Monday, October 5, 2009

One person's annoying unfinished project is another person's treasure

Lots of Stash reHash stall-holders have mentioned they'll be selling unfinished projects: either their own or ones they have inherited from other people. Some of these date back decades and include half-finished tapestries, half-knitted jerseys, patchwork projects and cut-out garments complete with pattern. Hopefully we'll find them new homes at the market and they'll be completed and loved as much as my best-ever unfinished project purchase.

I bought the coat pictured above for a couple of dollars in an op-shop in Lower Hutt nearly fifteen years ago. It was only partially made and pinned to the front of it was a large plastic bag containing a homemade paper pattern, all the required extra fabric pieces and instructions handwritten in very shaky handwriting. I tried the coat on and instantly fell in love. It reminded me of a Romeo Gigli coat I'd recently tried on in London and loved but been unable to afford. My smartypants friend/shopping companion was not impressed. She kept humming the Dr Who theme tune and quoting Julian Clary ("True or False: Corduroy is a mistake?") but I was undeterred. I bought it, finished it and have loved wearing it ever since.

Now a spooky thing happened when I was just out in the garden photographing this coat. A Yellow Admiral butterfly landed on it! I was so pleased and surprised that I fell over backwards, missed the photo opportunity and nearly squashed all the freshly planted Bok Choy. I'm not one for "signs" but if you read what I wrote for the Featured Seller spot on Felt this week, you'll understand why I was so excited. Rightio, I'm off outside to plant nettles.

4 comments:

  1. oh how i love synchronicity...
    firstly i get excited about fliers for stash rehash on the counter at my work, then i find you on felt, then i come over here and find you talking about 'signs'.

    have a happy monday, isn't the sun just glorious.. .

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  2. Thanks eroica, so nice to hear people getting excited about this. I'm loving the sun too. I've been freshening up some musty fabrics with a wash and line-dry so today is perfect.

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  3. are you planning on doing more of these markets? i'm actually out of town on that weekend... bad timing eh!

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  4. I always have too many plans... Lots of people have asked about another one. I'm going to see how this one goes and then decide. and hopefully if I do the date will suit you.

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