Thrifty haul

After a very productive morning at work today I was lucky enough to have the afternoon off. Pondering how best to use to this new found freedom I decided I would pay a visit to my local thrift shops. I had some bits and bobs I had been hauling around in the boot of my car for the last week which needed to be dropped off to a charity shop so off I went.

Upon entering my favourite local store, aptly named 'Charity Begins at Home', I was filled with a sense of purpose and was more than a little bit excited. I wasn't disappointed. This shop seems to receive regular donations of crafty haberdashery so I was in heaven. Elbowing others out of the way (kidding!...or am I) I picked up an awesome old curtain firstly with the pleasing price of only £3. Curtains are the forgotten heroes of thrifting. They come in some fantastic designs and are terrific value for money because of the amount of fabric you get.

Not to be deterred I moved over to the shelves holding all the sewing oddments. I picked up some great buttons on their original cards, along with new spools of coloured thread. All of these items were only 50p a shout- result! I'm not averse to buying new sewing paraphernalia when the need arises but if you pick the basic staple items for next to nothing, why not!
Other things I'm always on the look out for a buckles (for making belts) and handles (for making awesome bags). These both formed part of my plunder today.

All these items are on top of the curtain I picked up. Can you spot the wee buckle at the top?

Lastly but by no means least, I made my way to the ubiquitous doily box. Every self respecting thrift store has one. It pays to have a quick look at each item before throwing it into your basket with wild abandon because due to the very nature of these items, they can often be stained. Don't let the odd mark put you off though, you can applique over them when transforming them into something else wonderful.
I managed to walk out with 12 linen place settings, a clutch of lace edged hankies and a few other beauties.

All in all it was a very fruitful half hour and £20 well spent and will provide plenty of entertainment for the long weekend.  Oh, did I mention the super cute vintage Marks & Spencer blouse I picked up for £1 complete with peter pan collar!

Happy crafting fellow bissums.
xx