift shops don't sell fabric or sewing stuff anymore and very little crafting stuff. I have one source in my town that still is a wonderful place to find old vintage sewing stuff, yarn, fabrics, zippers, trims, old buttons, and knitting needles. (I have a friend who has a whole collection of vintage knitting needles!) I haven't bought a zipper from a JoAnn's for over 6 years now, and have enough vintage bias binding to stretch halfway across Indiana!

Share the wealth, y'all. Let us know about good places to pick up this kind of stuff, and share you stories about your finds.

[genuineimitation]

we have one thrift store that still stocks this type of thing. in fact, i got a load of satin ribbons from them this summer.. i used them to wrap my xmas packages! the spools seemed to have come from a dressmaker - always interested in the history of what i'm thrifting! i've still got plenty left over.

on the other hand.. i went to our new chic fabric store a few months ago and paid royally for a vintage button - cost me more than the fabric for the purse i was making (which i got from the thrift store for less than $2). i then proceeded to close the purse in the car door and shatter the button! i was so mad.. i haven't replaced it yet because i'm still peeved about not getting my money's worth out of that button!! i'm just going to pout about it for awhile..javascript:void(0);

anyway, i think that if the chic fabric store had found the spools of ribbon before me, they would have gottn them and marked them up. maybe i should try to sell them the leftover spools of ribbon so i can afford another button!

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

In the past I've found jars of interesting buttons, and some one-stroke decorative painting instructions (way, way cheaper than at the craft stores).

And for amusement value, I've been picking up old macrame and crochet books where the projects are... um... particularly creative. Today at the Goodwill I found a couple of gems that had me chuckling in the book section.

[SecondhandSophisticate]

So TSR, can we be expecting a macreme owl craft project from you any time in the near future? (wicked grin)

Ciao, Bella!
SeSo

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

Ha-- er, probl'y not.... but you can expect from me a humor post on macrame fish bowls...

Oh yes-- macrame fish bowls... And other unique decorating accessories.

You have to love the mindset that comes up with these things.

[SecondhandSophisticate]

I await your witty observations on macrame fishbowls, TSR! Who'd a thunk anyone would need such a thing?  But I guess in the 70s, everything was macramed, even grandma.

It was something for the little lady of the house to do, after she did her hair and make-up and made that night's dessert (right, Jay? ) but before she did her sewing.

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

Maybe AFTER she did her sewing. And after having a bit too much cooking sherry from the pantry.

[SecondhandSophisticate]

ROTFLMBO, TSR!  Do you think she read _The Feminine Mystique_ on the sly? Maybe kept it hidden behind the Wisk, used for those dirty "Rings around the Collar" that she so tried to scrub and rub out      Too bad she didn't have:

THRIFT THERAPY

[Femme1]

And she worried about "waxy yellow buildup"?

[Femme1]

I pick up a lot of vintage sewing books and pamphlets, and have used them for ideas and for patterns. Plus, there is the added benefit of strange pictures, for example: http://picasaweb.google.com/deborah.dechurch/Thrifting/photo#5151274185083236050
Daddy, do I have to get on the boat?

And speaking of strange vintage pattern photos, I have to share one of my favorite websites, Threadbared  http://weirdbabe.typepad.com/threadbared/ . Unfortunately, the two gals who were doing it closed it down a little while ago, but the site is still up and is a treasure trove of great vintage crafty photos from old sewing patterns and knitting pattern books.  Lots of great macrame, by the way! (The photo above was one I contributed to the site.)

They even got a book deal out of it; look for the Threadbared book, who knows, maybe in your favorite thrift store. I used to read the site every morning, and many times it resulted in a splattered computer screen from me spitting our my tea. (I know that didn't come out right, but you know what I mean.)   (By the way, can someone explain to me how to make a photo appear on the page? I followed the directions in the Help section, but it doesn't seem to work for me.)

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

Oh Threadbared was great-- I was a regular reader, too! And I also enjoyed StitchyMcYarnPants, which was similar for knitting/crochet, etc.

[alexandra]

I picked up a huge predominately yellow striped valance -- out of heavy drapery cotton.  it's already sewn with a white back, but with green checks on a portion that was probably designed to fold over.  It's not a rectangle and I don't have a big window for it.  I plan to cut it in half and then put a pocket on the even end.  Each angled end will hang down, and I will sweep each panel back on one side.  I plan on doing this on two windows -- one will draw back to the right and the other to the left.  Not bad for $3.98.

I'll post pictures once they are done.  I already have valances, so these will be on the bottom half of the window.  It was a shinier/chintz type fabric, that lost some of its lustre when I washed it, but I wash all my curtains.  I make sure to clean them periodically and anything I buy goes in the washing machine!

Oh yes, and a few months back I picked up a book with pictures I planned to use for decopauge or collage.  It was a first edition art book with stuff too nice to cut up.  I gave it as a Christmas present and the recipient was so touched by the book that he actually got teary and said it was the most thoughtful gift he'd received in ages.  It's funny how an inexpensive find can end up being a real treasure!

Thriftily,
Alexandra
www.livingwithoutmoney.blogspot.com

[Femme1]

Great score on the valance, Alexandra. Lately around here (southern Indiana) I haven't been seeing any really interesting curtains for sale, like I used to.  I do have a stash of neat atomic-looking curtain fabrics that I've collected over the years, and made roman blinds for my sewing/craft room out of some of them. I then repeated a weird gold leaf pattern from the blinds onto an accent wall with a handmade stencil. I'll upload a photo soon.

Of course, the paint came from our local solid waste/recycling center. I'm sure other communities have paint repositories when you can come in and get the leftover paint (oftentimes brand new cans) for free or for little cost.

[SecondhandSophisticate]

Oh yes, and a few months back I picked up a book with pictures I planned to use for decopauge or collage.  It was a first edition art book with stuff too nice to cut up.  I gave it as a Christmas present and the recipient was so touched by the book that he actually got teary and said it was the most thoughtful gift he'd received in ages.  It's funny how an inexpensive find can end up being a real treasure!

Alexandra, what a beautiful story!  And what a fantastic gift. My dear, you've got quite the eye...

[valleythriftshopper]

I used to find some nice vintage fabric, patterns & embroidery kits at the Sal. Army but apparently someone figured out that those items sell pretty well online so they don't seem to make it out to the floor anymore.  I got a nice Jacobean garden completed crewel embroidery picture with a frame for $5.00.  I have a small collection of framed crewel embroidery pictures, mostly Jacobean style. 

The best find I ever had was at one estate sale where they were trying to clear out a whole barn full of stuff.  They let me pick through the fabric & sewing stuff & fill up large cardboard boxes.  They sold the boxes of stuff for $10.00.  I got lots of fabric, vintage aprons, embroidery samplers etc.  I took home three boxes.

I would recommend yard sales to anyone who is looking for vintage sewing/craft stuff, you will usually get way more stuff for cheap!

Still having trouble putting pictures on the post.  I downloaded irfanview as someone mentioned which is great & easy to use.  Now instead of getting error messages that my file is too big, I get messages saying the uploader is full, try again later or contact adminstrator.  Seems to be a site problem that needs to be worked out!