Retrobiz - Action stations

I am generally a bit of a "gunna" with regard to crafty activities.

I love to admire and even buy the necessary items and then well, I do a lot of thinking, talking, rearranging etc.  Do I make anything, the answer has mostly been a big, fat NO.

I am pleased to say that this time, I have actually taken the concept through to product.

My output, slim though it may be, is as follows. I have:

• repurposed, six mostly retro tea towels into aprons.
• sewn three fabric totes - small, medium and large
• sewn one little girl's lacy apron ... very cute
• tinkered with three tea shirts to make them into aprons and bags with moderate success
• cut out three women's aprons and have yet to finish
• laminated six Home Journal cover prints into placemats

Additionally, I have purchased 200 calico tote bags for  embellishing with fabric and an old, Home Journal cover prints.

I have nearly completed one, this project took a lot of thinking and still needs some tweaking.

[pic to follow]

Starting my RetroBiz - Making a plan

My last post was about printing onto fabric. Well, I am pleased to say, I have successfully ticked that box.

My professional assistant (clever husband) sourced our inkjet printer and various papers for our first efforts. We are also testing Reynolds freezer paper for this process. It will be much cheaper.

I have printed covers of 50's and 60's Home Journal magazines.  I am using these to give a  retrovibe to plain old calico bags.  The plan is:

• front of bag - magazine print
• bag of bag - fabric with a old-world look
• other decorations may include: buttons, lace, beads, ribbon, rick rack as the desire takes me.

I have bought 200 bags, so I have  along way to go!

Getting back to sewing and setting up a sewing corner has been a lot of fun!  I have started to make:

• aprons out of old tea towels
• aprons from old tea shirts
• aprons from scratch with retrofeel
• tote bags from various fabrics

I have enjoyed rediscovering all my old fabric, thread, lace, buttons.  Going to garage sales and op-shops over many years, has given me a wide range to choose from.

I am still considering buying bulk white or calico aprons, but that plan will have to be fleshed out a little first.

I now have to get an ABN and will begin to explore having a market stall next year.

My daughter and I, have selected a "company name".  It is all very exciting.

Printing onto Fabric -- Made in Australia

I have been thinking about this project for a while.  It is linked in reality to other ideas that I have about creating retro-themed products from scratch or "repurposed". 

I have a lot of retro-stuff and plan in the coming weeks to set up images using clothing, crockery and other household items, that I can print onto fabric.

These prints, I plan to use for bags, cushions, aprons, whatever I can think of.

I have an inkjet printer. I need to buy the product for fabric printing, it's quite pricey.

My first themes will focus on "Made in Australia".

I may recycle some images I already have if they meet this condition.

I wonder how many Aussies out there have discoverd that they have few products in their home with that label.

I challenge all to look.

Fabulous 50s and 60s

I have been busy in the "shed" looking through my boxes of clothing.

I found a tiny blue, sunray pleated skirt that I wore at the end of the 60s. 

It looks like a skirt for a 6 year old.  I cannot believe I was sooo skinny! Lucky to get it over one calf, let alone a thigh.

I have 30+ outfits from those decades. Ranging from XSSW. Some lovely flared skirt dresses.

Located some of the sunglasses I have collected too.  Yet to decide on an era for some of these.

It will be nice to put full outfits together for "glam" shots. I have a lot of shoes and accessories for matching.

Next post taster:

I also found all sorts of stuff that I made in the 70s.  My first years of teaching, interesting stuff!

Lease or sell my RETRO treasures

I have more time now and have begun to sort my collections of "old stuff".

I have gathered together all my handbags and clothing.  I already have my jewellery stored and accessible. For each of those categories, I need to do a lot more category sorting.  Like a science classification exercise.

I have to decide whether I will set up an online store or settle for a simple promotion website of catalogues or "lookbooks".

I could also use some sort of email marketing, backed up with paper flyers for media, film agencies, theatre companies  and other relevant companies and industries.

Face to face visits may be worth looking at.

The main thing for me now is to get the "glam" shot photography started and posted.

What will I call my promotion website that will have this blog as a companion?

Should I start to be serious about garage sales again?

Will I be able to keep adding to my collection now that the prices are increasing so steeply?

Lots of Glomesh, Oroton and beaded purses

Lots of work to do ... I think it will be fun!

First garage sale for ages

I haven't posted about any flash trash since October 2011. Needless to say, I have bought many things since then, too busy to write and take photos.

In February, I put the treasures that we bought at the last Double Bay council clean-up on Facebook. Wow, did we find some great things! The car was sooo full, I had to sit with junk on my lap all the way home.   It was worth it.

Today, as we drove out for breakfast, it was a stroke of luck to come across a garage sale.

As the picture shows, we found an interesting old chair, a nice blue plate for my "blue" collection, a cane basket and three free items - a black glass plate with rose decoration, a nifty little salt and pepper set in a metal basket and a set of lacquerware coasters.

 

On the way home, I found a nice silver and black cardy at our favourite Vinnies.

Flash Trash Treasures are always there!

During my holidays, I usually check all my favourite haunts.

That would be about ten different shops in our area.  Some I visit twice, just in case.

This is a shot of the only four crockery items I bought. The rest of my purchases were clothing.

Here we have:

• a very cute, little blue glass jug. I have a lot of small jugs, that I hope my family will like, one day???
• a 70s ash tray or serving plate, maybe ...
• a Holly Hobbie, jewellery box. I have been collecting this for my daughter who had these things in her childhood. She is putting together a collection for her little girl.
• a friends plate, John Sands, Made in Japan.  I always pick up these plates if they are $2.00 or less.