Tuesday 1 May 2012

Auction finds


At the weekend, we headed off to an auction.  Nothing special there you might think but this little auction, along with a lot of high end interiors, had vintage clothing!  The auction wasn’t so little in fact, as there were over 700 lots.  At 100 lots an hour, it’s safe to say that my poor feet are slowly recovering from the 7+ hours I spent standing on them. 

Was it worth it?  I certainly think it was.  I love a good auction, as I’m incredibly nosey, and enjoy having a rummage through to see what gems can be found.  From the catalogue alone, the sale had looked very promising for original vintage wear but, in reality, a lot of what was being offered was from a theatre company in Shoreditch so not much true vintage was to be had. 

However, what was there was pretty lovely.  To name but a few, coming back to Suffolk was a 1930’s Astrakhan coat, some original 1940’s shoes for the grand sum of £5!  I couldn’t believe it.  They were in a box of other, more modern, shoes that I don’t think anyone else had bothered to look into the bottom of!!  A 1930’s day dress and, my favourite, a beautiful original 1940’s coat.  The coat is amazing.  It’s made out of a heavy, corduroy feel fabric and is in a deep burgundy colour and, with the exception of the belt buckle which needs some serious attention, it’s in great condition.  To top it of, it’s a utility coat and has the all important CC41 label in the lining!  I always get excited by this label, and hope that excitement never leaves me.  It’s one of the first things I check for when purchasing original clothing, although, sadly, CC41 clothing is becoming harder to find. 

Although I haven't taken shots of the above, The sun stuck around long enough for me to get a couple of shots. 

First up are 2 original 1940’s floral aprons.  These things are so sweet, far nicer than the ones you get today.  Just look at the print on these 2.





Bonus on the green one is that it’s CC41!!  Oh yes, take a look at this.


Another purchase I made, and an auction first for me, was this small collection of knitting patterns.


They weren’t cheap and I was surprised at what they went for, I’d hoped that the eBay pattern frenzy hadn’t extended this far but, alas, it had.  They’ve been added to my ever increasing pattern collection :o)

On more woolly news, I’ve sewn up another one.



This one is in Stylecraft Olive and has such a lovely, scalloped collar.  I did battle with a circular needle to achieve it – those things are jolly hard to get the hang of!

:o)

8 comments:

  1. Hello there! I'm glad I found your blog. The 40's was a great era and you have some fabulous sweaters.

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  2. ..what a beautiful pullover..
    ciao ciao Christa

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  3. Love the aprons - the fabrics are lovely!
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

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  4. Ooo arhhh, the burgundy Utility coat sounds de-lish (me and coats- I shouldn't be let loose around them as I seem to buy them all!)
    Shoes, pretty aprons and patterns, sounds like a great haul to me!
    Oh, and another lovely jumper!
    Tupney x

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  5. Wow 7 hours is a commitment! I love the pieces you got, the fabric is adorable! Love the patterns and the jumper you've made is amazing! I adore the neckline, I'd love to try a circular needle sometime, but it looks very fiddly! XxxX http://thesecondhandrose.blogspot.co.uk/

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  6. Love those 2 aprons! I also really like the sweaters that you show, beautiful work. That was a long day to come up with your finds, but it woulds like it was a very successful day.

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