Raiding Grandma's Closet and Thrift Store Haul

The day before yesterday I got to raid my grandma's closet.

I came away with

2 slips (one red silk and one black rayon or something)

2 sweaters (one soft blue button up and one from norway where the family is from)

1 bathrobe

1 white shirt

2 crop tops

5 dresses

1 skirt

and 2 aprons

(I am very happy ;) pictures are below

slips

petticoat one (these flair my skirts our perfectly!)

petticoat 2

smock apron with amazing pockets

frilly dinner party apron

this dress is a perfect fit but needs a new zipper

another perfect fit but needs buttons this time lol

a very warm long sleeved dress (these are hard for me to find)

front of nice purple party dress

back of nice purple party dress

decent white top

(this is a light sky blue but my camera refuses to take it with the correct colors)

the sweater from norway

detail of norwegian sweater

red dress (rumpled because I just wore it yesterday)

nice brown wool skirt

crop top 1 probably from the 90s....

crop top 2 needs some altering to fit me correctly

bathrobe

Ok so NOW on to the thrift store haul ;)

Yesterday I went shopping with my mother (who had given me the most amazing cover everything apron that will be perfect for bread baking).

I ended up only spending $4.10 and getting, a sewing book and an adjustable dress form! YAY! I have been looking EVERYWHERE for an adjustable dress form but I just couldnt find one. Then I saw them being used as display dummys in the local salvation army and decided to ask for one.

They said what I thought they would say, no they are not for sale. I said ok thats what I thought and then the lady said something completely unexpected.

She said she was a seamstess and understood how hard it was to find some cheap ones so she would sell me the one that wobbled for $4.

SCORE!

so yea I have a wobbly dress form but thats fixable and now maybe my dresses will fit! ;)

yea im excited I can not wait till we move again so I can unpack my sewing equipment and start learning to sew again .

here is the pics of what I got

The giant apron.

So yea I have had the most amazing few days ;)

hope yours is just as cool!

Mrs. Bergstrom

Opps long time no see and Free Download of "Make do and Mend"

So sorry I have been away for so long. Life has been quite hectic the past few months.
My husband has been unable to find a good job with his degree so we have been living with my mother-in-law for the past 6 months as he continues looking.
We have decided that the best move for us is probably going back to school for a different engineering degree in Aug.
That means that we will be moving for the 5th or so time in a year. (see told you life was hectic. I am probably going to have to get a part time job too :(
Also we have been working on getting in shape so that takes up some of our time.
We know we will make it but its still hard at times when things dont go the way they were planned.

Now for the download ;) (description from amazon)



With the nation's industrial output concentrated on the war effort and a clothes ration in place by June 1940, basic clothes were in short supply in wartime England and high fashion was an unknown commodity. Adults were issued as little as 36 coupons a year to spend on clothes, but a man's suit could cost 22 coupons, a coat 16, and a lady's dress 11. The need to recycle and be inventive with other materials became more and more necessary, and so the government issued a series of leaflets containing advice on how to make fabric and clothing go the extra mile. Reproduced in this intriguing collection, these pamphlets included tips on recycling curtains into dresses and instructions for turning old sheets into underwear. Covering darning, patching, knitting, and more, this is a nostalgic look at the innovative thriftiness of the 1940s.

I found a free download generously offered from this site in PDF format ;)

Make Do and Mend

I personally can not wait to read it and start learning how to stretch what I can do with my budget ;)

Well I hope you all have a great Wednesday and stay cool ;)

(edit after opening the files I realized this is NOT make do and mend but it is, however, the AMERICAN version of it, Make and Mend. Sorry for the confusion but still a good book. )

Love,
Mrs. Bergstrom ;)