Vintage Sale Loveliness

One of the best things about moving to the Bay of Plenty are the friends I have made in such a short time.
I met this small group of ladies by chance when one of them lived down the road from us in our first rental house. She invited me to coffee get-togethers with her friends and sewing mornings that are not sewing mornings, and this group of 3-4 women have just embraced me into their own circle and made me feel so welcome. They're beautiful women; smart and funny and warm and caring.

So this week, we saw in the local paper that there was a charity sale of retro and vintage fabrics/clothing and other goods at the Historic Village Hall here in Tauranga, and we all agreed to get up early and be in first - as long queues were almost a given. We had a list of what we wanted and we'd grab stuff for each other, and text so we could queue jump, if necessary. We were after some bargains!

When yesterday morning dawned cold and rainy and windy, I wasn't surprised when two of them pulled out and left two of us to brave the weather and the crowds.

We were one of the first, but when we arrived, there were already a carpark full of cars and people swarming into the hall. By the time we left, the queues were snaking through the building and the room was hot and sweaty and noisy and crowded. But I grabbed me some good stuff. I have been revelling in my 'finds'.

I love these little embroidered linen squares. I'm going to turn them into serviettes.

I found several things with the daintiest lace. I love old-fashioned lace. I know it's a dying art and one that I'd love to learn how to do myself. Who can forget Queenie out of Lark Rise to Candleford making her lace for the market?

Look at this beautiful laundry bag. I love it! It's the sort of thing my grandmother would have had hanging in her 'wash house'.

 

Here is a sweet little doily.

And a dainty tea-cosy - more for looks I think, than to keep a teapot warm.

One of my favourite things is this beautiful linen cloth - bought for 50c! I think its purpose is a teatowel, but it is so crisp and unsullied that I think it has probably sat in a cupboard for most of its life. I love the colours.

These French cloths remind me of my Nana.

So many pretty things. It's almost heartbreaking to think some woman's hours of hard work and love ends up on an indifferent, crammed sale table.

I bought about 5 linen tablecloths, with a price tag averaging around $6 each. I know for a fact that antique shops sell these for around the $40 mark, so I was rather thrilled to get them.

I found a lovely baby's jacket in pure wool, still with the tag 'Made in Great Britain' on it. I had thoughts of cutting it up for my woolen baby hats, but now..... I don't know. And a sweet little doll's apron from Harrods. Look!

And I really wanted to get a crochet blanket - they had several there, but this one cuaght my eye. Alice has claimed it as her own already!

We finished off with a civilised morning tea of cake and coffee before we shared an umbrella to make the dash back to our cars. It was a lot of fun. I'm planning on doing a giveaway with something soon - if I can decide on what I can bear to part with!