I am so excited!
I popped out to get some picture hooks and thought I might as well have a quick look in The Charity Shop (there is only one in the nearest town) and came away with what must be the BEST DEAL EVER.
The two labels said “Remnants” priced at £5.00 each. Basically, they were obviously going to be a long and a medium pair of curtains that had been started but not finished. They were each double width, cut and seamed up the middle, and that was it.
Brand new fabric.
ELEVEN metres of it.
Ten pounds.
I snapped it up.
I got home, laid it out and had a proper look.
It was top quality and looked pretty exclusive to me so I checked the selvedges and googled the fabric.
It retails for £76.00 per metre.
That’s £836.00 of brand new fabric for a tenner!
Honestly, I can’t tell you how chuffed I am. Although it does make me wonder about the lost potential passing through charity shops for a song. Am I going to take it back and insist they price it right? No, so that makes me a hypocrite then. But I didn’t know it was designer fabric before I’d paid up and returned home so that makes feel a little less guilty:)
Tess thinks it would make a nice dog blanket.
It won’t.
I’m going to try to piece it together to make a new pair of curtains for the dining end of our kitchen as the silk ones have started to disintegrate in the sunlight.
That wasn’t the only thing I bought though; there was an Ikea double duvet cover going for £3, and I knew just what to do with it…..
Do you remember the day bed that used to be in my studio which is now in the garden?
Well, hiding behind the bed was an attic full of “stuff”…
Ugh! It does NOT make for a happy studio:(
I cut the duvet cover around three sides and opened it out. I hemmed it and punched eyelets at intervals along the top edge and suspended it on hooks hidden behind the beams and, an hour later – voila!
Out of sight, out of mind – I now have a much more streamlined, tidy space and, not only that, acres of floor space for cutting out those designer curtains:)
I also have quite a lot of leftover fabric so what can I do with that, I wonder….?
September 22, 2014 at 5:33 pm
Wow what awesome finds! I hear the term charity shop often, I assume its what we call thrift stores over in the states. Thanks for sharing your projects
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September 22, 2014 at 5:34 pm
Yes, it is the same as a thrift store – amazing treasure troves!
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September 22, 2014 at 6:01 pm
I agree,what awesome finds!Do not feel guilty ,sometimes we are just worth having great stuff at ours…. crafters know best what quality is…. 🙂 and I’m sure that, in your hands, the nice fabric will become priceless….
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September 23, 2014 at 1:56 pm
Well at least I recognized the quality so it hasn’t gone off to be made into rags!!
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September 22, 2014 at 6:47 pm
That fabrics is gorgeous and a brilliant find. I’m another lover of charity and second hand shops, plus flea markets etc. To make something beautiful out of the neglected or peoples cast off’s give you a great sense of satisfaction. Be sure to show us what you make from it. 🙂
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September 23, 2014 at 1:57 pm
I have already started on the fabric and will definitely share the finished product:)
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September 22, 2014 at 7:18 pm
Bargain if ever I saw one , congratulations on your shopping prowess 🙂
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September 23, 2014 at 1:57 pm
Thanks, I do love a bargain!
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September 22, 2014 at 7:30 pm
WOW!! £76 a METRE!!! Also I love what you did with the pretty duvet cover.
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September 22, 2014 at 7:34 pm
Thank you! I know, such a bargain😀
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September 22, 2014 at 10:24 pm
What a wonderful day of discoveries! That’s why you should never pass by a charity shop – enjoy your new crafting projects 🙂
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September 23, 2014 at 1:59 pm
I find it nearly impossible to walk by without popping in. I only manage it once a week at the most though and it makes me wonder what other bargains I may have missed!
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September 23, 2014 at 5:17 am
What a find!! I found something kinda like that in an antique shop in Indiana, and have made a purse and a clutch from it so far. I love finding these kinds of things!!
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September 23, 2014 at 7:47 am
It feels like you’ve hit the jackpot doesn’t it? I’d be able to make quite a few purses/handbags out of it….!
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September 23, 2014 at 7:24 am
Gasps! Your charity shop is pretty impressive. That’ll make absolutely stunning curtains (or dog blanket 😉 ).
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September 23, 2014 at 7:48 am
Ha ha! If it’s not the dogs, it’s the hens photo-bombing!
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