I haven't updated in many months as I have been working full time in the city, and unfortunately Op Shopping has had to take a back seat.

My visits have been quick 'once arounds' as shops are about to close for the day, and I have been collecting mostly vintage bone china teacups, saucers and side plates, as well as the usual tablecloths and hand embroidered doileys.

And I am proud to announce that I have passed my love of Op Shopping and collecting beautiful things from the past on to my daughters who are 27 and 18, and they are now coming with me on the rare occasions we all have a Saturday morning off at the same time, to hunt out their own treasures.

Here are a few of my recent finds, which are not just stuck in the china cabinet, but are used daily for a delicious hot chocolate or relaxing cup of tea.

Presents from my Mum

My mum visited a month or so ago and brought me a couple of tablecloths that I remember using at home.  They were the 'Good' tablecloths that we used when we had visitors for dinner.

This mustardy coloured one used to make my brother and I giggle, because it was made of Hemp!

The next couple of photos are of tablecloths I bought years ago, probably from Doncare in Templestowe - they used to be my favourite haunt and was close enough that I could go there every couple of days for a quick look.

The one with the Fruit Basket is a smaller cloth, great for breakfasts for one and has cute fruit embroidered all over it - this one is machine embroidered but I just loved it.

The second cloth is a full sized tablecloth with beautiful hand embroidered pansy like flowers in dusty pinks.

Unfortunately I don't use these cloths as often as I should - one day (when I find the time to iron them properly) I will take a photo of them on my table, so you can see just how beautiful they are.

I have been M.IA.

Wow, it has been a long time since I last updated my blog.  Too many hours working and not enough time to do the fun things at the moment.

I have been Op Shopping in the last few weeks, but have bought mostly clothes for winter.  I will take a few pictures of my treasures and post an update soon.

Adventures in Upholstery.

Today was an adventure in upholstery.

My daughter Danielle had bought an old chair on Ebay and of course needed Mum to recover it and get it looking good as new. We couldn't find any vintage style material that would go with what she already had at home, so she settled on a plain blue. It doesn't show but the material has a really nice texture to it and she bought a beautiful patterned cushion to go with it as well.

First picture is how it looked before I started - the frame needs a good clean and a polish, but it is in great condition overall, no damage or cracks.

The second photo is after I made the calico covers for the foam cushioning. I used these covers as a template for the top covers.


Final picture is the finished product - I hope Dani is happy with it.

Cute Cups

Here are a few pieces of china that I have collected in the last couple of months. The Pink cup and saucer is part of a setting for 6 that I bought at Bairnsdale for just $5!




The cute cup with the duck on is just a single cup, and I think it might have been part of a childs teaset, as it is probably 1/3rd the size of a normal teacup. It was just too cute to leave behind.

Op Shopping at Ringwood and Croydon

I had a couple of hours off this afternoon, so decided it was time to do some Op Shopping.

First stop was the Salvo's store on Whitehorse Rd at Ringwood. It's a very clean and organised shop with lots and lots to look at. I bought a lovely cut glass cake plate and another glass cake stand and best of all a glass lemon/orange juicer. I think I will give the cake plates to my daughter Danielle, just passing on the love of vintage.

Of course my husband bought more books.

Next stop was the Brotherhood of St Laurence store in Croydon. Wow this store is just huge. It's a typical op shop, with stuff just everywhere, but it was great to try and find bargains. I thought the prices were a bit steep for glassware and decided to save my dollars for another day.

Guess what my husband bought?

Vintage Tablecloths

I have boxes and boxes of beautiful vintage tablecloths, afternoon tea cloths, doilies and serviettes. I just love all the hours of work that has gone into embroidering these, and even though they are many, many years old, they are so well made that they are still in use.