60 Minute Make-Over

Just checking in to my blog to show you a few of my finds from the weekend. Lucky for me, hubby offered to run my shop for me on Friday afternoon, so I was able to take myself off to the local showground for trade day at the antiques fair.

I soon met up with Sue there, and although we are generally looking for similar items to each other, we're always happy to help each other spend their money! ;-))

Our best find of the day was a large collection of unused French mother-of-pearl antique buttons, mostly all still on their original cards. The stallholder told us the price for each card, and then gave us another price for the whole collection. It was a bit of an outlay, but we decided to buy the whole lot and share it out between us, as it would be unlikely that we'd ever find such a huge collection as this again...

So picture the scene; it was getting late in the day and we needed to go our separate ways home. We bought one final cup of tea and sat at one of the wooden benches out on the tarmac. We spread the buttons out on the table in front of us and started matching up similar cards to share them and make it fair! Lots of oohing and ahhing went on as we discovered all of the designs of these little treasures. Half an hour later the sun was beginning to disappear and we had to speed up a bit(!)...we laughed as we imagined what people must be thinking of us sat there...but then realised that everyone had gone home! The place was deserted!

Hopefully they will be worth our investments...We headed for the exit, each with our bag of buttons, and for one short moment we thought we'd have to scale the fences, as it looked like the gates had been locked! Thankfully it wasn't necessary and we made it out without that drama. All that is left to do now, is for Sue and I to double check what each of us intends to charge for the cards, so that we don't undercut one another! ;-))

My other finds over the weekend included more sewing supplies, such as these colourful threads on old wooden spools.

Lots of antique lace to recycle...

I have several ideas that I need to get on with soon, ready for the Vintage Bazaar next month.

Some of my other purchases have already been squirreled away for this event.

This beautiful section of antique French quilt will be made into bags.

And finally, I'd like to introduce you to two lovely French ladies...

Two c1930's French boudoir dolls came from Lizzie and Jack, who were fresh from a few days away in France and had discovered these 'beauties' at a flea market.

Very wisely, (read crafty! - only joking Mrs. Washerwoman! ;-)) - Lizzie had cleverly priced the two dolls as a pair and that they 'needed' to sell together....

Yes, this one was a beauty...but her sister?...hmmmm...lets just say, she needed a bit of help...

I'm sure she was gorgeous in her day, but the years had not been kind and she had not aged gracefully! :)

Were dreadlocks ever a fashion statement of the 1930's?!

I didn't want to tamper with her too much, as I think its important that old things show their age... but she was rather overstretching that point!

I left the moth eaten silk gown alone, except to add a lace ruffled modesty panel to her chest. (I re-stuffed her saggy neck with fibre filler.)

I also managed to tease some of her matted wig into soft curls, which I stitched into place. Finally I added a floppy old millinery flower posy to her hair and gave her a pearl bead necklace.

I had promised to stop buying myself 'projects', as I have enough to do these days...but I enjoyed giving back some dignity to this old lady! :)

I am now sold! Thank you!
I'd also just like to mention a plea that has come from Dominique Swain, who is the economic regeneration officer for Shepton Mallet. Mendip council are looking for flea market/low value antiques stalls to add to the Friday market in and around the Market Place. More information can be found on Belinda's blog here.

Photo courtesy of Belinda at No.21

Have a great week,

Niki x