So much to tell you all about....where do I start??

Okay, my starting point will be dictated by what I can upload to this blog. Actually I want to precede any photos by grumbling a bit about my inability to comment on comments which are part of my blog.  For some un-earthly reason I could not post my comment responding to Shazza.  Shazza if you are reading this, I am really pleased you like my blog and if you are ever planning a trip to Dunedin I would be very happy to give you a tour of the opshops. 

Right, its taken me nearly quarter of an hour to NOT upload any photos - directly to the blog or via Picasa.  So I am just going to leap in!

I only managed to visit one opshop this week - the St Vincent de Paul.  I scampered along Knox Row on Thursday lunchtime and was delighted to discover a shirt in a sort of Laura Ashley print of dark teal, burgundy kind of colours on the swivel rack at the back where trendy or retro clothes are hung.  This very same rack has retro looking items on it, and abhorations of fashion with labels from Classic Clothing on the one hand and Next on the other.  In amongst the vile mesh tops with sequins and ruffles, the done to death chinese prints, or early 20th century French advertising slogans (or words which imitat such slogans) one can find a jewel.  This swivel rack is a recent addition to the store.  For some reason the clothes hangers on this rack never sit right, and I am always re-hanging items.  Immediately adjacent to it, is the old retro clothing rack which has had some items on it for a month or more.  One that springs to mind is a truly ugly pair of pyjama pants.  I think the sign also implies that the clothing might be suitable for dress ups or parties.  Clearly pyjamas are not required by Dunedin students.  There is also a vision of yellow loveliness which was once a stunning bridesmaid dress or better.  It has several yards of flower trim in a daisy style adorning the square neckline and the puff sleeves.  It could be bought for the flowers alone, if it were not priced at $10.  However, in amongst the usual suspects I noticed what seemed like a purple version of etoile de jouey.  Better than the common vistas of 18th century lads and lasses perched on benches and playing with a puppy or picking flowers, this one is a figure leading two horses or mules through a forest and a sleigh.  The figure is wearing what looks like fur type clothing and a hat and it has a Scandinavian or Russian mood. 

In the time it has taken me to type this last paragraph, only one photo has been uploaded to Picasa.  At this rate it will be Christmas so I will plough on with the words and hope that you can make pictures in your head.

So, I scored two very different tops this week for the princely sum of $6.  Then, by pure chance I discovered something which made my heart sing and skip.  At a garage sale in Port Chalmers I was literally scavenging in a bag on the floor at the bottom of a shelf of overpriced linen, when I discovered 4 books of fabric samples.  The colours are fantastic.  I have never seen some of these colour combinations before.  Oh, yes my dear reader it is polyester from Germany.  Each sample was stapled to a card saying Mayer & Cie, Mashinefarbic 7477 Tailfingen.  The Chinese man who was running the sale [in a building which was not a garage but more like a storage unit] wanted $5 per book of samples.  With 11 samples in each book, I decided to barter, on the basis that I wanted 3 books, and in one several of the samples had been cut.  So, I got three books (a total of 32 samples in all) for $10.  I have already catalogued and photographed each sample and will do some googling soon to find out more about Trevira and Tribola and other such things. 

Oh my stars, uploading from Picasa is a picasa cake!!!  Look!!!!

 I am not sure how much you can see of the colours but the brightest pieces are on the left hand side - yellow and purple and orange and green, orange and brown, turquoise and red, blue and khaki. 

This is the label - now I have uploaded visual proof I am off to do some googling.  Have you had a good day today?  Have you discovered some vintage treasure or bought yourself a treat?  Do you love the polyester or do you loathe it?  Yes, it does smell musty and yes, some of the colours are nothing short of hideous, but what a find.  It is my Sutton Hoo silver.  Happy Queens Birthdaty everyone!!