Polka dots and spinning tops is a visual diary of Penny-Rose: op-shopped/thrifted outfits, re-fashioned clothing, sewing trials and tribulations, searches, purchases and reviews of Dunedin op shops.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Op shopping article on stuff.co.nz
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/blogs/are-we-there-yet/5844125/Savvy-op-shopping
Just read this article on op-shopping. It covers some of the standard ethical issues which I have confronted: the biggest for some being "did this belong to a dead person". Good to see that mainstream media is covering alternative fashion themes such as vintage and opshopping and not just regurgitating the lovely, but expensive NomD, Karen Walker, Deadly Ponies (all NZ designers) as sources of key wardrobe pieces.
Personally, I do not have a favourite item - there are too many to choose from. I do not subscribe to the "key" pieces philosophy either, I just wear what I like and what makes me feel good. Some days I make sure I am completely matchy matchy from head to toe, others I like to strike a chord in contrast. I have noticed that my work clothing style is definitely more "out there" than my colleagues, but is still acceptable in a semi-corporate education/health
Just read this article on op-shopping. It covers some of the standard ethical issues which I have confronted: the biggest for some being "did this belong to a dead person". Good to see that mainstream media is covering alternative fashion themes such as vintage and opshopping and not just regurgitating the lovely, but expensive NomD, Karen Walker, Deadly Ponies (all NZ designers) as sources of key wardrobe pieces.
Personally, I do not have a favourite item - there are too many to choose from. I do not subscribe to the "key" pieces philosophy either, I just wear what I like and what makes me feel good. Some days I make sure I am completely matchy matchy from head to toe, others I like to strike a chord in contrast. I have noticed that my work clothing style is definitely more "out there" than my colleagues, but is still acceptable in a semi-corporate education/health
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Saturday update including a photo taken with "photo booth"
We have a new computer at home - a lovely iMac - which I get to play on in the evenings with Dear 10yo is in bed. I get to update my blog and explore Trademe.
I forgot to take a picture of myself in my Welsh inspired outfit yesterday, for RWC Friday, and now the final is tomorrow and it all seems like I have been behind the 8 ball a bit. Anyway, I wore a red $2 skirt from Butterflies, my beloved white dinner shirt with a huge triple strand of pearls with an enormous blingy rose on it ($4 from Equip in a sale of course) and the lovely reproduction Princess of Wales engagement ring.
My circuit of the op shops was brief this week due to the rather inclement weather. I did score a bag full of things from the Yellow Shop - to be displayed later. Now the rain has cleared I have been carefully washing polyester dresses. Last night I looked through my book on Vivienne Westwood and was inspired this morning to wear my Marilyn tee shirt which I slashed and cut myself into something more fetching. 10 yo asked "is that Madonna?" and I replied tersely in the negative!! Madonna copied Marilyn (and Marlene for that matter). Is n't this an iconic image??
I found this in the men's section of the St Vincent de Paul - buried under beer teeshirts ~ $2. I love the fact that she was so feminine and here she is slapped on the front of a men's cotton tee shirt.
I forgot to take a picture of myself in my Welsh inspired outfit yesterday, for RWC Friday, and now the final is tomorrow and it all seems like I have been behind the 8 ball a bit. Anyway, I wore a red $2 skirt from Butterflies, my beloved white dinner shirt with a huge triple strand of pearls with an enormous blingy rose on it ($4 from Equip in a sale of course) and the lovely reproduction Princess of Wales engagement ring.
My circuit of the op shops was brief this week due to the rather inclement weather. I did score a bag full of things from the Yellow Shop - to be displayed later. Now the rain has cleared I have been carefully washing polyester dresses. Last night I looked through my book on Vivienne Westwood and was inspired this morning to wear my Marilyn tee shirt which I slashed and cut myself into something more fetching. 10 yo asked "is that Madonna?" and I replied tersely in the negative!! Madonna copied Marilyn (and Marlene for that matter). Is n't this an iconic image??
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Salvation Army Store, Main Street (State Highway 1), Milton, Otago, New Zealand
Last Friday, I cajoled my family in to a trip to the Whale Fossil at Milburn and then to visit Milton, which is about 1 hour down the main highway.
It was a misty, Scottish sort of day, and my 9yo was reluctant to say the least...."is there a skateboard/scooter park?", "where are we going?", "Why are we going to....". Those of you with offspring will understand, and those without may have nieces and nephews and can imagine a conversation along these lines.
Well, the Whale Fossil Lookout at Milburn Lime Quarry is amazing. As the name suggests there is a lookout and you can see all the way to Dunedin - well almost. There is a stunning view of Lake Waihola and the Sinclair Wetlands. At the lookout is a display of pictures of the quarry going back to the turn of the century before last, with men wearing hats and carrying shovels, small trains specially designed to pull wagons of lime and the like. There is also a display (carefully protected) of some amazing fossils found in the quarry and carefully excavated by the Geology Department at the University of Otago. My daughter was amazed that the top of the hill - the quarry pit, used to be at the bottom of the sea!!
Despite not doing very much at the lookout, we were all very hungry and set the controls of Avie our, family traveling wagon towards Milton, only to be distracted momentarily by a sign saying "Garage Sale" immediately beside the turnoff to the quarry. Half an hour later we were debating the merits of a St John Ambulance Caravan for sale which we imagined parked in our quarter acre paradise!!
Cafe Lola provided us with much needed sustenance and I have to say that the cheese rolls were exceptionally tasty. Across the road was one of those antique shops which you feel compelled to enter even though you know you cannot afford to spend anything. My family departed after about 1 minute concerned about the possibility of breakage or boredom. I navigated amongst the un-exceptional antique furniture towards a display of fine furs only to have my path to the jewelry counter blocked by a local chatting to the store owner. Neither seemed interested in me - so I left in disgust.
On exiting the (w)antique store (sorry only NZ readers may get that joke) I made a bee-line for the Salvation Army Store. As a relatively serious thrifter, I know that if invited "out the back" to peruse items which are not yet in the store, you have made it. As I scanned through some vintage patterns, I chatted to the two lovely ladies who were going through the recent stock. One held up a purple, yellow and orange hibiscus print dress and was possibly about to say "I would not be seen dead in this" when I gasped - OH MY GOD that is GORGEOUS! Alas, it was a size 20 and with a pleated skirt there was no chance I could modify it to suit my needs. That was when the door opened, well, the flycurtain was pulled aside and I was invited to look "in the back". Oh Reader I could have moved in, and made myself at home :-)
I restrained myself to two polyester dresses @$3.50, seven sewing patterns @ 50 cents each and a cute kitten vase. Photos of the patterns below and of the other treasures to appear soon!
It was a misty, Scottish sort of day, and my 9yo was reluctant to say the least...."is there a skateboard/scooter park?", "where are we going?", "Why are we going to....". Those of you with offspring will understand, and those without may have nieces and nephews and can imagine a conversation along these lines.
Well, the Whale Fossil Lookout at Milburn Lime Quarry is amazing. As the name suggests there is a lookout and you can see all the way to Dunedin - well almost. There is a stunning view of Lake Waihola and the Sinclair Wetlands. At the lookout is a display of pictures of the quarry going back to the turn of the century before last, with men wearing hats and carrying shovels, small trains specially designed to pull wagons of lime and the like. There is also a display (carefully protected) of some amazing fossils found in the quarry and carefully excavated by the Geology Department at the University of Otago. My daughter was amazed that the top of the hill - the quarry pit, used to be at the bottom of the sea!!
Despite not doing very much at the lookout, we were all very hungry and set the controls of Avie our, family traveling wagon towards Milton, only to be distracted momentarily by a sign saying "Garage Sale" immediately beside the turnoff to the quarry. Half an hour later we were debating the merits of a St John Ambulance Caravan for sale which we imagined parked in our quarter acre paradise!!
Cafe Lola provided us with much needed sustenance and I have to say that the cheese rolls were exceptionally tasty. Across the road was one of those antique shops which you feel compelled to enter even though you know you cannot afford to spend anything. My family departed after about 1 minute concerned about the possibility of breakage or boredom. I navigated amongst the un-exceptional antique furniture towards a display of fine furs only to have my path to the jewelry counter blocked by a local chatting to the store owner. Neither seemed interested in me - so I left in disgust.
On exiting the (w)antique store (sorry only NZ readers may get that joke) I made a bee-line for the Salvation Army Store. As a relatively serious thrifter, I know that if invited "out the back" to peruse items which are not yet in the store, you have made it. As I scanned through some vintage patterns, I chatted to the two lovely ladies who were going through the recent stock. One held up a purple, yellow and orange hibiscus print dress and was possibly about to say "I would not be seen dead in this" when I gasped - OH MY GOD that is GORGEOUS! Alas, it was a size 20 and with a pleated skirt there was no chance I could modify it to suit my needs. That was when the door opened, well, the flycurtain was pulled aside and I was invited to look "in the back". Oh Reader I could have moved in, and made myself at home :-)
I restrained myself to two polyester dresses @$3.50, seven sewing patterns @ 50 cents each and a cute kitten vase. Photos of the patterns below and of the other treasures to appear soon!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Something to make you smile
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| Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book 1956 This is in the style of a folder with tabbed section - 50 cents from Butterflies |
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| The graphics in this book are gorgeous |
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| The three-headed woman is my favorite. |
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Zip roses to be made into brooches
Like many of the bloggers I follow, I try to re-use items and re-make something new from something old. One project I have seen on a number of sites, too many to mention, is the use of old metal zips. At the Port Chalmers School Garage Sale I bought a large number of zips for 20 cents. Some are old and some are the more modern plastic teeth. Last weekend when it was lovely and hot and sunny I sat outside under my umbrella and made my first, and second zip flowers which will become brooches. Here they are:
I am not wildly happy with them as they do not form the shape of a rose. I carefully sewed running stitch along the length of the zip and then gathered this, in the hope that the gathering would assist with petal making. I had cut my fingernails that morning and found the sewing and holding very difficult. However, my first one (on the left) has more shape than the second (on the right) and I think that is because my hand was sore with the second attempt.
I am planning to make some leaves from some scraps of green fabric - will post more on this project later. Have you seen something like these and thought to yourself "I can make that" and then, found its actually harder than you thought? I am not going to give up on these "zip flowers" as it would be wasting the zips, so I am determined to make something from them! What would you do??
I am planning to make some leaves from some scraps of green fabric - will post more on this project later. Have you seen something like these and thought to yourself "I can make that" and then, found its actually harder than you thought? I am not going to give up on these "zip flowers" as it would be wasting the zips, so I am determined to make something from them! What would you do??
Treasure from Yellow Shop and ReStore
skull ring for my Dear Daughter
found in the 50 cent treasure bowl at the
Yellow Shop in St Andrew Street
and for me, Skull and cross-bones bracelet with fob fastener, also 50 cents
Pair of buckles
50 cents from ReStore
both are marked with a mysterious "z"
Perhaps they were made for Zorro????
Cute bow brooch
20 cents at Port Chalmers School Garage Sale.
This has a funny fan shaped mark on the back
The little clasp bit is broken - but that is no problem
I will be sewing this onto some fabric
and then making it into a "new" brooch.
RWC Friday - better late than never!
Red white and blue striped
Trevira Dress "A Glaven Garment"
Made in New Zealand c 1960s (?)
$5 TradeMe
Red plastic bracelet and red rose plastic ring
both from Equip (bracelet bought this week for $3)
Beautiful Kowhai Tree in my garden in full bloom!
Dappled shade creates a softer light and makes it easier for both
photographer and "subject"
Hair adorned with red rose and feather hair accessory
$2 from the $2 shop
This ensemble caused a few raised eyebrows at work...
but onions, a striped top and a beret would have been too easy!
Viva la France!!!
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