Hello there all my Nifty Thrifty readers! Have you been on an Oppy Adventure this week?
A few lovely followers have asked me how I manage to come home with such great finds. So I thought I'd share a few of my tips with you.
- Try looking for smaller Op shops. As we all know, the big oppy's/charities have become really over priced! Although you can sometimes still snap up a nice little bargain, it's often cheaper now to buy a brand new shirt from a retailer than it is to purchase from a charity. The two Op shops that I visit on a regular basis & always seem to come out with something great and at a reasonable thrifted price, are charities for animal welfare.
- Small country town Oppy's are a treasure trove! These quaint little op shops will almost always have much more vintage for you to drool over! And will be far less expensive!!!
- I go straight to the crafting section. But it all depends on what you're searching for. Since I'm a sew-a-holic... the craft section is where I head to first up. I look through all the patterns, you never know what's hiding unless you delve into it properly! Then I search the fabrics, then I head to manchester and keep an eye out for lovely vintage sheets. I also keep my eye out for clearance racks.... I often find really good re-fashioning finds there. Also, (again, this is just my personal preference) I would feel lost if I didn't scour the vinyl box, searching for Tijuana Brass & the likes. Before I leave I have a quick look through the plates and platters, searching for that perfect piece of Pyrex!
- Get to know your local op shop volunteers. They love to chat. I've found that if I get chatting to them about sewing or vinyl, they sometimes will mention that they have something that you may be after at home and that they'll bring it in the next time they are rostered on. They also sometimes have goodies waiting out the back, just waiting for you to snap up... so I often ask if they have any new items that I may like.
So there's a few little helpful hints from me. I hope they are helpful on your next Oppy Adventure! Do you have any more great advice to add to this?
So now it's time to share with you my lovely treasures!
This vintage jumper/pinafore pattern would have to be one of my best finds yet! The illustration is just beautiful & what vintage is all about. I tried to do a little research and this pattern seems to come from the early 1960's. Sadly, not all of the pattern pieces were in the packet, but it was still magic to carefully open & unfold what pattern pieces that were there. One bonus that I thought was cute, is the applique transfer that came with the pattern, unused. Now I'm on the look out for the perfect frame so that I can let this live on as a piece of art in my sewing space.
Technically, these 3 Knitwit patterns weren't actually thrifted, but more so "gifted"... but I still wanted to share them with you. These funky patterns were given to me from my Fathers' neighbour, Dianne. Every now & then when Dad & his partner Carol pop in for a visit, they will come with a little parcel in hand care of Dianne. She has passed on some lovely patterns, fabrics & notions to me that, as you well know, will be put to good use!
I'm just dying to have a go at making those retro pants on the right!
Another cute little find from my local oppy is this crossover pinny pattern. All the pieces are included, along with some carbon tracing paper! Bonus! Don't you just love the little ducky pockets!
I have to apologise for the grainy pic... but this week I managed to find these two fabrics. The floral one is 3m of lovely peachy coloured cotton, perfect for a few little skirts & dresses. The other fabric is a nice lilac t-shirt knit fabric. There's 3m of this fabric also! I haven't quite decided what I will use it for yet, but the possibilities are endless!!!
I hope my tips help you on your own Oppy Adventures! I love seeing other Thrifting Addicts' finds, so please feel free to say hi either here in the comments section, via Facebook, Twitter or email and show off what you have scored too!
