Sunday, January 25, 2009

Vintage lust


I have a bad case of house envy...and a severe bout of fabric lust. It was triggered by a lovely night out for dinner at a friends place. A friend who in addition to creating brilliant artworks himself, also has an absolutely amazing collection of retro home wares and fabrics.
Oh my, it was an etiquette struggle for me...I was torn between being, you know, normal and socialising, or racing around his flat gleefully recording every little beautiful object with my camera.
Ahem, it's pretty obvious what happened- thanks for your patient and gracious hospitality Jay!

I often daydream about going back in time...to buy fabric, clothes and furniture. I am a slave to retro style. If I could get my hot lil' hands on some mint condition home wares or fabric I would be in a state of bliss. I can barely walk past a op shop in case I miss out on some rare treasure. The everyday fabric that was made en masse during the depression for instance is absolutely stylish and elegant, and the kind of thing that never turns up for sale. My mum gave me a 30 cm by 45 cm piece (made up into a library bag she had sewn), cut down from some curtains her mother had originally made using depression era fabric. It is so beautiful; grey blue stylised gum leaves and blossoms printed onto slightly off white cotton. I am saving it for something truly special.
Jays' very clever mum created this beautiful bedspread with some of their collected remnants. Vintage fabric has a history, a social story, and are much more charming and unique than anything you could buy new.

I am sewing up some oven mitts and pot holders with some beautiful pieces from my own stash of fabrics, and love mixing op shop pieces with felted family cast offs and seeing how they all come together. I get such a kick out of it and delight in re-using the smallest fragments of vintage fabric. You can buy vintage fabric online these days, but the joy of finding something amazing unexpectedly in a dusty op shop can never be beaten...it's sort of like, hunting, but in the kookiest, kitschest way!

Anyway, happy Australia day, cheers,

xkate

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