Yesterday I took you on a tour of my trip to The Vintage Bazaar Holiday Jubilee. Here is Part 2 of that post, with more makers and vintage sellers to help you with your own Christmas shopping. Let’s get right to it!
When I was in high school, I came across a set of encyclopedias that were being thrown away and took one to make a hollow book. Working long and hard with my X-acto knife, I finally finished my project, but it was nowhere near as awesome as the books at Book End Designs. BookEndDesigns.etsy.com
Maybe vintage linens are your thing? You may like The Linens Lady www.facebook.com/TheLinensLady She had handkerchiefs, tea towels, table cloths, and aprons, all in wonderful condition.
Mill 77 www.mill77.com is a multi-dealer antiques and consignment space in Amesbury, MA. I loved looking at this booth with its array of interesting vintage items. I think I need to visit the store!
Across from Mill 77, I met Antoinette Indge of Cinderloop. www.cinderloop.com As a sewer, I was really impressed with her clothing. I’m pretty sure the pictures won’t do this one justice, either (If anyone has tips for shooting pictures indoors without natural light, I’d love to hear them.). Her work was really creative. Most of the clothing was shaped through artful gathers and beautiful stitches in just the right places. I’ve never seen clothing quite like it.
One of my favorite things about art is how it can be used to make us look at materials and other things in new ways. When I saw these clutches made from the same materials used for lobster bait bags, I thought they were so creative. They’re also easy to wash in your washing machine. You can’t beat that!
These bags are made from the same material as lobster bait bags!
One of my favorite booths belonged to Katie Marie, artist, bookmaker, and owner of Lives and Letters. www.etsy.com/shop/livesandletters She is a lovely person and we had a nice, long chat about making things and, specifically, her own books. She upcycles old books and binds them into old/new journals. They come in various sizes and papers. She told me that if I was looking for something specific, say a journal with half graph paper and half blank paper, she can accommodate that. She chooses really interesting books as her covers and gives them new life.
Right next door to Katie was Jessica Kealty. www.kealthydesign.com She is an interior designer, but also sells goods from her travels. At this event, she was selling, among other things, Turkish towels. I’ve seen these in magazines, but never had the chance to feel them myself. They were lovely. The lady that I spoke with was telling me that people use them not only as towels, but also as shawls, scarves, and baby blankets.
All of these shops were located in the large, main tent at the Bazaar. There were also several greenhouses and a smaller tent with more vendors as well as a shop in a cute truck.
I found my friend Elizabeth Berthoud of sacAmain www.sacamain-shop.com in one of the greenhouses. (She was the one who generously donated the leather that I used to make the clutches for my friends.) I’m always impressed with the quality of her handbags and all the special touches she puts into them.
Look at this cool purse made from upholstery fabric with a belt for the handle!
Last, but not least, I visited Laurel of Retromat Vintage. www.etsy.com/shop/RetromatVintage and www.RetromatVintage.com She was just as friendly and knowledgeable in person as I thought she would be. She had a really great array of vintage goods and clothing. In case you are wondering, I did try on the fur dress, and it fit…but it was a bit snug in the shoulder area, so I decided not to bring it home with me. 😦
Between this event and the September one, I think I liked September’s better. There were more vendors since it could be held outdoors, and the entrance price was lower, but this was fun nevertheless. I found it very inspiring and I came away with new ideas…oh! and even a few Christmas gifts. 🙂
Pattern and Branch 